Summershandy Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 Well almost all the snow is gone and it's time to pull out the old girl from storage. Turns out I had to buy a new battery. Made it 6 years. She fired right up and while it warmed, I checked the lights. No brake lights. Funny how just sitting for 6 months how the gremlins manage to do their dirty work. Question: to test the brake switch, can't I just remove the 2 wires from the switch and connect them to make a circuit? I tried and still no luck. All the fuses/bulbs/connections are good. I don't particularly wish to change out the switch if it's not necessary in case it's wiring. I read an old post of mine where I received a faulty switch once and learned about changing to mechanical. Again, if it's a wiring problem I'd rather leave the switch in place. Gawd I hate wiring issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 22 minutes ago, Summershandy said: Question: to test the brake switch, can't I just remove the 2 wires from the switch and connect them to make a circuit? Yes. If connecting the two wires together doesn't make the brake lights come on, changing the switch won't help. The key probably doesn't have to be on, but turn it on just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted May 10, 2023 Author Share Posted May 10, 2023 43 minutes ago, Bloo said: Yes. If connecting the two wires together doesn't make the brake lights come on, changing the switch won't help. The key probably doesn't have to be on, but turn it on just in case. Thanks Bloo - I did turn the key just for fun. I'm going to snoop around a bit and check the wiring diagram. I'll let y'all know what or if I find something. Strange how it was fine when parked and no, I haven't had any mice in the garage either! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted May 10, 2023 Author Share Posted May 10, 2023 (edited) I have power to one side of the brake switch so I must have nothing going back from there. I think I may have found the problem and I think it's in the turn signal lever? I hooked up those 2 wires and began wiggling and moving while double checking the brake lights each time. I thought for fun I'd try the turn signals again then BAM, the brake lights came on. The wiring diagram shows the brake light switch having a wire directly to the turn signal. Then it feeds power to the rear? I hooked the wires back up to the switch and they work again. I'm happy but I'm not....not knowing when the brake lights come on! Edited May 10, 2023 by Summershandy (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 (edited) Yes. It is pretty common to lose one brake light from a bad signal switch, but both at the same time is downright weird. It sure sounds like that is what happened though. The only other possibility is a connector. You are correct that the next stop in that circuit is the turn signal switch. After that wire hits the switch, there is nothing else that affects both sides. That is because the brake light filaments are shared. It has to be able to disconnect one brake light and the connect it to the flasher to make it blink while you are braking. Edited May 11, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted May 11, 2023 Author Share Posted May 11, 2023 Have you ever done so many troubleshoots that sometimes you kinda forget what you did? In all honesty, originally I knew both my brake lights didn't work but I only used a mirror on the drivers side to check. When I tested the turn signals I activated the drivers side. Obviously, unbeknownst to me as you indicated that disconnects the brake light. It then started working. Maybe the issue IS only one side.....sigh. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 I have had good luck spraying a little WD-40 into the signal switch using the straw. Then work the switch up and down a few times. There's probably some crud or corrosion on the switch contacts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 It's that a factory Guide turn signal switch? If it is, take it apart and the switch comes to pieces fairly easily, you can clean the contacts up, put some bulb grease on it and put it back together again. I did that to mine and it's been trouble free for years. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deac Posted May 29, 2023 Share Posted May 29, 2023 Your situation is the same as in my 57. I found I didn't have brake lights and the turn didn't work either. Brakes lights and turn signals work together! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 On 5/29/2023 at 10:50 AM, deac said: Brakes lights and turn signals work together! The two circuits intersect at the turn signal switch. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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