How To Repair A Stuck Brake

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Your brake lights are an essential function of your braking organisation. Brake lights are intended to go on other drivers aware of you reducing your speed, then faulty brake lights could issue in accidents. If your restriction lights are on even when you're not braking, the near probable culprits are a faulty brake light switch or a blown fuse. Check each to ensure your restriction lights are functioning properly before getting back out on the route.

one
Disconnect the battery. Earlier doing whatsoever work on the electrical system in your vehicle, you should always disconnect the battery. This will ensure you don't shock yourself or harm annihilation equally y'all work. Utilise a mitt or socket wrench to loosen the nut securing the ground cable to the negative terminal of the bombardment. Slip the cablevision off and tuck information technology to the side of the battery.^[1]
- Yous can locate the negative terminal by finding the letters "NEG" on the battery or looking for the negative (-) symbol.
- Y'all volition not need to disconnect the positive terminal.
2
Put on center protection. You will need to wait around on the underside of your dashboard for this project, then information technology's of import that you put on heart protection to ensure no debris falls into your eyes. You will not need gloves for this project, merely may choose to clothing them to avert poking yourself with wires.^[2]
- Goggle manner center protection offers the highest level of protection.
- Spectacles style eye protection volition suffice for this task.
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3
Locate your brake pedal switch. The brake pedal switch is a button located forth the shaft of the brake pedal, above the foot pad. Every bit yous printing the pedal, the shaft presses the button, which turns on the brake lights.^[3]
- If you are unsure where to locate your brake pedal switch, refer to the service manual for your specific vehicle.
- The switch will have a wired pigtail coming off of it and will be mounted directly behind the brake pedal.
four
Disconnect the wiring pigtail from the switch. The wiring pigtail for the switch will be held in place with a plastic housing. Press on the clip release on the plastic housing to allow the pigtail to disconnect from the switch, then pull on the plastic portion of the pigtail to disconnect it.^[4]
- Do not pull on the wires themselves every bit it may disconnect or tear them away from the pigtail harness.
- Be very careful not to break the plastic prune.
5
Visually audit the wiring. Look inside the pigtail harness for signs of burning or melting. If the wiring has overheated, the pigtail may have been damaged, resulting in the brake light staying on permanently. Any signs of damage within the wiring pigtail could cause issues with your brake lights.^[five]
- A damaged pigtail will take to exist replaced in gild to make your brake lights function properly.
- You may need to order the brake calorie-free switch pigtail from a dealership for some vehicles if they are not carried at your local auto parts store.
6
Test the return of the switch. The switch itself is a long button that is pressed when you press the brake pedal down with your foot. While under the dashboard, press in on the pedal or on the push button itself and see if the push button pops dorsum out when you release it. If it doesn't, it probable means that the button is sticking in the "on" position.^{[half dozen]}
- If the button is sticking in the "on" position, it will go out the brake light on all the fourth dimension.
- Have a friend stand behind the car to come across if pressing and depressing the switch has any effect on the brake lights.
- If the button doesn't affect the lights, there may exist a blown fuse or the switch itself may accept gone bad.
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1
Ensure the wiring harness is disconnected. Earlier removing the brake low-cal switch, y'all need to be sure the pigtail is disconnected. If you already disconnected it to audit it for damage, leave it hanging as you remove the switch. If not, disconnect it now past pressing on the plastic release and pulling back on the plastic housing.^[7]
- Unless the pigtail harness needs to be replaced, you will reuse it with the new brake light switch.
- If yous intermission the release, you may be able to use electric tape to hold the pigtail in place upon reassembly to avoid purchasing a new one.
two
Remove the switch from the brake pedal linkage. Different vehicles mount the brake light switch to the pedal linkage in dissimilar ways. If it is not readily apparent how to remove the switch from the pedal, refer to the service manual for your specific yr, brand and model vehicle.^[eight]
- The switch is commonly held in place with 1 or two small bolts.
- Exist careful not to lose the mounting hardware. You will demand to reuse them when installing the new switch.
3
Slide the new switch into place. With the old switch removed, slide the new switch into place exactly where the erstwhile one was. Use the mounting hardware that held the previous switch in place to secure the new one in the same manner.^[9]
- Supersede the bolts that secure the switch if they were damaged in the procedure of removing them.
4
Reconnect the switch to the linkage and the harness. Plug the brake light switch pigtail into the new switch and reattach whatsoever other connections yous may have needed to disconnect in your specific vehicle. The switch should now be in place behind the shaft of the brake pedal and connected to the vehicle.^[10]
- Reconnect the battery and showtime the vehicle.
- Take a friend stand behind the vehicle while you test the new brake calorie-free switch to confirm it's working.
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one
Locate the appropriate fuse box. Near vehicles accept at least two fuse boxes located throughout the body. One is often under the hood with a second fuse box on the driver's side of the cabin. Refer to your vehicle's owner'south manual to make up one's mind which fuse box houses the fuse for your brake lights.^[11]
- You may demand to remove a fuse box comprehend or pieces of the interior trim to access the fuse box.
- If you practice not have an owner'southward manual for your vehicle, attempt referring to the automaker's website.
ii
Place the fuse for the brake lights. Use the diagram in your owner'south manual or on the inside of the fuse box embrace to decide which fuse powers the brake lights. A bad brake light fuse may have resulted in the lights being stuck on or off.^[12]
- In that location may be more than than 1 fuse for your brake lights. If that is the case, you lot will need to bank check each of them.
3
Remove the fuse and inspect information technology for damage. Use a pair of needle nose pliers or plastic tongs to remove the fuse from its spot in the fuse box. Await into the fuse if information technology has a articulate housing. If the metallic is broken or burned inside the fuse, information technology will demand to exist replaced.^[13]
- If you tin can't look inside the fuse, inspect the ends for impairment or signs of burning.
- Virtually automotive fuses accept translucent covers to allow you to inspect them. If the cover itself is damaged then you lot can't see through it, the fuse is probable bad.
iv
Supplant a damaged fuse with one rated for the same amperage. Place the amperage required for your restriction calorie-free fuse by looking at the chart. Most automotive fuses are between v and l amps, with a number listed forth the superlative of the fuse. Insert a new fuse in the spot you removed the faulty restriction light fuse from. Once done, replace the chapeau to the fuse box and whatever interior pieces you lot may have needed to motion to get to it.^[14]
- Reconnect the battery and beginning the vehicle.
- Have a friend stand backside it to check to see if the brake lights function properly.
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Add together New Question

