Shorts?

[hwcurtice]

Okay, I've noticed this, and this is kinda irritating at best that occasionally my brakes lights decide not to work. I usually find out they aren't working by backing up and there's a window behind me and I can see them not working, or there's a solid object, wall, that I can see that the 'red' isn't as bright as it should be.

A little bit later, there they are. Working just like they are supposed to work.

I think I've figured this must be a short some where, but because my main electrical experience is connecting dishwashers and such, cars and trucks are way too far above me, where would be the best place to have this checked out, without costing me the proverbial arm, leg, and left nut? For safety reasons, should most likely be close to home, I live in Sultan, so taking it to Bellingham is out.

Help?

Oh, this is on my Dakota. My Daily Driver.

 

[Binder]

probably not a shor,most likely a bad connection. If it were a short it would blow fuses. Check everywhere there is a connection in the circuit. Female plug at the rear of the truck.....Male plug on the trailer...at the lights themselves....

 

[hwcurtice]

probably not a shor,most likely a bad connection. If it were a short it would blow fuses. Check everywhere there is a connection in the circuit. Female plug at the rear of the truck.....Male plug on the trailer...at the lights themselves....

I'm not sure the trailer is affected yet. I don't pull it enough to have to check it all the time.

I'll start pulling the lights tomorrow evening. It's only Tuesday, 7:50 PM, and I'm exhausted...

I hate changing meds and fighting colds and driving over an hour to get home anyway...

 

[Binder]

Oh I see this is your truck not the trailer....Same thing applies though only there are more connections to check on the truck end.

 

[boardbysled]

I would check for corroded bulbs or corroded tail light connectors first:awesomework:

 

[hwcurtice]

Should I mention that I have LED tail lights somewhere in here? No bulbs in the rear.

 

[boardbysled]

Should I mention that I have LED tail lights somewhere in here? No bulbs in the rear.

Doh!:redneck:

Well, I would still check that the rear tail light connectors are not corroded. Did this happen before you installed the LED's? I know cheap LED's can be a bitch. Also, maybe check your brake pedal switch, make sure that connector ain't loose, or the switch is gummed up or something.

 

[hwcurtice]

Its only been for the past couple weeks, as far as I know.

I never noticed it before because I'm usually, 99.9%, the only driver of my truck, and I hardly ever, 0.0000% ever follow the person driving it. Lately, I've been really careful of how close people are following me for some reason.

I've had the LEDs since Christmas.

I'll dig under the dash and check the brake switch. I hate those things. I've had to replace them before and it was because it was keeping my brake lights on all the time on another car I don't have anymore. Can you figure how irritating that would be at night?

Hey, if it's gummy, and I don't know why it would be, would some WD-40 help it?

 

[Flat-Bed_3rd_Gen]

dont spray it with anything, if its gummy just replace it, there are two switches in it for safety. i would put the stock lights back in and see if it goes away, bu if you want to leave them in there i would check for 12 volts at the light housing connector and go from there. just put a stick on the pedal jam it into the seat so they stay on pull the connector off and see what the votage is between the connector and the trailer hitch, if there isnt 12 volts start tracing the harness back under the truck and look for pinched or where the harness has rubbed through, at each connector keep checking for 12 volts.

 

[zukkev]

Sounds like the brake switch....I like the comment about b'ham!:redneck:...X2 on the don't lube it comment...only allows more crud to accumulate on the contacts over time...Check for power into the switch..step on the pedal and check for power coming out of the switch...Be aware there may also be a cruise cancel switch under there, so don't mix the two up!!!:awesomework:

 

[hwcurtice]

Y'all saw the comment about auto electric being over my head, right? I don't have any way to check the power to any switch.

I'll try putting the old lights uke: back in.

 

[hwcurtice]

So, when I got home, last night, the brake lights were working. Mind you, when I left Seattle, they weren't. So somewhere in there, they started working.

This morning, I wasn't sure, not nearly enough caffiene for the drive in. When I parked, I hit the lock button, No brake light flash from the third brake light.

So, I think I drove all the way to work with no brake lights.

This is really getting old...

 

[CHOP SHOP]

step one. look under rear bumper.

two. look for trailer wiring monster (it should be snoozing behind the bumper). If it is janky refer to three.

three. if its janky, report back here for mo instructions or start wiggling it around with the lights on and see if it makes them twinkle on and off.

 

[crash2]

Either a poor contact issue within the brake switch or an open/poor connection someplace in the circuit. Its not a short,,

 

[hwcurtice]

Can I ask why everyone thinks the trailer connection has anything to do with it?

And do you all know how hard it it to check these things with only one person? I can't step on teh brakes, run to the rear, jiggle the wires and see if they're working that fast. My name isn't 'Flash'.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

dig around in the bushes until you find a stick you can break by hand.

Now break it to the right length and wedge in under the dash so it hold the brakes on.:cheer:

Now the reason the trailer wiring should be checked first is cuz un qualified folks like yourself that should not wire things decide they are going to wire up the boat trailer plug and it ends up behaving like you describe after they are done chewing up the wiring.

I always look for amature caused **** before double checking the usually reliable factory wiring.

 

[crash2]

Can I ask why everyone thinks the trailer connection has anything to do with it?

And do you all know how hard it it to check these things with only one person? I can't step on teh brakes, run to the rear, jiggle the wires and see if they're working that fast. My name isn't 'Flash'.

If its in the trailer harness more than likely its a bad/corroded connection. I have seen where guys will rather than just tying into the circuit will cut it--then tie it into the circuit using unsealed butt connectors and it will become corroded.

Best advise is shove something on the brake pedal to keep the brakes on--hop under the back of the rig and lighly start tugging on the wiring.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

On 4 wire rigs (no orange lights in the rear)

you can check braklights by turning on the flasher too.

 

[crash2]

On 4 wire rigs (no orange lights in the rear)

you can check braklights by turning on the flasher too.

Not the way you want to do it. When you are diagnosing a certain circuit you want to use that circuit only.

 

[hwcurtice]

Turns and flashers all work. This is just the brake lights. And they only do it from time to time. Sometimes they work just fine. Some time they just don't work at all.

And all the wiring is from the factory, except the LED light that I've installed, which where all Plug-n-play. No sodering, no cutting, no tape.

Crash, you don't suppose the trailer connector from the HF trailer messed things up, do you? Those lights all worked fine the last time I used it, about a month ago.