# Lights won't turn off

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [June 10, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376 "2014-06-10T06:08:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tyranosaurus48](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tyranosaurus48](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tyranosaurus48)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376/1 "2014-06-10T06:08:16Z")

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I have a 1995 nissan altima gxe and me rear lights won’t turn off even after I put the ignition switch in the off position. Please help.

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**Author:** ![EK\_Hammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/77aa72/32.png) [@EK\_Hammer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EK_Hammer)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 6:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376/2 "2014-06-10T06:11:56Z")

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Running lights or brake lights?

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**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 6:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376/3 "2014-06-10T06:13:21Z")

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If, by the rear lights, you mean the brake lights, the first suspect is the brake light switch that operates off the brake pedal. If your car has cruise control, take it out on the highway and test the cruise control. If it doesn’t operate, this confirms a problem with the brake light switch.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376/4 "2014-06-10T06:14:25Z")

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Try pulling up on the brake pedal to see if the lights turn off.

If they do, there’s a problem with the brake pedal switch.

Tester

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights-wont-turn-off/85376/5 "2014-06-10T07:08:41Z")

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Make mine another vote for the brake pedal switch.

The switch is always “hot”, always has voltage applied, and is a “normally on” switch, meaning that without the pedal lever pressing it, it is in the ON position, and grounds the circuit to loght the lights. It’s designed this way for safety, so that even if the engine is off and you press the pedal the brake lights illuminate.

If the switch is bad such that it’s maintaining a path to ground, or the pedal level isn’t going all the way up, the lights will stay on. It’s also possible that the switches wiring is chafed and shorted to ground.

Realize when you’re checking this out that you’re working with an energized circuit.