Author Topic: Brake Lights  (Read 17287 times)

Offline Hank Hill

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2008, 01:41:24 PM »
ok, now, if you wanna check from the other end, look under the dash around where the brake pedal mounts.  there should be two wires, one being an orange which is hot all the time (coming from the fusebox) and the other should be white (i keep saying "should be" because i don't have a factory service manual, just this Haynes POS).  if you see these two wires grouped together then that is the connection.  then you'll just need a brake light switch.  if you still have the factory connector (they can hide on ya) the you are most likely gonna have to get the brake light switch for the options it originally had, so the connector will hook up, unless you are gonna cut and splice it. 

hope this helps, good luck!

Hey man you were exactly right, I found about 7 groups of wires connected to un plugged plug ins all right in the same general area above the brake pedal linkage. But one only had two wires. An orange hot wire and a white ground. When I crossed the connections I had brake lights! Now all I need to do is to get another brake light switch from my buddies junked truck.
This forum is great! You know the shop rate in town is $100 hourly. I bet this saved me $200. Plus I kind of like learning about this stuff.
Thanks again!

Offline Hank Hill

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2008, 01:51:35 PM »
Weither you have air or not, doesn't make a difference....  A Cruise Control switch is a two-stage switch, front half controls the Brake Lights, and the rear half controls the Cruise Disable..  When you add overdrive or a Lock-up converter to the mix, another stage is added(In some cases it can be just piggy backed off of one other halves of a two stage) to the middle of the switch....

Non Cruise, Automatic Switch

Non Cruise, 4spd Auto/Auto wih Lock Up Converter

3spd Auto, With Cruise

Non-Cruise, with Manual Trans.


Those are the majority of the different switches available, with a few exceptions...  In some of the Older trucks with Cruise, a seperate Stop Lamp Switche was used for each feature(Ie Brakes got one, and Cruise got another)..  Some Early 4spd/Lock-up Trans models, employed one  two stage switch for the Cruise and Brakes, with a single stage switch pulling duty for the TCC...

So since my truck now has a non lock up (unhooked 350C) auto transmission and it no longer has cruise control. I guess that a 2 prong brake light switch like the one you show on the bottom for a manual, non cruise is best for me?
If I have to use one of the other brake light switches for lock up/ cruise that has extra terminals I guess I just try the different terminals until I find the right ones? Probable start with the terminals that are farthest away from the part of the switch that contacts the brake linkage?
Thank You

Offline Hank Hill

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2008, 07:46:11 PM »
Instead of calling myself Hank Hill I should call myself Homer Simpson because I was haveing a Homer moment in my last post, Duh.
A Brake light switch is just a switch so it shouldnt matter which set of terminals on which end of the switch I hook up to.

Offline Dragon

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2008, 10:56:51 PM »
Instead of calling myself Hank Hill I should call myself Homer Simpson because I was haveing a Homer moment in my last post, Duh.
A Brake light switch is just a switch so it shouldnt matter which set of terminals on which end of the switch I hook up to.
Actually Homer, since it is only a $9-20 switch, why not buy a new one specific to what you are trying to do, so you don't have to worry about the Old/Salvaged Switch not being wired correctly???
Dragon
08 Magnum-New Toy
96 Caprice 9C1-Who Knows
96 GMC ECLWB & 92 Chevy ECLWB
77 GMC K25 HS-Gone but Not Forgotten

Offline Fordeatinz71

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2008, 11:33:56 PM »
glad ya got it going man.  yea, one switch ya missed dragon...the one for my setup (although you mentioned it)...i have a 4 spd. auto and cruise...heck, looking in the classic industries catalog, all they wanna know is do you have an auto and do you have cruise.  they don't care about lockup convertors or whatnot...but that's because they go by your year and just give you what your truck originally had...
1991 Chevy Silverado K1500 ECSB, 350, 700R4 w/shift kit, 3.42's, exhaust work...
1983 GMC Sierra K1500 SWB-sold :(

Offline Dragon

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #20 on: January 23, 2008, 12:30:06 AM »
glad ya got it going man.  yea, one switch ya missed dragon...the one for my setup (although you mentioned it)...i have a 4 spd. auto and cruise...heck, looking in the classic industries catalog, all they wanna know is do you have an auto and do you have cruise.  they don't care about lockup convertors or whatnot...but that's because they go by your year and just give you what your truck originally had...
Lol Technically I did post a pic of it(second one up from bottom), I checked and had it comfirmed, GM just Piggy backed the TCC on 82/83 and Up models with Lock Up Converters/Overdrive(As I also stated in my prior post)...  So the Lockup/4Spd Auto. Models just used the same switch as the 3Spd Auto. Models..  Non Cruise Lockup/4Spd Models use their own Two Stage switch, with the front controling the Brakes, and the Rear Controling  the TCC. The Two Stage switch for Models with Cruise, the Forward portion of the Switch Controls the Brake Lights & TCC, with the rear Controling the Cruise.... ;)
Dragon
08 Magnum-New Toy
96 Caprice 9C1-Who Knows
96 GMC ECLWB & 92 Chevy ECLWB
77 GMC K25 HS-Gone but Not Forgotten

