Tail lights work, blinkers work but all brake lights are out. I changed out bulbs, brake switch, checked fuse, and ran a scan and nothing showed up. Searched online and in forums and haven’t found anything helpful yet.
Only thing maybe intriguing…when I depress the brake switch, there is a click from somewhere behind the steering wheel in the dash.
Any other ideas?
Have you used a voltmeter to check where you have power throughout the brake light circuit? Have you replaced the fuse with a known good one?
Lights need power and ground. The power goes through a long piece of wire to the rear from the pedal switch. Any corrosion on the ground connectoon or break in the wire and the lights won’t work. Break out your volt ohm meter and start checking.
Do you have another switch right above the one you replaced in the brake pedal area??? If so, replace the other switch, you may have replaced the CC switch…
Also make sure the little rubber plug (Brake Pedal Stop Pad) is in place and contacting the end of the switch…
I know you said “all brake lights”, but is the high-mount light out too?
Is the BRAKE LAMP light illuminated on the dash?
As suggested above, the best method to figure it out is to start at the depressed brake pedal and trace the circuit until the 12 volts (which should be going to the brake lights) is zero volts. Brake lights usually turn on with the pedal depressed even w/ engine stopped and key off, makes the diagnostic a little easier. You’ll need your cars wiring diagram.
Knucklehead diyer/ with no Honda experience., opinion.
Thanks for input everyone. I’ve thrown this question out on a few other forums and have had zero response. To answer a few questions…I def changed the brake switch, not the CC switch. And the third upper lamp is also out. Along with the brake light, which is the same bulb as tail light but a second filament. The brake lamp on dash is not lit up and nothing related to brakes showing on diagnostic scan. The fuse isn’t burnt out, but I can try replacing with a new one just in case it’s defective for some reason. I have not pulled out the voltmeter and started tracing the circuit. I guess for sure that’s next. After trying the fuse.
You might be able to test the fuse even before removing it. Google will explain how this is done.
Your original post says you checked the fuse. Check it with a voltmeter if you can. If you have voltage on both sides, the fuse is good:
If it’s good, check for voltage at the brake pedal switch on the white/yellow wire. If you don’t have power, the issue is between the fuse and the switch.
With the pedal depressed (switch closed) you should have voltage on the white/black wire on the switch. Presumably you will as the switch is new. The white/black wire leaving the switch connects directly to the high-mount light and to the brake light failure sensor which feeds the right and left brake lights. If there’s power leaving the switch and all three lights are out, then the issue is most likely in the wiring between the switch and where the high mount T’s off by the brake light failure sensor. The brake light failure sensor is behind the cargo panel in the rear, passenger side I believe.
Did you check fuse #47, 20 amp, in the fuse box under the hood?
Tester
The click in the dash when you press the brake pedal is probably the shifter interlock releasing, so you can shift the transmission out of park.
Other than that, this is simple testing with a voltmeter and a wiring diagram. Start at one end and work towards the other. At one point you will find no voltage where there should be 12V or no ground where there should be a ground.
All three of your lights appear to share the same ground.
If you don’t have someone helping you, or a way to depress the brake pedal, you can always use a paper clip or small jumper wire and jump the white/black and white/yellow at the brake light switch (given you have power at the white/yellow wire) to send the power back to the brake lights/warning switch…
Guessing you might have a possible ground issue, so check all the grounds also…
But yeah, like already said, start at one end and work your way towards the other checking for + & -… all fuses included…
According to Honda wiring diagram, the three brake lights have separate grounds.
Tester