Question

I replaced my brake light switch, simply the push goes into a hole and there were cleaved pieces everywhere. What is missing?

Many people fill the hole with a small nut and bolt if the little plastic push has broken, or you could get a replacement from the dealer or an auto parts store.
Question

My restriction switch works but my stop has disintegrated. Tin I replace simply the stop?

Yes, as long equally the switch still works. Typically the end falls out or breaks before the switch fails. You tin test this by sticking a slice of paper-thin between the pigsty and the button on the switch. If the lights turn off, then the switch is working and you just need to replace the finish.
Question

I put a new restriction light switch in, but the brake lights are still staying on. What practice I do?

You probably need to supervene upon the little piece that fell out of the hole, which probably activated the lights. If not, it may exist an consequence with the fuse for your restriction lights.
Question

I recently got my brake low-cal switch replaced. Since the new switch was installed, my restriction lights don't actually come on until the restriction pedal is practically pressed all the way down. How tin I go far come up on when just a little pressure is practical?

Yous may be able to adjust the positioning of the restriction light switch. Bringing it closer to the pedal linkage will shorten the throw required to appoint the switch. Otherwise, information technology may exist a faulty switch.
Question

One brake calorie-free is working, but the other one is not. The non-working one is not burned out, because it works when I switch on the tail lights. What could exist the trouble?

The brake lite uses a separate bulb than the tail lite, and that seedling is either burned out or there'southward a wiring issue.
Question

If my brake light is on volition my car pass the smog test?

Yeah. Your vehicle will pass an emissions examination, so long as the catalytic converter is in perfect shape. The electric arrangement has no effect on this.
Question

Will a stuck brake calorie-free bleed my battery?

It admittedly volition. This has killed a battery in truck. Had no idea the restriction lights were staying on and it drained the battery to near-zippo volts over a couple of days, with a brand new battery. Get the brake calorie-free fixed!

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Article Summary X

Earlier you fix a stuck brake light, make sure to disconnect the bombardment to ensure you don't stupor yourself or damage anything you work on. When the vehicle is safely shut downward, first by disconnecting the wiring harness by pressing on the plastic release and pulling back on the plastic housing. One time the wiring harness is disconnected, remove the switch from the brake pedal linkage then you lot can slide the new switch into place. Utilise the mounting hardware that held the previous switch in place to secure the new one in the same way. Finish past plugging the brake calorie-free switch pigtail into the new switch and reattach whatever other connections you may accept needed to disconnect for your specific vehicle. To learn how to fix a stuck brake light past replacing diddled fuses, keep reading!

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