Ok, I give!!

One brake light away from getting my inspection sticker and finally enjoying the fruits of my labor after almost a year.
I've tried every way to ground the new rear light but nothing seems to work when it comes to the brake light. I am using the original turn signal switch since everything seems to work, blinkers and running lights. Is it possible that the turn signal switch will work for everything except the brake light? Has this ever happened to anyone before?

 

You mention new rear light? You are referring to?


On mine, I have the what seems like orginal sparten turn signal. It seemed to be that the wires on the brake light switch only work one way so I will switch the wires around till it works.


I would try switching the wires on the brake light switch first. If I am understanding your post. You might have to get a meter out to see what's going on.

 

Do you have power up to the light when pressing on brake pedal ? if not power at the brake light switch when pressing on the pedal?

 

bunch of things might be going on here ? year of jeep , single will have one brake pressure switch / dual will have two switches . still only one wire to switch
1 - turn signals work front and rear ( 4 wires) 2 wires front / 2 wires rear
2 - running lights work front and rear ( not through switch)
3- turn signal flasher wire (1 wire) to feed turn signals
4 - no brake lights ( 1 wire ) turn signal switch / has a mechanical connection . when in neutral position . brake light wire from brake pressure switch to both rear tail lights - same filament as turn signal
5 - blown inline fuse brake lights / brake lights have 12Volt power all the time
6- would start at brake pressure switch and check for 12Volts / test light or meter /
7 - if 12 volts is present on feed wire , then apply brakes and test other wire . for 12 volts , this is wire to turn signal switch
sorry I can't give you the colors of wires . when I changed out steering column . I just used a 12 volt jumper wire to identify . what wire went where / front/ rear/left or right . so that should be 6 wires plus a indicator light

 

"Is it possible that the turn signal switch will work for everything except the brake light?"

I would say yes, since the turn signal uses the same bulb filament as the brake, and therefore has to isolate and treat the two brake bulbs separately.

 

some thoughts, in some order, but not rigorous ...

rear bulb has two filaments. run a spare wire directly from battery pos terminal to each rear light terminal to verify both filaments fire in each bulb.

turn signal wires and brake wires should run to same rear terminals, running light wires to the others. Once I had one filament burned out and the turn and brake wires on different terminals and couldn't figure out why one worked and the other didn't.

use the continuity tester function of your meter to test that brake pressure closes a circuit composed of the two terminals on your brake switch(es). [or you could put a big ol' push button on your pedal. ] I wouldn't agree that the brake switch is directional; order doesn't matter.

run a jumper wire between the two brake switch terminals to take that element out of the equation and see if they light.

+1 on whoever said inline fuses can fail or get dirty.

 

Yes & yes. IIRC it was my left brake light. New switch solved the problem.

 

Up date on the brake light issue, the problem was the original turn signal switch. Now unfortunately, I had to install a new cheap, bright plastic chrome looking thing on the steering column. It looks like it don't belong there.

Thanks for all the replies, and advice.

 

If you have the original black Spartan turn signal switch, a basic cleaning may be enough to revive it. It's a simple device, with mechanical-electrical contacts. There have been a few threads here about refurbishing the Spartan.

 

Yep and add a little dielectric grease. Guessing it is just a corroded contact.

 

Ditto.

 

Thanks guess, I'll have to try that. After removing the cover, spray some electric cleaner and wipe down?