Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - Printable Version
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+---- Thread: Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? (/coupe-3rd-brake-light-troubleshooting.html)
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - Cloud9...68 - 07-14-2013
Anybody ever troubleshot their coupe's 3rd brake light? Mine stopped working about three years ago (so before I started my project), so I thought I'd take a look at it again, and here's what I've found:
- The regular brake lights located in the corner tail light assemblies both work
- The light strip itself (minus one non-functioning bulb) works when I remove it and apply 12V across the contacts
- All the fuses in the fuse box are good, but I haven't checked the ones in the drivers side footwell
- I've traced the wires back as far as I can (which isn't very far), and I'm not getting any voltage across these wires when I press the brake pedal.
Here's as far back as I could trace the wires:
These wires quickly disappear under the hatch insulation, and I can't see where they come out. The wiring for the rear window defroster are readily in sight, but not the wires for the 3rd brake light. Also (as usual...), I can't for the life of me find a trace of the 3rd brake lights assembly in the wiring diagram.
Any advice from anyone who has ever lost their 3rd brake light function? Thanks.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - banditsc - 07-14-2013
There is a plug for it under the cover for the wiper motor.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - Cloud9...68 - 07-15-2013
Bingo - that's it. I had removed the rear window wiper several years ago, and I could have sworn I had checked the operation of the 3rd brake light since then, but obviously not, because the connector you pointed me to was disconnected, and as soon as I connected it, the 3rd brake light started working. Thanks for pointing this out to me.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - mbardeen - 07-15-2013
You have to love simple fixes! I wish they were all as simple as this....
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - Cloud9...68 - 07-15-2013
Yes, it's so rare that a fix is this simple. I thought I would have to tear the car apart to trace the wiring back to the source of the problem. Banditsc has gotten me out of several electrical jams, so I owe him many debts of gratitude.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - ricardofors6 - 09-10-2013
Mine was a little more involved as I had to replace all the bulbs and clean the rust out of all the contacts but works like a champ now...good to read about easy, no money down, fixes....
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - Cloud9...68 - 09-10-2013
Yes, they are a rare treat to be savored on the occasions when they come around.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - hot968 - 09-14-2013
good deduction of what was wrong and the easy fix a rare thing!
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - ryker - 01-02-2014
Once again the forum saves the day! I sold my '94 today, and the buyer wanted the center brake light fixed. I jumped on the site, and this was the issue! Thanks Cloud and banditsc.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - Tomikaze - 03-13-2014
Hmmm... So the first mod I did when I got my car way back when (I now realize I should have checked here first) was to remove my non-functioning rear wiper. What's left is a bundle of wires all electrical taped together. I've never gotten around to cleaning it up. Could this be the source of my non-functioning 3rd brake light?I don't think I have a simple plug to plug in left. Let me get a photo.
Coupe 3rd brake light troubleshooting? - banditsc - 03-13-2014
If all the wires in there are disconnected, then that would be your issue...