Brake lights got me beat

[doobycareful]

Ok so my brake lights dont light up only the the one on the spoiler dose. Checked all fuses relays, nothing. I tried to bypass the switch but nothing, the spoiler brake light works so I dont see the switch being bad. I've checked ground wire on intake manifold, no luck. Signal and park lights work its only when I push the brakes that the lights dont come on. I've searched and searched check and double checked and I have no idea what I can look at next, I'm frustrated and stressed and dont wanna get pulled over, so you guys have any ideas that I can try check out and hopefuly fix the lights? Thanks so much for your help, in advance and sorry for posting with misspelled words, nobody is prefect

 

[Nick_4567]

Ok first thing. Do you know how to read a wireing diagram and use either a volt-meter or a test light? If so go to your chiltons annd look at the diagram untill you have found your brake lights then try to find your power source which will probably be going to a juntion point and then to either the fuse pannel or or the switch. This will tell you where to use your meter. From there just follow your power to where it ends and that will be your problem. Also focus on your ground side of the circuit... make sure that your ground is good to the bulb it self use a jumper wire to test both the power and ground supplys if the lights still don't come on when you do this it is either the bulb's or the housings for the bulbs. From what you are saying it sounds like the circuit is good up where the wires split to go to the tail lights from the 3rd brake light (this would be on the power side). I couldn't be for sure with out a diagram in front of me but give it a try and let me know if I can explain anything else. I love electrical and sometimes it can be frustrateing but if you can get a solid foundation in the basics of reading a diagram and figuring out how to test an isolated part of the circuit you will find you can do almost anything with it.

 

[doobycareful]

Thanks alot Nick, Ill try to trace back the power to where the 3rd brake light and the tail light wires meet. And also check the ground and sockets. Thank you sir.

 

[super97gst]

i had this same problem on my chevrolet truck one time. went on forever. i traced wires and checked for broken wires, bulbs, sockets, housings, everything. ended up i had a ground that had come loose from corrosion over the years. i havent had this problem on my gst, but on my truck the brake lights were grounded seperately from the 3rd brake light. just like yours, it would work and the brakes not. i found the ground for the brake lights, cut the old ring terminal off and put a new one on it and cha ching, working again.

 

[doobycareful]

The thing was when I got the car it had an eclipse rear end conversion but the guy didnt bother to change the wiring so I had to rewire my lights, somewhat like this
but I cant make the blinkers turn into park lights for some reason. Oh and also for my car the last step of the hookup i had to hookup the green/white(park light) wire to the signal wire not the green one(brake light) the brake light wire dosent light up at all. But yeah thanks for all the help guys.

 

[super97gst]

maybe for the signal lights you would be better off running new wire and tying into the front turn signals and running back. do your hazard lights work correctly in the rear??