My brake lights stay on, intermittently.
I went for the low hanging fruit, and replaced the switch at the pedal.
I’m thinking there must be a relay sticking somewhere.
Does this car even have a stop light relay?
It drives normally, unless the lights stick.
Then, it just won’t accelerate.
I’m sure it thinks I have my foot on the brake.
I don’t.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
There should be a relay under the hood in the power distribution box. If the underside is not labeled as to which relay…the info should be in your owners manual under “Fuses”.
Yosemite
“unless the lights stick. Then, it just won’t accelerate”
this is more than a switch or relay.
Can you elaborate on “just won’t accelerate” ? You push on the throttle and nothing happens? You think the brakes are sticking? How do you recover?
After this occurs, pull over and carefully check each wheel. If one is much hotter than the others, then that brake is sticking
The brakes are definitely not sticking on.
Only the brake lights.
It will kill the battery, if left sitting.
I followed the car for several miles, and the brake lights were on the entire time.
The driver did not have his foot on the brake.
The lack of power can occur at highway speeds, even with cruise control set.
No codes.
The car’s computer thinks I have my foot on the brake, and keeps the throttle from opening.
This is an electronic throttle, no cable.
There is nothing in the owner’s manual about fuse or relay location.
It just gives a generic “how to change a fuse” and “how to visually inspect a fuse”.
I have not found a stop light relay offered for sale at any of the online shops.
There is a service bulletin to correct that problem;
The following, or the customer reports the following:
Intermittently there is low power when accelerating,
And/or
The stop lamps (brake lights) stay ON after releasing the brake pedal, with the
ignition ON or OFF.
ACTION
Delete the stop lamp relay and bypass the stop lamp relay circuit.
Replace the stop lamp switch with the one listed in PARTS INFORMATION.
Wow!
I knew this wasn’t an isolated problem.
Thanks for the very precise answer!