Offline 77c15

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #21 on: January 23, 2008, 07:20:07 PM »
Not trying to hijack this thread, but I have a similar issue. My signals, hazards, and brake lights (when pedal is pressed) work, but the parking lights (in the rear, dual filament bulbs) don't. Is this a ground or what?
Stomp my flag and I will stomp your @$$!

Offline Dragon

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #22 on: January 24, 2008, 02:07:47 AM »
Not trying to hijack this thread, but I have a similar issue. My signals, hazards, and brake lights (when pedal is pressed) work, but the parking lights (in the rear, dual filament bulbs) don't. Is this a ground or what?
Start with the ground, check the other wires as well to make sure there isn't any cracks or breaks in the harness causing a short...  If all that checks out, what do the bulbs and sockets look like??  Simple things I know, but it is possible that it the bulbs have been exposed to moisture, they or their sockets could be shorting, but still allowing partial lighting to occur(In this case your Brake Lights)..  I had an '80 Seville,'86 Park Avenue, and 87 Lesabre (still have a '79 Monte Carlo as well) that all had notorious sealing problems with the socket gaskets, and taillamp seals allowing moisture in that would short the bulbs/sockets...  Easiest fix for them was to replace the gaskets that really need to be,replace any severly corroded sockets, clean & slightly bend the bulb tangs of the sockets that weren't replaced, then silicone sealed the rest of the lamp assemblies...  Never had any problems with them afterwards, and they were much brighter then before!
Dragon
08 Magnum-New Toy
96 Caprice 9C1-Who Knows
96 GMC ECLWB & 92 Chevy ECLWB
77 GMC K25 HS-Gone but Not Forgotten

Offline Hank Hill

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #23 on: January 24, 2008, 09:50:41 AM »
Instead of calling myself Hank Hill I should call myself Homer Simpson because I was haveing a Homer moment in my last post, Duh.
A Brake light switch is just a switch so it shouldnt matter which set of terminals on which end of the switch I hook up to.
Actually Homer, since it is only a $9-20 switch, why not buy a new one specific to what you are trying to do, so you don't have to worry about the Old/Salvaged Switch not being wired correctly???

Well im not going to buy new if I can help it because hopefully the one a get off the junked truck will have the wires /factory terminals to plug right in to my truck.
If I do end up buying new I would probable have to order it from Chevy Duty and since im in Canada that $10 part would probable end up costing me $50-$70.
I guess if I did buy new, the one for a standrd transmission and no cruise would be the one I need because its the only one with just two plugs. Thanks again for posting the pictures.

Offline Dragon

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Re: Brake Lights
« Reply #24 on: January 24, 2008, 04:39:24 PM »
Instead of calling myself Hank Hill I should call myself Homer Simpson because I was haveing a Homer moment in my last post, Duh.
A Brake light switch is just a switch so it shouldnt matter which set of terminals on which end of the switch I hook up to.
Actually Homer, since it is only a $9-20 switch, why not buy a new one specific to what you are trying to do, so you don't have to worry about the Old/Salvaged Switch not being wired correctly???

Well im not going to buy new if I can help it because hopefully the one a get off the junked truck will have the wires /factory terminals to plug right in to my truck.
If I do end up buying new I would probable have to order it from Chevy Duty and since im in Canada that $10 part would probable end up costing me $50-$70.
I guess if I did buy new, the one for a standrd transmission and no cruise would be the one I need because its the only one with just two plugs. Thanks again for posting the pictures.
Well Dang you got to go and make things difficult for ya, don't ya :o Didn't know your a Cousin to the North, thought you were State Side ???  Yeah I definately see your point now, hope it works for ya!  No Problem with the pic, and that was more or less the idea of posting them all, so as to give you a little more to work with for your application!!!  Good Luck to Ya Bro! 8)
Dragon
08 Magnum-New Toy
96 Caprice 9C1-Who Knows
96 GMC ECLWB & 92 Chevy ECLWB
77 GMC K25 HS-Gone but Not Forgotten