Brake Light Headache!

[DangerBoy]

Now after 4 years of being parked I can finally drive my 68 again but my brake lights don't work! I've replaced the fuse and the switch and all the bulbs are still good. I'm stumped! Anyone have any ideas?

[Hubscrub]

Have you checked your grounds?first thing i would check is the back of the housing for a good ground.

[Hellbent]

2x on the grounds. Good Luck

[1low]

3x grounds

[Wrenchbender Ret]

Get a test light & start tracing. One wire on the stop light switch should be hot all the time. When the pedal goes down the other term should be hot. I dont remember or have a scematic handy but one of the wires at the turn switch should turn on the test light & both of the wires going to the rear lights.

[soxplayer]

Look carefully at the connector plus from the wiring harness to the tail light harness. Mine looks perfect but I had to slightly bend the male connectors to get is to make connection all of the time. It is located on the driver side above the spare tire mount.

[Longhorn Man]

if your turn signals work, then most likely the grounds are fine.
Have an assistant watch the tail lights. Get in the truck and place your foot on the brake. lightly wiggle the turn signal lever and see if the brake lights come on.
A bad turn signal switch is a very common brake light issue.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by DangerBoy

Now after 4 years of being parked I can finally drive my 68 again but my brake lights don't work! I've replaced the fuse and the switch and all the bulbs are still good. I'm stumped! Anyone have any ideas?

You mention that the brake lights don't work. I'm assuming the parking lights work. If that's the case then the following should help.

Quick check is to look under the dash where the brake pedal is and there should be the brake switch that could be defective or out of adjustment.

If that looks good, you can follow the cable under the cab and bed to make sure all wires are good.

Then as mentioned above install ground straps. I bought 4 at auto parts.
I placed one under the bed to the frame.
Under the cab to the frame.
Behind the engine block to the cab (should be one from factory)
From radiator support to the neg battery terminal for good measure.

[DangerBoy]

Thanks for all the help guys! My park lights work and I'm going to check all the grounds and put in new ones. Can't wait to drive this thing again!
Posted via Mobile Device

[cdowns]

i'd spray the brake light switch with wd40 and make sure the plunger is going in n out when you depress the pedal

[hounddogs!]

This should narrow things down in a hurry:

Remove the plug from the back of the switch on top of the steering column.
Jumper between the two female contacts in the plug.
**Brake lights on = a problem at the switch (adjustment, stuck plunger, dirty spades, loose spade-plug connection
**Brake lights not on = grounds, wiring between the cab and the back end, turn signal as mentioned.

[xb9rguy]

If you have a dog that likes to lay under your truck like me, the wires may have been chewed on. This has happened to me two or three times now.

[srvivor71]

I just got my brake lights working again after replacing all the same parts you did. Finally got it fixed by replacing the turn signal switch.

[Longhorn Man]

he's replaced the switch
the fuse is good
we'll assume the bulbs are good (do the turn signals work?)
The only two things it could be, is the wire from the brake light switch to the turn signal switch.... or the actual turn signal switch.