VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Brake Lights

How can I check to see if I'm getting juice to my brake lights on my 39..can I touch the two wire together that got to the brake switch to see if the lights go on in case the switch does not work?

Yepper. That should work.

Hmmm
Thought so..but the lights did not come on...is there a fuse?

Sounds like a bad switch?

How can it be a bad switch if the wires are not connected to it?
I just unplugged the two wires off the switch then put the two wires together..I did get a little spark once..but not again..

Check the fuse on the light switch

Dave

Light switch ? not sure what you mean..

A thought.....If you touched the wire and it sparked and then didn't spark again, you did blow the fuse. You also have a ground between the end you flashed and the brake light.You might want to find that before you burn any more fuses.

That thing you turn your headlights on with...If'n it's like mine, there's where the fuse is...If it's blown, you could crawl around to see where it's grounding or just run a whole new wire...

If your wiring is the original cloth wire then running new one would be more fun.
Then you would have a spare one for later.

So if I pull the light switch and have tail light/ headlights..I assume the fuse is ok..but is there a separate fuse for the brake lights?

Your light switch should be pretty much like this one. My '38 isn't fused at the switch. I don't know if your '39 is or not. If your head & tail lights come on it's likely not a fuse issue unless someone in the past put an in line fuse on that circuit. You can find a wiring diagram HERE. It's likely time to get a multi-meter and stop guessing. Pull the bulb, connect the wires bypassing the switch and see if you have juice at the socket. If you don't have juice move to the feed side of the switch. Work your way to the source one connection at a time until you find power. Once you find power you'll know WHERE the problem is and some investigation will determine what you need to fix.

You will find the wiring diagram link posted above extremely helpful. I use wiring diagrams for my cars fairly often to refer to wiring locations and etc.

I got the Diagram..will have to track down the problem

It looks like the wiring diagram shows a fuse on the light switch. I know when I caused a spark hooking my brake switch back up I had to replace the fuse. Maybe mine is wired wrong.

Did you check the fuse?

Dave

Dave,
Have not check the fuse yet..have to find it..do we know how many Amp fuse it suppose to be?...the light switch works cause the lights work..the brake switch wires when I put them together don't light up the tail lights..

The wiring diagram I looked at didn't show a fuse, just the switch. If there's one there all it takes is a quick peek under the dash to find it.

I looked..and saw something wrapped in foil...

Use a test probe with a light and see if you have power to the brake lights.

Will do..

If you have something that looks like it is wrapped in foil, remove it and replace with a fuse. That is a good way to loose a car from an electrical fire. I would suggest a 30 Amp fuse.

Thank you so much..30AMP I will get..

AntiqueMechanic
What you think about my Brake light saga..

You received some excellent suggestions from the fellows above. At this stage I would get the multimeter out and start at the fuse and follow it all the way back. If you hit a fault you may have found your problem.

Something that has not been stated is: has any new wiring been installed or changed recently?

(Dumb question #1. Is the bulb good?) Use a long piece of wire and connect it to the + terminal on the battery. At the brake light touch it to each wire to the lights and start there. No light, no good bulb.

Ain't this electrical stuff good fun. When the smoke gets out of the wire it is heXX trying to get it back in.

Ray
When the smoke gets out of anything it is gone and cant be put back in, electrics and electronics are perfect examples as I have no doubt you know.
Tony