Brake Lights Not Working? Check These Two Things First
Posted on: 29 April 2015
It is not safe to drive around without brake lights. Brake lights keep you and the drivers on the road with you safe. Plus, in most states, you will get a ticket if a police officer spots you driving around without working brake lights.
1. Check The Light Bulbs Themselves
The easiest thing to check out is your actual brake lights. Depending on how your vehicle is set up, you may need to get out a screwdriver and remove the lens that is covering up your brake lights in order to check the bulbs. If any of the bulbs are burned out, change them out.
Then, have someone stand behind your vehicle as you apply the brakes to see if this fixed the problem.
2. Check Out The Fuse Box
If your lights were to go out in your house, one of the first things you would do is check your fuse box to see if a switch had been flipped. When your brake lights go out in your vehicle, the same rule applies. If you are sure the lights are not burned out, checking the fuse box should be your next step.
If you are not familiar with where the fuse box for your brake lights is located, you may want to pull out your owner's manual. Use the index at the back of your owner's manual to figure out where the information you need is located. Your owner's manual should include a diagram that shows you exactly where the fuse box is located.
As a general rule of thumb, the fuse box can generally be found under the dashboard on the driver's side of your vehicle. Unlike the fuse box in your house, there will not be any switches for you to reset.
Instead, you will see multiple wires connected to a small black box. These wires are connected to your brake lights as well as the other lights in your vehicle. What you want to look out for is burned, frayed, splitting or broken wires. These colorful wires are the fuses. Your owner's manual should be able to let you know which particular fuse is connected to your brake lights. If you spot any wires that are compromised, you are going to need to switch them out.
You can purchase new fuses at your local auto parts store and switch them out yourself, or you can let your mechanic know that you need a fuse replaced. This is a relatively simple and quick job, so you should be able to get away with just dropping in for this service. To learn more, contact a company like Ken's Auto Services, Inc. with any questions or concerns you have.
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