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Topic: brake lights

in Forum: C3 Electrical


brake lights

Posted: 7/2/04 4:26am Message 1 of 7
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salamanca, NY - USA
Joined: 12/12/2003
Posts: 82
Vette(s): 1974 vette
help i missed the cruse last night no brake lights all fuses good removed switch and tested good if i run a hot wire to switch left brake lights come on help |headscratch|


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brake lights

Posted: 7/2/04 5:20am Message 2 of 7
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CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH - USA
Joined: 12/2/2003
Posts: 6424
Vette(s): 1975 C3 Red, T-Tops, Black Interior. All I need is time and money! Getting there!
The brake lights are powered by a fuse, then to the brake light switch. From the switch it goes to the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch takes it from there.

The rear turn signals and brake lights are the same bulbs and wires from the turn signal switch on. It lights both lights for brakes, and flashes one for turn signals.

If the turn signal switch was on, only one rear light will light.

Try both turn siganals, or four way flashers and see what works there. If they all light the problem is in the turn signal switch or brake light switch.
The fact the one lit when you jumped the switch tell me the most likely thing is the brake light switch is inoperative, and perhaps the bulb is out on one side. That's a guess.


brake lights

Posted: 7/2/04 1:15pm Message 3 of 7
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salamanca, NY - USA
Joined: 12/12/2003
Posts: 82
Vette(s): 1974 vette
all tuun signals work but they seem to flash faster just found out 4ways dont work also replaced flasher on fuse box still no change can hear turn signal flasher workink under passenger side dash is there another flasher besides these two


brake lights

Posted: 7/2/04 7:38pm Message 4 of 7
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CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH - USA
Joined: 12/2/2003
Posts: 6424
Vette(s): 1975 C3 Red, T-Tops, Black Interior. All I need is time and money! Getting there!
There are just the two flashers. Unless you count the flasher in the console for the alarm.


brake lights

Posted: 7/3/04 3:35am Message 5 of 7
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salamanca, NY - USA
Joined: 12/12/2003
Posts: 82
Vette(s): 1974 vette
thanks ken i dond know what to try next i removed the switch again ran jumper on the plug no lights so it is not the switch its not the flasher yet i cant just hot wire the switch again that just gives me left brake lights looks like my weekend is going to be spent rewireing the whole circut |headscratch|


brake lights

Posted: 7/3/04 6:14am Message 6 of 7
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salamanca, NY - USA
Joined: 12/12/2003
Posts: 82
Vette(s): 1974 vette
ok ok ran a hot wire to other side of switch i now have brake lights no 4way or dash lights but i can live with that for now at least i can drive it.

thanks again ken you are a greas asset


brake lights

Posted: 7/3/04 9:54am Message 7 of 7
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CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH - USA
Joined: 12/2/2003
Posts: 6424
Vette(s): 1975 C3 Red, T-Tops, Black Interior. All I need is time and money! Getting there!
If you bypass the switch and the lights come on but not when you step on the brake, replace the brake light switch. Jumpering the switch will keep the brake lights on all the time. Not good.

But you metioned the dash lights. Are you reffering to the park/tail/running lights? These feed from a 15 or 20 amp fuse to the headlight switch, then to the lights outside, and back into the headlight switch resistor that you turn to adjust the dash light brightness. From there it goes to a 5 or 8 amp fuse, and then to the dash lights.

Althought the brake lights and tail lights are in the same lense and same bulb, they are completely different. There are two seperate filiments in the bulb, and act like two different bulbs.

If it's the tail lights, see if the front ones are working also. This is a good bit of info.

Also check the grounds from the rear lights. If they are not grounded well they can create a feeback thorugh the opposite circiut. Brakes ground through running lights, and Vica Versa. When both are on the ground is lost and the lights go out. Perhaps you lost a ground on the side that does not light.

Do some side to side compairsions of brake lights, turn signals, and tail lights. See what is bright, or not so bright, or out. Pay attention to what combination of lights does what. This lights with the turn signal, but does not flash, etc. Then let me know. It will go a long way toward helping find the problem. The more detail on the lights behavior the more I can pinpoint the problem. Dont forget to look at the turn signal indicators on the dash. What they do in each combination helps me as well.

The park lights are a brown wire. The left turn and brake in the rear is a yellow wire. The right turn and brake in the rear is a dark green wire. Black is the ground. The backup lights are light green. The dash lights are grey. The feed to the brake light switch is orange, and it's white to the turn signal switch. The white wire is the only seperate brake light circuit. All the brakes, turn signal, and 4 way flashers all come from the turn signal switch to feed the outside lights.

Let me know what you find in detail, and I can tell you where to look.


in Forum: C3 Electrical


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