Identify the correct fuse and replace it with a similar one. Power and ground here, means the problem is in the second half of the circuit. Then to rectify the problem, you would have to pay more for the parts. If you have the “third” or dedicated brake light (the one not in your tail lights), check the harness after they diverge. Check for a blown fuse and be careful, as many vehicles have more than one fuse box. All of the bulbs are good. If it too is not working, the brake-light switch, a bad fuse or an unplugged harness is likely. Want Answer 0. Assuming you have already replaced the bulbs, there is a switch that the brake pedal touches when depressed that activates the lights. The point of the tool probe should only touch the contact, when checking. You can test the brake light switch with a multimeter to make sure the pins get connection/0 ohm when you are pressing or releasing the switch. It is possible that rodents have nibbled away at the wiring inside your car or that the wiring has deteriorated over time. There are good videos on YouTube of how to do this. The emergency flashers often use the same wiring, bulbs and sockets as the brakes. Ok so I went for an inspection sticker and they told me my third brake light was out. Registered visitors are always invited to leave their comments and thoughts by using the form above. The tail lights work on the top but the bottom tail lights does not work. Check for continuity with an ohmmeter, between the ground wire and a known good ground. Press the brake pedal and they come on, release, and they go off. These are sometimes used by the cruise control, transmission and other systems. Now back up, sugnal, and tsil lights works, but NO Brake Lights. Why is that? When the lower lights do not come on and only the third-brake light works, the brake-light switch may be ruled out. I have a 2004 F250 cc 4x4 6.0 with 151k on it, i recently noticed the other day driving down the highway with my fiance follwing me that i had a third brake light on my cab workin but not on my tail lense, i then noticed my traliler bake controler no long lit up inside when i tapped the brakes. But if you have an older car, you want to check the light bulbs. Using the wiring diagram, we can determine which leads should have continuity and when. In rare cases, there might also be a broken wire somewhere. Since there are a lot of reasons for the brake light to fail while the taillight is working, it is difficult to decide which is the source problem. When i step on the Brake, The third light goes on but, the sides do not light up. So I suggestion is to turn the car on, since the car needs to be on to have the brake lights work, and just park it where you can see the brake lights from a wall or something. In such cases, it is always best to consult the vehicle’s user manual or, if you have some money to spare, a mechanic. Check any grounds the harness has in there. Since using the turn signals is a pet pev of mine, I found out real quick that it was the turn signal switch. If these pads break or fall out, the pedal may not push the switch enough when released. When we release the brake pedal, it returns to the up-position. We can also use an ohmmeter to check for continuity between the black lead and body ground. Many modern third-brake lights use an LED and do not have bulbs that can be replaced. If ground is lost, but if that was the case, none of the lights would work. The problem is that you cannot often tell if your taillights and brake lights are faulty. There is no light on the dash telling me so, and besides I find it hard to believe all 3 went out at once. Replaced bulbs and still not working. When should you replace your brake rotors? I’m here to give you answers to all your automotive questions and I hope that you enjoy our content. I tried checking the fuse under the hood and on side of the door. The brake-lamp portion of the switch will show continuity when the brake pedal is depressed. Lens cover cracked on dricer’s side. With the brakes depressed, lightly touch the terminals with a voltmeter, to check for voltage. If 12 there to ground check the light ground point which is white wire with black stripe screws to hatch door frame right above license plate. Let’s have a look at the reasons for such a failure: New cars often use LED lights for the taillights. Some vehicles may have multiple switches on the brake pedal, and some switches may have more than one set of contacts. All electronic equipment in a car is supplied electricity through wires that go through a fuse box. I have no idea what is causing this problem. Both brake lights works except for the 3rd light. Mechanics also have the proper equipment to test and solve your brake light issue. A quick test is to try the emergency-flashers, on vehicles that use the brake lights as flashers. Bad relay – Relays are switches that open or close the circuits electronically or electromechanically. Pressing the pedal should cause the switch to move. I have checked the connections and they seem ok. If only the third light is out and the lowers still work, see if it will flash with the emergency-flashers. If you don’t – there might be a broken fuse or a broken wire. Lower Brake Lights Work, but Third Brake Light Does Not. A brake light out on one side only is most often a bulb or socket problem. Any recommendations to possibly fix the problem? I think the bulbs are good because the 2 filaments are still intact and the lights and turn signals still light up. When the brake lights will not come on, the first thing to check is the third-brake light. Tail light inop on passenger side. Corrosion is also a leading reason why the wiring becomes faulty. If continuity is indicated when released, or open-circuit shows when depressed, replace the switch. The brake pedal may also fail to contact the switch. On vehicles where the flashers are separate from the brake lights, this will not apply. The Electrical Ground. Here are two links. These are far more difficult and may require professional service. If you see one or two of the brake lights illuminate, you can deduce that the issue is with the bulb on the failed brake light. If the contacts stick, the switch may continue supplying power to the lights, though it is released. Hello I’m Magnus, the owner and the writer of this website. If the brake switch was bad, the 3rd brake light would not work. You'll have to check the wiring diagram for a pin out. This can be a real struggle to find since the wiring from inside the brake light system might go from the front of the car to the rear. 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