Whoever can fix this gets a sticker. I have tried everything I have read on numerous forums.

Problem: Break lights do not work when pressed. Won't shift out of park. (unless bypassed by manual slot)

I have replaced every fuse
I have replaced every bulb
I have replaced the break light switch twice and adjusted it a gazillion times
I have replaced the gear solenoid

I do not hear the infamous "click" when I press the break and try to shift out of park...

So now i guess I'm looking at the wiring?

Where do I start? What do I need? What do I look for? What do I do?

Did I miss anything else before I attack the wiring?

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Who's going to get the sticker?

 

have you taken a 12 volt test light or multimeter to the fusebox, power there- move to the switch, power there,-move to rear bulbs- power there?

just replacing fuses if there is a short- will last exactly 1 press of the pedal and blow the fuse again!

what did you last do to the car? any water in the light housings (rear)
3rd brake light bulbs also ckd?

aftermarket swithes or oe? aftemarket is ok

 

Have you tested the wiring at the BRAKE (not break) switch?

 

I have not used a multimeater. And yes there was a ton of water in the trunk beleive it or not, as it was left open in a rain storm. I checked the ground under the spare tire and it looked fine. It is dry now but There was signs of rust around the plate where the ground comes out...

 

And why I was spelling it "break" is beyond me! Sorry

 

I replaced the 3rd set of bulbs as well

 

This is not my car in this picture but here is the plate I'm talking about. There was signs of rust around the plate where the ground comes out

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4...ound_wire1.jpg

 

Sorry for posting so much before I get a reply but here is another photo of the plate in the trunk. It's just below and slightly to the left of the trunk access in the back seat:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...SANY0016-1.jpg

 

Thats not a ground, that is the power wires to and access to the fuel pump.

 

Did you check the under hood fuse box? Check that the brake switch has power.

 

It is a ground. I have had multiple people ask me if the ground wire in the trunk was disturbed or unhooked... Anyway, the ground is connected but I opened the plate cover and it shows signs of water damage. Does anyone know if this would cause my brake problem?

Yes fsttyms1, I have checked all three fuse box's. I am trying to get my hands on a 12 volt tester to check for power to the switch...

Thanks

 

If the ones with arrows work its likely not a ground issue.

 

Okay it's definitely nit a ground issue then lol. I will get back to you when I test for power to the switch. thanks a mil

 

Checked all three fuse box's
yes brake switch has power
and all three break light sockets have power...

 

Wiring to brake switch has power

 

At least I think it does... I'm new to all this multimeter stuff...

I put the meter on the ohms settings and switched the dial to the 200k setting. I stuck both ends/pins in each side of the wire harness terminals and it reads 3.8...

 

Okay the plot thickens...

The e-brake light comes on and stays on for a while then goes off while im driving. Sometimes it's on when I start the car and sometimes it's off. Sometimes it comes on while I'm driving and sometimes it doesn't.

There is an aftermarket alarm and remote start in this vehicle...

I know this remote start runs through the brakes because if I start the car with the remote and push the brakes before I insert and turn the key to the on position it will kill the car. To confuse you further, I can not start the car with the key. In other words, I have to use the remote to start the car.

I have owned the car for less than i year. When I purchased the car it was like this. Meaning I have never been able to start the car with the key, I have always needed the remote. However, the brake lights did work up until about 3months ago. (yes I have been driving around with no brake lights for three months) no one can help me!

I can live with having to start the car via remote for now. I just need brake lights! However, something tells me both problems are connected...

HELP me! Please help me!

If I take this thing to the stealership I will pay $100 just for them to look at it and I know they will be at a loss because I know it has to do with the aftermarket system...

I plan on taking the car into a place tomorrow that specializes in aftermarket alarms and remote starts.

Does any of this new info help?

 

you test the brake light switch for Voltage to it--then press the brake pedal and voltage goes thru switch and out the other wire

ohms comfirms the internal circuit of the part is good
It will show some when the circuit is Open, and close to none when `in use`

touch the probe tips together and it says 0.00 = full contact of a circuit, for referance

 

have the car TOWED to the alarm specialty shop- thats your most likely culprit now

3 months!!
hope you use arm signal and a big sign on back-
`dont get anywhere near me- student driver!!`

 

red brake warning light on dash = ck the master cyl cap- remove and look at the float- does it move freely?
turn key to ON and flip cap over and back with buddy watching the dash light
does it change?
Is the master cyl full up to the neck of the resivour?
Use the Ohms setting -test leads on cap, what happens when you move the float (normally the floats job is to indicate low fluid level which means low pads or a fluid leak in system)

how are the wire leads to the cap--tight and clean?

