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View Full Version : s13 brake lights problem (searched to no avail)

unst0ppabl3
02-28-2011, 11:50 PM
Alright guys... Ive searched around and tried so many things and i really need help with this... brake lights were working but then eventually went out...The brake light ( stop light) fuse blows every time I put it a new one and press on the brake.... I have tried to limit the amount of fuses I put in but when I think its gonna be fixed... its not....

the car is a 1989 s13 hatch... converted from auto to manual using a 92 KA..... the car is currently in peices right now as I was tearing it apart looking for shorts anywhere until my flashlight ran out of batteries..... I cleaned all the grounds I could find with a dremmel... the one behind the driver side door.... the one behind the rear seat on the driver side... the one in the trunk below the trunk lock mechanism..... I checked where the bulbs go and cleaned those grounds too.... because I read they could get corroded when water gets into the trunk ( which it did because previous owner left me with holes in the trunk).... I know I have the right dual filament bulbs because they were working before..... I dug around looking for exposed wires and couldn't find any.... I looked under the dash at the brake light switch and everything there looks good... no exposed wires and nothing looks like it got burned up or what not.... I unplugged both light housings and tried the fuse again and it still blew..... as I was looking around for shorts and taking apart the car I saw that the wires that go into the hatch on the dirver side were cut off and I thought they might be causing the short... wasn't it....... went over to the passenger side and disconnected the plugs.... still no good......... I traced all the wires in the harness inside the car and none of them are exposed.... they all still wrapped up in electrical tape.......... I think the next thing ill check is under the front fenders but I am riding stock height and not very big wheels.....

save me please..... thanks in advance
nieko
03-01-2011, 03:24 AM
Check the license plate light wiring and the dash light wiring too, it's part of the same circuit :(

Definitely a short though.
rat240
03-01-2011, 03:49 AM
I had this same problem and it was caused by one wire touching the back of the fuse box
unst0ppabl3
03-01-2011, 02:27 PM
thanks guys im gonna pull the bumper right now to check the license plate wires.... and if its not there then ill check behind the fuse box... let you know how it goes
usajdm
03-01-2011, 02:43 PM
Stereo replaced?
Check dimmer wire(orange).
unst0ppabl3
03-01-2011, 04:28 PM
forgot to mention I have no radio..... I also had a problem with the dash lights... ended up being the ground inside the part where the head unit goes.... cleaned it up put it back and dash lights were good to go......... I checked the license plate light wiring and its fine... no signs of anything rediculous...... checked the wiring behind the fuse box.... kinda cramped back there even with the panels removed but again there was nothing suspicious going on....... I did see 2 wires cut and kinda hanging there though.... they were a blue and white wire and a blue and yellow wire connected to a white plug......... as goes for the dimmer switch, it works fine..... any other ideas?
unst0ppabl3
03-01-2011, 07:14 PM
ok so I decided that im going to redo the wiring from the switch to the lights in the rear using 20 gauge wire...... I am really hoping that the short isn't coming from anyything else is the series... Im still open to any other ideas...... forgot to mention dash lights work, tail lights work, head lights work..... only the brake lights and the dome light dont work............

another thought: the brake light housing on the driver side got kinda melted and the spot that the ground wire is supposed to screw into is completely melted and has no way of screwing in........ if I soder it together will it help me at all?...... thnx again
unst0ppabl3
03-01-2011, 07:14 PM
ok so I decided that im going to redo the wiring from the switch to the lights in the rear using 20 gauge wire...... I am really hoping that the short isn't coming from anyything else is the series... Im still open to any other ideas...... forgot to mention dash lights work, tail lights work, head lights work..... only the brake lights and the dome light dont work............

another thought: the brake light housing on the driver side got kinda melted and the spot that the ground wire is supposed to screw into is completely melted and has no way of screwing in........ if I soder it together will it help me at all?...... thnx again
usajdm
03-02-2011, 12:28 AM
Weather you have a stereo installed or not, your car will still have an orange wire leading towards where the stereo would be.
Make sure thats not touching metal.
unst0ppabl3
03-02-2011, 02:35 PM
checked it..... taped it..... still no good =\... thnx though .. hopefully I find enough time this week to figure this out...... anyone else have any ideas?
h2v7
03-02-2011, 05:11 PM
clean all the terminals on all the wires behind the brake lights
vq35hrNismo
03-03-2011, 04:03 AM
check high mount brake light (YES that is what its called, lol ppl usually argue with me on this one). You'll want to check where the harness bends with the hatch...i think its on the right side...

plus you can use a test light to jumper the fuse leads so you wont blow fuses to check, instead the light would go out when youve isolated the short. im to lazy to explain how to hook it up...but i would not recommend jaming the shits between the female terminals.
vq35hrNismo
03-03-2011, 04:04 AM
plus can u show us a picture of that melted ground wire.
unst0ppabl3
03-03-2011, 05:08 PM
ill send pics tonight when I get off class... but as goes for the high mount brake light.... I checked where it bends with the hatch and theres no exposed wires there....will also clean the terminals when I get back... I also disconnected the harness plugs on the inside of the panel on the passenger side back seat ( correct me if im wrong but doesn't that connect the passenger side of the harness to the hatch?)
Project S13
08-03-2011, 02:11 AM
maybe your putting in the wrong type of fuse, like number wise. double check is the right number.