In my 2003 Acura TLS, the stop light (brake lights) stopped working, when I just returned from a ten minute errand. Car won’t shift gears, but after some embarrassment and help, pushed the lever to put the car in gear to drive without brake lights. One stop light bulb was fused, I replaced them all to make sure, but to no avail. pressing the brake pedal will not turn on the stop lights, and of course gears cannot be shifted. There is only one fuse showing the “stop light” in the manual and that fuse is OK. Any ideas as to what is happening?
These two malfunctions have one common feature – the brake light switch. Stepping on the brake pedal both lights your stop lights and allows the gear shift lever to move out of park. You need to replace the switch. (This is usually a simple DIY job, if you so choose.)
your brake pedal switch is probably bad. It both illuminates the brake lights and tells the transmission you’re stepping on the brake so you can shift out of park.
Check the brake light switch.
It’s under the dashboard and contacts the brake pedal arm. You’ll have to crawl down into the footwell to see it.
The brake light switch works the brake lights and the shift interlock.