My brake lights only come on when I hit the peddle.
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
My brake lights only come on when I hit the peddle.
Number 25 doesn't have power, which leads me to believe that's the culprit to the problems I'm having. When I turn on the headlights the brake light don't come on unless I press the peddle also the lights in the dashboard don't illuminate. Anyone have an idea?
#2
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Year: '96
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 HO
Not trying to get technical, but the brake lights wont come on until you hit the pedal unless you have a short. Now, the tail lights should come on with the headlights, is that what you're talking about?
At first I thought you were making a silly joke about the brake lights only coming on when you hit the pedal until I thought about what you're actually trying to describe hahaha....
At first I thought you were making a silly joke about the brake lights only coming on when you hit the pedal until I thought about what you're actually trying to describe hahaha....
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Gabe Val (02-14-2020)
#4
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Year: '96
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Check the brake light switch, more than likely behind the brake pedal. Push it with your finger and see if you hear a click or something. I don't for sure know about these, but a lot of vehicles brake switches make a little click noise when activated.
Someone back me up in this, but if you remove the switch and hot wire it, would the brake lights come on and stay on? then he could rule out the switch... or if the lights dont come on, then its NOT the switch and its wiring or something... i dont know the best way to so called "hot wire" the switch..
Someone back me up in this, but if you remove the switch and hot wire it, would the brake lights come on and stay on? then he could rule out the switch... or if the lights dont come on, then its NOT the switch and its wiring or something... i dont know the best way to so called "hot wire" the switch..
#5
Member
Under no circumstance should the brake lights come on with the headlight switch, the tail lights should come on! That said, it sounds like the brake light switch is working normally since the brake lights come on when the pedal is depressed. However, the TAIL lights, which are the same bulb different circuit, not coming on could be a blown fuse or bad headlight switch or burned out tail light bulbs. It would help if the OP was actually able to communicate coherently, but the way I read him the tail lights are not coming on with the headlight switch but the brake lights do work. Again, two different circuits same bulb.
Last edited by Steve Hayes; 02-15-2020 at 02:18 PM.
#6
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Ok yeah you're right on the brake switch working.
Yeah that's how I read it as well. I kinda had to re-read it all to make sense of it with the wording confusion at first...
If the dash lights are on the same circuit as the TAIL lights, which makes 100% sense, I would find out what circuit that is since neither of them are working with the headlights.
Yeah that's how I read it as well. I kinda had to re-read it all to make sense of it with the wording confusion at first...
If the dash lights are on the same circuit as the TAIL lights, which makes 100% sense, I would find out what circuit that is since neither of them are working with the headlights.
#7
Member
The tail lights and dash lights are both controlled by the headlight switch but the dash lights can be dimmed, meaning they are on two separate circuits coming out of the headlight switch. The OP failed to indicate whether he has headlights or front park lights and I would question if the dash lights are actually not working or just fully dimmed. In any case there is still information missing, but I would start by looking for a blown fuse.
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BlueRidgeMark (02-15-2020)
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#9
Newbie
Thread Starter
They are not dimmed, the tail lights don't turn on when the headlight switch is pulled. No blown fuses, in the picture fuse 25 doesn't get power and I've tried looking for the exact diagram which I can't seem to find. Gonna get ew bulbs ad try that option. Sorry for the retarded wording.
#11
Old fart with a wrench
Pull the rear cargo area plastic panel on the driver's side where the spare tire mounts and check the wiring connectors there. I have the problem where the brake lights work fine, but come on when you turn on the tail lights. Rusty wheel wells has allowed water to get into that area and one of my connectors is green with corrosion.
#12
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Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
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As you have seen in this thread, and as will be true all of your life, how you use language DOES matter. You were probably taught that "it doesn't matter how you say it as long as people know what you mean". That's a very stupid lie, and it has harmed a lot of people because they believed it. HOW you say it is how people know what you mean. Grammar, syntax, and spelling all DO matter. They are not just "stupid rules some people made up". They are how language works.
That said, you have no reason to be buying bulbs. If you are not getting power to that fuse, you need to find out why. Check your PDC (Power Distribution Center) under the hood. This is where the fuse box on the inside gets its power. Your problem is either there, or in the wiring between the fuse box and the PDC.
By the way, it's "pedal", not, "peddle".
That said, you have no reason to be buying bulbs. If you are not getting power to that fuse, you need to find out why. Check your PDC (Power Distribution Center) under the hood. This is where the fuse box on the inside gets its power. Your problem is either there, or in the wiring between the fuse box and the PDC.
By the way, it's "pedal", not, "peddle".
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Steve Hayes (02-15-2020)
#13
Old fart with a wrench
If English is not your native language, we can still work with you. It just takes a little understanding and patience.
#14
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Hey guys, I'm 100% on board with precise explanations of problems and using the correct technical terms. They are what will get us the info we are seeking. If we come across instances where someone isn't as technically minded as a lot of us, I'm not sure if berating them on proper English and grammar is needed. We can still get to the bottom of the problem with the proper inquisitive questioning to figure out what they are trying to convey. Making someone feel stupid because they aren't as educated on the topic of automobile troubleshooting and maintenance can push them away, hence they will never want to continue educating themselves on the subject.
I am a grammar, punctuation, and syntax **** regarding email, text messaging, and everyday conversation. Heck, I used to get on Craigslist and respond to ads just to make fun of people who sounded like they didn't make it past the 3rd grade. But after I got a response from someone that said they were actually mentally challenged, it turned around my way of thinking big time. Now whether or not that person really was mentally challenged, I can't actually confirm, but it made me feel pretty bad.
By no means am I trying to make the connection between the mentally challenged and the OP (original poster)....
I am a grammar, punctuation, and syntax **** regarding email, text messaging, and everyday conversation. Heck, I used to get on Craigslist and respond to ads just to make fun of people who sounded like they didn't make it past the 3rd grade. But after I got a response from someone that said they were actually mentally challenged, it turned around my way of thinking big time. Now whether or not that person really was mentally challenged, I can't actually confirm, but it made me feel pretty bad.
By no means am I trying to make the connection between the mentally challenged and the OP (original poster)....