Brake lights not working

[James]

Bulbs appear to be good and fuse appears to be good. What else can I check?

 

[Number680]

Are they just not lighting up when you press the brakes? Or are they not even lighting up when you turn your headlights on?

 

[James]

Taillights work. The brake lights don't work

So only when braking

 

[Number680]

Could be the brake light switch.

Brake Diagnostics

 

[James]

On the male side of the plug I see 11.6 on one wore 10.8 on another wire and .80 on the third wire.

Thwarted by rain clouds. Does the female end just unscrew out?

 

[GSX_TC]

Gotta be that brake light switch.

 

[theevozero]

Your brake light switch should be a 4 pin connector. 2 wires are for your brake lights, the other 2 are for your cruise control. Don't worry about the cruise control circuit, its not gonna effect your brake lights. The hot side of the circuit should have full battery voltage and the other nothing(when brakes not applied). Pin's 2 and 3 are the ones you want, which are green/white and green. The brake lamp switch should not be consuming voltage. If you're getting that kind of voltage drop across your switch, replace it.

 

[James]

It's not easy sticking the probes into the plug and trying to push the brake while looking at the device all at the same time lol

 

[theevozero]

Take switch off and plug it back in. If you aren't sure how to measure voltage drop. Stick the probs from your dvom into pin 2 and 3 and apply the circuit. Anything over .5v is excessive. Your measuring the difference in voltage between the 2 terminals. The reading you get is the amount voltage the switch is consuming. A switch is not suppose to consume any voltage, its just a switch, not a device. I've had brake light issues with my Galant also. Mine turned out to be the main power wire going to the tail lights, having too much resistance and kept popping the fuses. Resistance jacks up your amperage.

 

[theevozero]

If you don't understand what i'm saying, feel free to ask questions. I understand that electrical can be confusing to people who don't do it everyday.

 

[James]

I do hate electrical but I did understand. But the problem is I had the ground touching ground pin on the plug. And I I didn't know what other pin to touch for the brakes so I tried them all.

2 of them were just below 12 volts and the third was (I think) .80

 

[theevozero]

So, you're all good now?

 

[James]

No. After checking that they still don't work.

 

[theevozero]

Will the lights come on if you jump pin 2 and 3?

 

[James]

I can try that tomorrow after work

 

[James]

Haven't had any shots to look at the situation any more. Decided to just order a brake switch today

 

[James]

New brake switch installed. Nothing changed. Getting new bulbs here shortly just to say I tried.

 

[James]

Found some bad wiring. Lord I hate wiring.

Corrected the wiring and brakes are fixed.