my brake lights aren't working?

welcome to the forum, The high-mount brake lights are wired differently than the lower brake lites. The lower brake lights and tunr signal use the same bulb filament just not at the same time. If the turn signals work ok, then the wiring circuit from the multifunction switch should be ok. There may be an issue with the multifunction switch?

This guide should help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/brake-lights-not-working

Please run down this guide and report back.

OK, thanks for replying to my question and letting me know! The turn signal lights are working OK. I will see if my husband can check the multifunction switch.

Thanks for your help!

What is a multifunction switch? How do you replace it?

multifunction switch is the switch used to control the turn signals, wipers etc.. may want to inspect brake lamp switch if brake lamps are not working..it is located on brake pedal arm bracket..

brake lights in tail lights are out but the upper one works. changed bulbs and fuses.
turn signals working but have sometimes not worked then start working again on their own.

Hi, may be an issue with multifunction switch? the lower brake lites and turn signals use the same bulb filament, just not at the same time. The lower brake lites are wired through the turn signal/multifunction switch. If you want to use a testlite at rear brake lites, to check for voltage, one side is dark green, the side is yellow, for wiring color.

Brake lights not working. Replaced brake light switch, bulbs and checked the fuse, still nothing. Any suggestions?

Are you getting power to the switch?

on my lumina i had the same problem.. it ended up being my ignition on the steering column... got it fixed along with my 4ways light switch and they worked after that.

Electrical problem 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic

I changed the brake light switch at the pedal but i still have no lights. I also changed the bulbs at the same time. I do have the center light in the back window, but not the main brake. The parking lights work fine as well as the turn signals

Hello,

This sounds like you have a turn signal switch that has gone bad. Here is a wiring diagram of the brake lights and a guide so you can do some testing to confirm the failure.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

Please run some tests and get back to us we are interested to see what it is.

Cheers, Ken

Brakes problem
1998 Chevy Lumina Front Wheel Drive Automatic 190000 miles

I checked the fuses and the bulbs for my brake lights. I am not getting any light from the high mount brake light either. In the fuse box on the passenger side door it looks like a fuse may have shorted out but the fuse is good. I have had problems in the past week with the left turn signal but now that is working. I also checked the voltage running through that fuse and it cheked good. I do have an airbag but am I able to replace the turn signal switch without accidentally deploying that?

Check the brake switch, and voltage to and from switch. Orange wire is voltage to the switch, hot all the time. White wire goes hot when switch is activated, carries voltage for brake lites. Switch should be under the dash, activated by brake pedal arm.

I found it! The previous owner must have tried to fix it before. The white wire had a jumper sodered into it. It looks like the wire had been accidentally cut. I fixed that with a proper jumper buut the brake lights are still not working.

Is there voltage on the white wire? The high-mount brake lite, while it does get voltage from the brake switch, it is not wired the same as the lower brake lites. The lower brake lites are wired through the turn switch. Did you use a testlite on the bulb socket, brake switch activated. Did you check for voltage on the wiring colors already mentioned?

When I apply the brake pedal, the lights don't come on, replaced the bulbs and checked the fuse. Turn signals lights works and upper brake light also works. What else could be wrong?

check for faulty brake light switch, under driver dash above brake pedal arm

I replaced the brake light switch, but still not working.

if brake switch, fuses and bulb are all good and high mount brake light works then suspect faulty turn signal (multi function) switch. main brake lights run through turn signal switch, high mount brake light runs through separate circuit on a relay switch.

I have a 1998 Chev Lumina and the rear brake lights and turn signals dont work. The running lights in the rear are ok and the upper rear deck brake light works when you press the brake pedal, but not the rear. If you try to wire in the tail brake lights directly from the working deck brake light, the electrical system goes wacky, for example the door locks go up and down.. Is the problem in the turn signal multi functional device or is the problem more serious?? (the bulbs have been changed)

The power to the turn signals and brake lights comes from the turn signal switch-if it malfunction you won't have the lights.

Break lights don't work. Only work the inside car by back wind shield.Fuse,wiring's,signal and parking lights are good.Replace bulb still no break lights.I don't know where else to check.Please help. Thank you

So are you missing the power or ground to the bulb.

Maybe but how if parking and signal lights are working?

The parking lights get turned on thru the head light switch the turn signals get turned on thru the turn signal switch.Then the brake lights get turned on thru brake switch.So what were you asking?Do you have a multi meter and test light?

No brake lights

Suggest you fix what's broken so others will know when you're stopping.

Check fuse no.23 15amp in the fuse block behind right side of dash if okay -find the brake switch and check for power on the white and orange wire with a test lite-while brake pedal is depress-both should have power if the white don't have it-replace the brake switch or check adjustment-if the okay test the turn and hazard switch the brake circuit goes thru this switch before it gets to the back-

On my lumina my brake lights went out except for the one by the back window. I have checked all the wires and fuses and lights and everything was good. so I replaced the brake light switch and nothing I still have no brake lights. Did I miss something I havent checked? I am running out of things to check.

make sure you are getting voltage to one side of the brake light switch. The most common problems with the brake lighs working is 1. the fuse, 2 a broke wire goint to the switch or coming from the switch 3 , improper adjustment of the brake switch. 4 blown bulds, 4, bad connections in the buld sockets or a bad ground.

Brake lights won't work unless I pull the turn signal lever towards me as I step on brake pedal.

Hello and welcome to 2CarPros. That would indicate that the turn signal switch inside the steering column has failed. It is actually a common issue for them to fail. Replacement starts with removing the steering wheel and then the column so that the wiring harness can be slid in and out of the lower column.

This guy tried doing it with the column in the car. The plate he has a problem removing has a retainer ring above it as well as being pressed on. This is when having the special tools to take the column apart are needed. It is possible to do it in the vehicle but not as easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH6NO61pN-Q

Thank you very much. We replaced that switch over a week ago and brake lights now work. Now I find out that my tail lights and dash panel lights are out. Guy at AutoZone said fuses are good. Any ideas?

Those two are actually tied together. The idea being that you might not notice the tail lights are out, but if the dash lights don't work you would see that. The problem is that many people don't know that the missing dash lights means to check the tail lights.
I would get a test light and go through the fuses myself, not saying he's wrong but it pays to be sure. There are two fuse boxes to check, one on the right side of the dash and the park lamp fuse in the underhood box on the right strut tower.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

A couple things to check as well. Do all of the other lights work? Like the front and side marker/parking lights? How about the plate lights? Daytime running lights?

Brake lights, head lights, reverse, signals are only lights that I believe are working

Which specific fuses would this be? Online, I can't find anything about tail light fuse.

We checked the park lamp fuse as you said to and you were right again. Dashboard lights and tail lights are working. You are awesome. Thank you.

Great to hear, but fuses don't generally blow for no reason. Do you remember when you discovered they didn't work? Just wondering if you might have an intermittent short or something like that. I'd keep a few fuses handy just in case.

I was recently pulled over for having no brake lights. While the officer was checking my license the brakes began working again.

I have checked and changed the bulbs in the brakes and they still do not work. My blinkers and brake above the trunk do however work. I do not have an owners manual to check the fuses. I was told that this may however not be the problem as the blinkers are still working.

Do you have and advise? If it is a fuse issue, where do I start to look as I do not have an owners manual to refer too?

if the 3rd brake light working (middle brake light )
then its not the fuses you need to check wiring and combination switch