Brake lights wont turn off..

[christiankills 10+ year member]

I know this isnt car audio.. but I'm asking for help.

I drive a ford escort 1999. Yesterday they were fine, and everytime I press the brakes while parked or idle or something like that, as long as it was quiet, you could hear a click and you can see the lights turn off and on.

This morning was pourringgg rain, and some kid at school stole my mp3 player from my car, 2 of the 3 wires that connected to my HU and everything. so I'm not sure if he hit some wiring because form the looks of it, he may have yanked it out. (at least he was courteous enough to leave my HU and psp that was int eh back seat...)

But I come home from school.. mom mentions something about my brake lights, go to work, and employees notice it too, they dont turn off. no matter what buttons i press. theyve been on so long at one point the 3rd brake light cap is a little melted.

I have to remove the fuse to get them to turn off.

any ideas as to wahts wrong? already tried switching fuses.. nothing. glanced for loose wires.. nothing. but there may have been something a little deeper in.

Click to read more...

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Chances are that the relay that turns them on and off (and makes the click that you hear when they are working right) died. It might be as a result of the theft, or it might just be a coincidence. The relay might be on the fuse panel, or you might need to get a shop manual for the car to find it if you plan on fixing it yourself.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

If it isn't the relay as helo has suggested (and my initial instinct tells me that it isn't) my suggestion would be that the switch that activates the brake lights under the brake pedal has gone bad. Normally when this switch goes bad it will cause the brake lights to not illuminate at all - but I have seen instances when it will go bad and get locked in the 'on' position and make them stay on constantly until said switch is replaced. It isn't an expensive part to replace just a somewhat laborious task due to its location.

 

[XDrkmanX 10+ year member]

Could be something to do with your turn signal switch too.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Could be something to do with your turn signal switch too.

I'm no mechanic by any means so please forgive me if this sounds incredibly n00bish but how the heck could the turn signal switch affect the brake lights?

 

[XDrkmanX 10+ year member]

Power to the brake lights is routed through the turn signal switch on most cars.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Power to the brake lights is routed through the turn signal switch on most cars.

How so when brake lights are "hot" all the time and turn signals are ignition-controlled?

 

[Ctminime 10+ year member]

yea its a little piece in ure steering column that controls ALL signal lights... brake lights, turn signals, parking lights, headlights EVERYTHING that might need to be replaced...

 

[Ctminime 10+ year member]

How so when brake lights are "hot" all the time and turn signals are ignition-controlled?

its easier than u think for a circuit to get messed up when a control box in ure column is packed that tight together for all u know a piece of metal is touchin a contact somwhere keeping them on all the time... could be alot of things.... *gets out troubleshooting book*

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

yea its a little piece in ure steering column that controls ALL signal lights... brake lights, turn signals, parking lights, headlights EVERYTHING that might need to be replaced...

Umm....I have had the turn signal switch inside the steering column go bad on me in two different cars.

In neither case were anything other than the turn signals and hazard flashers affected.

EVERYTHING else worked as it should.

 

[Ctminime 10+ year member]

i just replaced mine in my car only my center brake light worked not the 2 outside ones they just stayed on all the time... but all my stuff worked the same. when i said they control everything i didnt mean if that thing got screwed up that none of it would work... i was just making the the point that its a pretty critical piece... so dont mock me:furious:

 

[XDrkmanX 10+ year member]

What about the brake fluid pressure sensor/switch or brake hydraulic system?

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

i was just making the the point that its a pretty critical piece... so dont mock me:furious:

I wasn't mocking you ~ simply disagreeing with you due to personal experience showing a discrepency.
As previously stated I am in no way any kind of mechanic. I am the reason mechanics make $60-something per labor hour or whatever the current rate is. The only reason I opened up the discussion in the 1st place was in an attempt to educate myself on something.

I swear - I won't let it happen again! ()

 

[christiankills 10+ year member]

wow, thanks for all of the responses.

I will tell this to my coworker that is currently in the process of rebuilding/customizing an entire car, and see what he can come up with.

my dad did say something about checking the brake fluid.. but i wasnt sure beacuse i didnt think brake fluid had anything to do with your electrical system, just your braking pressure.

one thing I have not checked is if my back lights flash if i turn on my turn signal. I shoudl check that out today.