why wont my brake lights light up when i press the brake?

25

Asked by dd Jun 09, 2007 at 01:41 PM about the 2002 Chrysler Town & Country

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My tail lights, hazzards, and reverse lights work...but when i press the brake the lights they dont light up. I checked the fuse, and it's fine.

16 Answers

515

brake light switch is in need of replacement, or adjustment, located under dash by brake pedal arm.

49 people found this helpful.
970

I have the same issue. The break light switch was replaced, fuse checked and still not working. Any suggestions?

97 people found this helpful.
980

Same problem here, fuses ok, light switch replaced, and bulbs were changed, and they still don't work, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

98 people found this helpful.
240

I'm so irritated by the electrical in my 2000 model. The fuses are fine, but I have been told there is a mechanism that trips them so they won't overload, then the ones that are affected have to be pulled out and reinserted to reset them. Obviously there is an electrical problem causing this in the first place, but no one seems to be able to locate it.

18 people found this helpful.
200

common issue on these models with brake light not working, is the bulb socket contacts (aluminum) in the housing burn up. Remove the brake light bulb holder and examine the 2 contacts in the housing (not in the bulb holder). If one or both are burned up, you must replace the entire lens assembly/housing. yeah, it sucks.

20 people found this helpful.
120

i was having the same issue, and even after replacing the switch joy... turns out its the switch itself, if the lever gets flipped before installation (or by accident out of the box. that was my issue twice). problem solved. its super important to follow the directions.

12 people found this helpful.
210

gothikredneck, I just replaced the brake switch but we think the switch had already been flipped beforehand. Do we need to return the part for a replacement? Can it just been flipped back then reinserted?

21 people found this helpful.
30

Having same problem with 2000 honda odyssey. Switch fuses and bulbs all test good. Tested brake lights with a test light no power to the rear but all other lights work fine. There also seems to be some wires under the steering column they were cut and taped to each end of a fuse. May have been someones attempt at rigging it. Its a tan wire connected to the center of a wht/blk wire. That actually gave us one working light before. I just dont get it. Any idea where else the issue might be coming from?

3 people found this helpful.
390

I have a 1999 Chry T & C. The passenger side brake lamp(top bulb in tail assy cluster) won't light. The left rear top running lamp works ok. The drivers side brake lamp works correctly when pedal pushed. The bulb filaments not broken, but I replaced it anyway. Brake lamp passenger side still won't light? Any suggestions, please? Thom

39 people found this helpful.
10

2001 odyssey brake lights work when lights are off but will not come on when the lights are on. Any suggestions? Already checked fuses and sensor under brake pedal.

1 people found this helpful.
145

Hello I have a similar issue in my 2002 T&C, but I think is not the brake switch because the third center tail light works fine, so I think it could be another thing, all the bulbs are OK, I already checked the fuses in the box under the hood, can someone tell me anything else?, thank you very much.

14 people found this helpful.
110

When the lower lights do not come on and only the third-brake light works, the brake-light switch may be ruled out. Try the emergency- flashers to check for wiring, socket and lamp problems. If the flashers work, check for blown fuses as a few vehicles use separate circuits for the lower and third brake lights. On vehicles that use the same lights for brakes and turn signals, a bad turn-signal switch can cause the lower brake-lights not to work. With a bad turn-signal switch, the third-light should still function. On this type of system, the turn signals and brakes use the same circuit. When we use the turn signal switch, it cancels the brake light signal, on the side selected. If it did not, the lights would stay on and not flash. A bad turn-signal switch may interrupt the brake light circuit when it should not. A broken wire to or from the switch may also cause the lower brake-lights not to work. The third brake light does not flash with turn signals. This is why a bad turn signal switch will not affect it.

11 people found this helpful.
210

I have a 2011 Town and Country and the right brake light is out. All other lights work. It has LED lights and I got a replacement for the whole assembly. Put it in and same thing. Left works fine. They don't have separate fuses do they? Ideas.

21 people found this helpful.

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