 

Set it to DC voltage. (take the black probe wire and find a clean ground, take the red wire probe and touch the metal in the end of the clip) Test that the white/yel wire coming into the switch has 12v? Yes? No? If yes test the other side of the brake switch with the pedal pressed. 12v coming out of the other side of the brake switch?

 

After reading post 17, you need to bring it to a shop that works on alarms/remote starter brand you have and have them look at it. Its not wired correctly and is most likely the cause of your issues.

 

Fsttyms1,
Thank you for all your suggestions!

I took the car to a place that specializes in alarms and remote starters. They fixed the issue with not being able to start the car with the key which is great! However they did not fix the brake light issue...

They said that they tested the brake switch and it has power going to it but no power coming out of it and that I should take it to a mechanic... What would this mean?

In the mean time, I will check all the things you have suggested.
Thanks again! I feel that we are getting close and am very optimistic we will solve this issue soon! :happy:

 

01tl4tl,
Thank you as well! I will check the master cylinder. I will post results

 

Looking back at the diagram you sent on post #3...
If I have power going in the brake switch but nit coming out then the only thing it could be is the damn switch right? I have already replaced the switch 2 times thinking I purchased a bad switch the first time!

What am I missing? Tomorrow I will double check that there is in fact power going in to the switch but not coming out..
Will let you know...

 

are you buying OE or aftermarket switches? try the opposite this time!
should be a fairly universal part used on millions of honda and other cars
its just a simple switch!
do you have the wires hooked up right?

remember the switch has to be in operation- pedal depressed- for the 12v to flow thru it

what was the other problem- immobilzer?

 

If you have power to it and nothing coming out (with brake pressed) then its the switch.

 

Thanks, I'll replace it for a third time.... I'll buy the good one from my local auto parts store.
If that's really all it is I will die!
All let you know

 

Okay I guess the alarm guy led me astray. There us defiantly power going in to the switch and definitely power coming out of the switch when brake is depressed.

Now I noticed that the cruise control light (on the cruise button) lights up when I'm driving and goes off when I push the brakes. Then lights up again when I let off the brakes. If I wiggle the harness, the cruise light flickers off and on...

 

I can make all three brake lights illuminate by turning on the tail lights and bridging the power from the tail light to the brake light. When I do this it doesn't matter if the brakes are depressed or not.



[IMG]http://s1227.photobucket.com/albums/...2.jpg&newest=1[/IMG]

 

So looking back at the diagram, this tells me that the problem is somewhere between the brake switch and the actual brake lights. The problem is probably located at the brake light failure switch???

 

Sorry, not the brake light failure switch. The brake light failure sensor???

 

Should I buy this? Do you know what color wires I could test to see if this is the problem before I buy it?

http://www.acuraautomotiveparts.org/...OR_%2821WX4%29

Thanks

 

First thing i would do is test that you have power at the brake light failure switch and coming out of it (with brake pressed). (the color wires are in the diag posted above)

 

 

I tested the brake sensor for power with the brake pressed. No power going in.. So I started following the wires towards the front of the car...

Here is a link to a picture that shows where I did my latest power test. I tested the plug/harness that you see in the upper right corner of the picture in the link below. (you will see the brake sensor to the far left/middle of the picture by the brake light)

I show 12v in the blue and 12v in the orange wires going in and going out of the harness but none of the others have power. Im pretty sure the blue and orange wires are for the trunk light?
So then I continued following the wires towards the front of the car looking for a break or short of some kind. The good news is that the back seat and panels pop out pretty easy reveling the conduit holding the wires. The bad news is that I can't find anything that shows signs of a break or a short.........

 

I'd look real hard at that harness. I wouldn't be surprised if you find the wire half broken with a wire tap or twisted and taped together. This smells like it's an aftermarket installation caused problem.
A really good alarm, starter, hi-fi guy might find this for you fast.

 

I think you may be right. It looks like there is a wire tap off the black and white (probably goes to the alarm/remote start seeing how if you push the brakes after you start via remote but before you insert key it kills the car)

Now here is another twist, If I push the cruise control button and wiggle that harness the car will turn on! It won't start up but it is in as if the keys are in it and the key is turned one notch. Ugh this is nuts! There is obviously something going in with that harness....

 

Here is a link to my alarm/remote manual if anyone gets a wild hair and wants to help me troubleshoot
http://www.scytek.net/manuals/astra/a777.pdf

 

sorry, that manual is incorrect. I have the correct manual on my hard drive as a pdf. i can email it to anyone that might want to take a look at the wiring...

thanks