# 03 Silverado brake lights **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 27, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687 "2018-11-27T03:18:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bmfurgason\_145094](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bmfurgason\_145094](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bmfurgason_145094)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/1 "2018-11-27T03:18:54Z")
My brake lights stopped turning on but my 3rd brake light, tail lights, signals, and flashes all work. I checked my fuses and no problems. I don’t know how long it’s been a problem. Someone just told me yesterday. I had a remote start installed about a week ago. Could that have something to do with it? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 3:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/2 "2018-11-27T03:29:19Z")
> [@Bmfurgason\_145094](#): > > I had a remote start installed about a week ago. Could that have something to do with it? Yes it can be this lousy after market remote start. Also for future reference it is your Brake lights that are not working. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/3 "2018-11-27T03:32:19Z")
I’m going to guess there is a break in the brake light circuit. I’d go back to the place that installed the remote start and have them fix what ever they did wrong. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 3:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/4 "2018-11-27T03:40:55Z")
Remove and test the resistance of both brake light bulbs (or just replace them w/new bulbs on a flyer) is the first step. Unlikely to be caused by the remote start function b/c the third brake light is working I’m guessing the bulbs just burned out over time and you haven’t noticed they’re both not working until now. Unless somebody tells you, no way to know. A friend of mine recently told me one of my Corolla’s brake light wasn’t working; I had no idea. In my case a new bulb fixed it. ---
**Author:** ![Bmfurgason\_145094](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bmfurgason\_145094](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bmfurgason_145094)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 3:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/5 "2018-11-27T03:44:54Z")
I replaced all of the bulbs less than 6 months ago with led bulbs after installing new taillight lenses. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 3:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/6 "2018-11-27T03:47:56Z")
Were those GM parts? Or aftermarket items? If aftermarket, that would be my first suspect. Failed aftermarket bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![Bmfurgason\_145094](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bmfurgason\_145094](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bmfurgason_145094)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/7 "2018-11-27T04:00:09Z")
GM lenses and sylvania bulbs. I (try) not to use cheap knockoff parts on my trucks. I’ll try switching the bulbs around but I think its unlikely two stop working so quickly and they both happen to be the brake lights. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 4:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/8 "2018-11-27T04:09:21Z")
Did your silvarado come with led bulbs originally, from the factory? if the brake light is the only one using that type of bulb, switching them left right won’t be of much help if both have failed. Sylvania is a good source for bulbs, but there may be some kind of incompatibility in the truck’s bulb circuits with led vs standard bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/9 "2018-11-27T04:16:05Z")
Maybe the LED bulbs are causing the terminals where the bulbs plug in to overheat. I’m not sure if the led bulbs could cause that. But it’s worth a shot replacing the bulbs with oem style bulbs. I have heard that a bad multifunction switch can cause the brake lights not to work also. The 3rd brake light would still work. If the 3rd brake light is working (lighting up when the brake is applied) it’s not the brake light switch on the pedal. That being said, if the aftermarket alarm install tied into the brake light wiring somewhere (and I assume it does), I would definitely ask the shop that installed the alarm to take a look at the wiring. ---
**Author:** ![Bmfurgason\_145094](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bmfurgason\_145094](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bmfurgason_145094)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/10 "2018-11-27T04:19:31Z")
Originally it had incandescent. I wanted led because they are brighter and figured with the lenses being so affordable it wouldn’t hurt to spend $30 on fancy bulbs. They are led with resisters built in to function just like OEM incandescent. I’ll switch them with some spare incandescent bulbs i have in my old ladies car. Maybe my truck doesn’t like led. ---
**Author:** ![Bmfurgason\_145094](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bmfurgason\_145094](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bmfurgason_145094)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 4:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/11 "2018-11-27T04:24:10Z")
I know the switch at the pedal is working because the 3rd light works, cruise control shuts off, and stepping on the brake pedal after using the new remote start switches from remote start mode to normal running mode. If switching bulbs around doesn’t fix my problem I’ll call the place who installed the remote start. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/03-silverado-brake-lights/129687/12 "2018-11-29T02:13:31Z")
Sounds like a good plan. Please let us know the final resolution. Best of luck.