Bought a 92 accord 5 speed recently for $500...which might be part of the problem...
Somehow, my tail lights work, but brake lights don't. None of them. I've replaced the switch (4 contact cruise control version) which helped for a second or two, and has since stopped working.
Any insight into this problem would be greatly appreciated, if you're unsure about any of the conditions I haven't mentioned feel free to ask if it will help you help me
that's what I thought as well, but I'm not so sure. to be on the safe side, how do I go about checking that?
the reason I say I'm not so sure is when we put the new switch in, they worked for a little while. I'm thinking it was due to some wiggling the wires up front under the cluster, but after a while, they did stop working.
There should be a black wire coming from the left brake light fixture. Make sure its connection to the body is secure and uncorroded. Same for the right brake fixture.
Also, at the brake pedal switch, follow the connector wires to where they connect with the rest of the system, in both directions. Make sure those connections are absolutely clean and secure.
it's a pretty simple circuit. Based on what you're describing I think the problem is in the front of the car, not the back. Jostling the wires made a temporary connection, so the brake lights worked for a while after you installed the new switch. But then it got loose again.
That's my guess.
Actually, I just looked at the electrical diagram--one more thing to check is where the two voltage supply lines for the brake light fixtures join. Follow the green/white wire from one of the brake fixtures up until it connects with the other green/white wire from the other brake fixture and make sure that junction is secure. If it's loose then that would explain both brake lights going out.
If none of this works, you could have a wire break inside the insulation of the circuit somplace, or an unplanned ground due to insulation on the wire being rubbed off on the body due to vibration against the chassis over time (one reason not to route wires tightly against the chassis). . The way to test that is to use an ohmmeter and tap into the wires of the circuit at various points, testing the connection between the two probes. If there's a break somewhere (I'm guessing in your case a break would be in the front of the car near the brake pedal) then you'll get infinite resistance reading on that section of wire. If there's an unplanned ground though it may still show as zero resistance.
Replace any section of wire in the circuit that doesn't read zero resistance.
If none of these tests show anything write back, there is one other possibility but I'm getting tired of typing just now.
Last edited by batever; 04-29-2010 at 11:07 PM.
I'm guessing that one of your wires up front under the dash is messed up. That explains why the installation of the new switch caused the brake lights to work for a bit--you jostled the offending wire while installing and it caused a feeble connection that later re-broke as you were driving and the drape of the wire changed or vibration caused an open in the wire again.
good luck with it.
the helm manual says the following:
. if there is continuity (zero resistance on the ohmmeter) between the two openings of the 2-P connector above the brake light switch when the brake pedal is depressed, and the lights don't come on,
1) check the grounds coming out of each brake light fixture
2)check for a faulty bulb holder panel (whatever that is)
3)check for an open in the white/yellow or green/white wire.
I would add that the wire connections to that 2p connector could be going bad, or its contacts could be corroded.
Last edited by batever; 04-29-2010 at 11:19 PM.
silly question , have you checked the fuse ??? try the horn if it works fuse is ok.......
if fuse is ok, brake pedal depressed chk for power at the green/white wire at brake switch.....
if no power ,, chk for power at white/yellow.. if power there you got a bad brake switch..if no power at white/yellow and fuse was ok,, you got a bad wiring from fuse box to brake switch
if power at green/white ,, at back of car there are brake lite sensors one on each side,, chk for power at green/white wire ,,
if power is there, chk for power at green/red wires ,, if no power you got bad sensors
if power at green/red, chk to make sure you got a good ground at the black wires at brake sockets
Mr. I knowhondas, You are the S!#$. I have 1988 Honda Accord w/no brake lights. Replaced brake switch but still nothing. Saw a circuit diagram of brake light switch on a later model year which showed that both brake lights and horn were on the same circuit. As it happens I don't have the horn intalled. I'm now sure that if I get the horn working the brake lights will as well. I'll report back later.
How did you learn all those electrical details? Seems like you're the only one on the net that knows their stuff as far as I'm concerned.
BTW. Can someone remind me where the horn is located in my 1988 Accord.
Last edited by mileswest; 06-19-2010 at 04:46 PM.
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