High Mount Brake Light, Not Working

[avijay]

The Z failed state inspection today because my high mount brake light would not work but the primary brake lights work fine.

Brake light bulbs are fine but not getting any juice. Fuse box will be checked in the am, but what else to look for? Thx.

[Jim Nolan]

I would look at the ground for the high light. There is one thing Gordan stresses alot and that is that grind the star washer into the frame.

[XfireZ51]

I got mine converted to LED by =Jeff=

[Shrek]

Had the same exact problem last inspection! Bumper lights worked, hi mount did not! Easy fix!!
Switch on the brake pedal has two seperate contacts inside.
I removed it (push out with your thumb), disassembled it, cleaned it (WD-40), reassembled it, and presto magico, it works now. I plugged it into the harness and tested it with my thumb before I reinstalled it.

[Mystic ZR-1]

count on it being the switch at the brake pedal...

[STEWVETTE]

Brake light switch, just fixed mine contacts become corroded.

[avijay]

Brake light switch, just fixed mine contacts become corroded.


What's the best way to access the switch and where did you buy the replacement part. Thx.

[STEWVETTE]

The switch is located on the brake pedal. Remove lower dash panel then remove switch from brake pedal. If you take the switch apart and you will be able to see how the switch works. Take light sand paper like 320gr and lightly sand the contacts. Then reinstall switch.

[avijay]

OK, so I've taken the panel off and located the two brake light switches, based off of depressing either one I've figured out that the bigger of the two belong to the High Mount Brake Light.

1. is that correct?
2. how in the hell do I take it out and replace? Is it just a simple unscrew of the whole mechanism?

Here are pics I took and keep in mind I took these laying on my back looking up.

http://images12.fotki.com/v335/photos/1/160532/4795357/photo1-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/1/160532/4795357/photo1-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v378/photos/1/160532/4795357/photo2-vi.jpg

[Shrek]

Shove it out with your thumb! Reinstall it further in than it is now and it's self adjusting when apply pressure on the pedal for the first time.

***EDIT*** OOPS! typed that wrong for reinstall. Shove it back in with pedal slightly depressed, then when you release the pedal it will self adjust the depth. Or you can shove it in against the pedal bracket, but make sure the plunger on the switch is fully depressed. The pedal bracket holds the contacts open, then when you depress the pedal, the plunger extends outward and makes contact inside the switch. Hope that makes more sense

[avijay]

OK, I got the switch out w no problems, disconnected the vacuum tube for the cruise control and noticed that there was nothing plugged into or onto the electrical port??? Is this normal or is that why my high mount light is not working. I looked up in there and couldn't find anything that was hanging loose without a place to go, what gives???

see pic below, you'll see the electrical prongs that had nothing connected to them

http://images60.fotki.com/v661/photos/1/160532/4795357/photo-vi.jpg

[STEWVETTE]

You have taken out the wrong switch. The other switch connected to the brake pedal is the bake light switch.

[avijay]

Once again, thanks to all that helped me out with this. The story ended well as now I have a working High Mount Brake Light and the embarrassing rejection sticker no longer resides on the Z once I replaced the stop lamp switch!!!!

http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/1/160532/4795357/photo-vi.jpg

[Shrek]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: