NO BRAKE LIGHTS!!!! Help

[moparmaniac10]

I have a 71 challenger and it is done except I have no brake lights. I have everything else like, headlights, taillights, market lights, and turn signals. However, when I click the lever left, the inside courtesy light blinks dimly too and the lights out back are dim. The right side is fine. The turn signal switch is all brand new and the wiring is intact and not all spliced up. I also have front hazards but nothing out back. All of my harnesses are brand new, except the dash harness. It was in good shape when I got it with my rallye dash. I have even put a separate ground from the taillight housings directly to metal in the trunk and still nothing. I also had dash lights but now I don't seems to have any but I'm sure that's a different issue. Any ideas would be great.

 

[Adam]

Check to see if you are getting full voltage to the positive wire, at the bulb. If you are then you have a bad ground. If not check the brake switch at the pedal, and the flasher. Is the column harness new? you may have a pinched wire.. You can unplug the column harness at the bottom and try some diagnostics, check for a short/continuity with each wire. A wiring diagram will show which wires are which.

 

[js29]

when you say courtesy lights do you mean dome light? the only place I can think of were they might come in contact is ether along the left rocker panel inside the car, or were it plugs in at the kike panel. I be leave they separate in the left quarter trim, wheel house area. just my .02 cents you may have more then one problem.

 

[quapman]

This will sound weird, but check the wires at the cigarette lighter. There are a pink and red spliced at the connector. This is power to both the lighter and brakes. Not sure why, but I've seen it cut there many times. Maybe where people tapped in for radio power?

Also, make sure the switch at the pedal is working. I've seen them with slightly corroded terminals not connect properly.

One more thing...check the bulbs themselves. Sometimes a broken filament will jump to the wrong side and cause the dash blinker light to light up. I've seen brand new Asian bulbs do this as well.

 

[moparmaniac10]

I figured all of it out. First, had a short in the next brake light socket, one of the wires was touching the other. Then I found that the new brake light switch I put in was already bad. Then I ended up taking my original turn signal switch out of the duster and put it in the challenger and bang, I got everything now. Thank you for all of your advice. Now onto my next problem, a bent valve in my brand new motor!!

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Congrats on sorting out the electrical problem
Why a bent valve , adjusted too tight or .....