Brake lights

dksix · 12-17-2006, 08:28 AM

My brake lights has stopped working . I've checked the fuse and it's good . I've checked the switch at the brake pedal and it seems to be working . I have tried a new switch from another car and it does not make the brake lights come on . I have also tested it with a meter and when the brake pedal is pushed I have voltage coming out where there is no voltage with the pedal not pushed . I would think there is a relay for the brake lights , but I don't know which relay it is . If anyone could post where to look next it would be great . I have a totaled car I bought for parts , so swapping parts is no problem . My car is a 1992 E36 325i sedan . All other lights are working . I'm alomst to the point of wiring the lights straight from the pedal . I guess that's what I'll have to do if I can't find the problem with the factory wiring . I have a back ground in mobile electronics and would be using relays from the switch so it wouldn't be a total hack job , but would prefer to keep the factory wiring intact . Thanks

dksix · 12-17-2006, 10:44 AM

I have the lights fixed .

Jeron · Jeron's Garage

Is the method of repair worth posting here to share with others who might have a similar problem?

dksix · 12-19-2006, 03:56 PM

I'm sorry for not stating the fix . I posted this before I took the time to read through old post about the same problems . ( I know I should have read first and I'm also sorry about that ) . Anyway , looking back I read about the wires rubbing where they go thought into the truck and I took the back seat out and the panels in the truck . I didn't see any bad places in the wires , but the bending while I looked must have remake contact and I think that's where the problem was . I put a heavy piece of wire loom aroung the wires and taped them up tight and they are working fine now . The thing is that with no insulation broken on any of the wires and the groomet in very good shape I'm not sure if that was really it . As I said I have a parts car and I did change so relays , wiggled the plugs and the ground wires . I even ran a hot jumper directly to the lights which back feed and made the radio come on ????? All the while I had the brake pedal mashed with a rod against the seat . I thought the lights would burn will the switch was off but they don't and I didn't turn the switch on until after the power back fed throught the car , which made me think "why is that happening" . After all that I turned the switch on and they were working . So to be honest , I'm not sure when they started working again or what fixed them . I didn't post this because I can't see how the messed up way I got them working could help anyone . BUT reading about other peoples problems I think it might have been a bad wire where they go into the trunk . BYW the third brake light still isn't working ?????????? Any I'm sorry about not posting , but after you read about the way they started working maybe you'll understand why I didn't think my post would help anyone .