Driving with a faulty brake light is a gamble you shouldn’t take. The stakes are high. The car behind you may not notice you or flash confusing lights and brake for no reason. These symptoms are specific and dangerous. The light may not come on even if the pedal is pressed. They might stay on constantly. Or it may flicker periodically and leaving you stranded in a state of mechanical uncertainty.
Before you panic about costly brake repairs, look closer. The culprit is often simple. You don’t need an electrical engineering degree to solve this problem. You just need to know where to look.
Locate the brake light switch. It is located under the dashboard. Tuck your head in on the top of the brake pedal assembly. Switches are usually mounted on small metal brackets. The bracket holds the switch in place and pressing the pedal activates the switch.
Check switch and connections
Stop if you find it. Don’t reach for the wrench just yet. Let’s start with the eyes. Check electrical connections. Is it firmly in place? Look at the wires leading to the switch. Are they frayed? Corroded? Broken? Even if you can’t see everything from below the dashboard, you may notice obvious failures.
Check the physical location of the switch. Is it popped out? Is it stuck in the on position? The light will not come on properly if the pedal is not pressed correctly. Most faults are not internal electrical shorts. This is usually mechanical misalignment or a loose connection. If the switch is intact and appears to be installed correctly, there are probably no broken parts. The wiring may be faulty.
Replace your brake light switch safely
If you find that the switch itself is damaged, it is easy to replace. It doesn’t have to be greasy. This is clean work. But there is a problem. You can’t just grab a switch off the shelf.
Not all brake switches are created equal. There are also hydraulic types. Some of them are purely mechanical. You need the right product for your car. Pull up the make, model and year of your vehicle. Go to your local auto parts store. Show them your VIN or registration information. Let me help you find the part you need.
Do not buy parts until they have been diagnosed
It seems easy, but many people skip this step. Do not purchase a new brake light switch until you’ve ruled out other issues. The problem may be in the wiring harness leading up to the switch. It could be a bad connector. It could be the wire from the switch to the tail light.
If you ignore a frayed wire and replace a good switch, you will lose money. This also delays the actual repairs.
Diagnosing brake light wiring problems is not difficult. All you need is patience and a willingness to look under the dash rather than in the trunk. However, there is more to this story. Once you’ve figured out the switch, you need to check the light itself.
