whofarzed

My stop lamp warning light keeps on coming on, but my brake lights are working. Does someone know what wire could be causing this problem and where it is located?

Thanks

jimmyv13

Is your brake fluid resevoir low?

whofarzed

The manual says that this light comes on if your brake lights do not work. I never thought of checking the fluid. I thought the parking brake light goes on if fluid is low?

jimmyv13

My bad, I miss read your post.

Does the light come on for a few seconds then go off? My seatbelt light does this in my 85 and I haven't found the short yet.

whofarzed

first it only came on when I pressed the brake pedal, but now it stays on and gets brighter when I press the brake pedal. I had a prob with my turn signals shutting off a few weeks ago, and it was only a loose wire. However, if someone could describe which wire to check for the stop lamp would make it a lot easier.

Also, my high beams will not go on when I push the lever forward. However, I can flash my highbeams, or hold them on by pulling the lever towards me. Does someone know how to fix this?

rotorhead

strange.... my brake lamp on the dash comes on every time i hit the brakes. fluid is fine, pads are fine, everything's fine. been doing it for 3 years now. i just got used to it

FJ

Whofarzed, it is probably the Stop Light Checker, located under the dash to the left of the steering column. Small box with a four wire connector. Wire colors are White, Black, Green, Green/Blue. There is no way to check it that I know of. If the connections are clean, I would look for a used one.
For the high beams, you would have to remove the steering wheel to get at the combination switch and you are not likely to be able to repair it. Again, maybe you can find a used one.

-John.

whofarzed

Thanks for the info. So you think the combination switch needs to be changed to get my highbeams to stay on? I have parts cars that I could take the part from.

FJ

The pull-for-high and push-for-high functions are both in the combination switch. If they work when you pull, it must be a problem in the switch.

-John.

rotorhead

there's a good chance that will fix the headlights. just make sure the electrical contacts are clean on the new switch. also, be really careful of the turn signal cams(white plastice arms). its super easy to break them when putting the wheel back on. otherwise the turn signals won't automatically shut off after taking a corner.

Pele

iTrader: (28)

Learned that the hard way.

MyRxBad

I also learned about the turn signal switches the hard way as well.

Whofarzed: Just to be sure. Make sure both high beams didn't blow @ the same time. Odds are they didn't and it's the combination switch, but it's an easy and free check to do. Last month, one of my low beams blew and the electrical connection to the other one all of sudden didn't want to work. I thought maybe my combination switch bit the biscuit. But I checked the power to the lights first (thankfully). And ended up just replacing one bulb...

Good Luck

whofarzed

What do you mean both high beams blowing? I can flash the highbeams by pulling the lever towards me and it works. However, if I push the lever forward they do not come on.

jimmyv13

It sounds like your dimmer switch is bad.

MyRxBad

Basic point of my earlier post was to make sure you got power to the lights (lights not blown).
Obviously you checked the easy way and I don't know how to read (only skim).


Man, being on a computer so long, makes the eyes tired and me not want to read everything..

brownmound

Mine had the same problem, I could pull the lever to get the brites to flash, but pushed they would not stay on. So I replaced the combo switch. Get contact cleaner, and use an pencil eraser to rub the contacts clean to copper. Then use some dielectic grease in there. When you take the steering wheel off be careful, there is a very tiny ball bearing which sits on a little cup attached to a spring. This ball makes contact with the wheel for the horn operation. Don't lose the ball, like I did, or you will get some awful sounding metal to metal scrapes when you replace the wheel, and then turn.

Right on-

T-Rav

I have had mysterious issues with my electrical for a couple of years (including the flashing stop lamp indicator, cruise control turning off when using the signals, etc.). The simple and remarkably effective fix was to run a short piece of wire from the black ground wire at the tail lights to the body. The new ground totally solved those little electrical issues. This was of course, after paying too much, many times to mechanics to find this problem and never finding it. Last year Midas wouldn't safety inspect my SE, so the mechanic rigged it up for free so I could pass inspection. Not a problem since.

FJ

T-Rav: Interesting, thanks for mentioning it.

-John.