Brake light Problems

[doogie67]

When I activate my brake light switch the wire gets hot(going to the brake lights) and I hear a sizzling behind my gauges. Also my (rear)turn signals and brake lights are screwed up. Any Ideas?

 

[Az Pete]

Brake lights go thru the turn signals. Best get in there and start checking for a grounded hot wire or a short somewhere. Could melt down an entire harness if not fixed soon.

 

[truck90278]

agree with Az Pere, or worse, burn the car to the ground.

 

[CarlF250]

My brake lights and rear turn signals were messed up recently because I replaced the housings with reproduction units (bad idea). And one of the tabs in the socket that the light bulb touches which controls the turn signals was really flimsy and kept touching ground. Surprisingly this did not cause a short or blow a fuse like it should have, but it made my rear lights go haywire!

My instrument cluster would light up every time I hit the brakes. And if I turned the right turn signal on, both rear lights would light up as well as the instrument cluster.

I would say to check all of the ground wires and make sure everything is ok inside the light bulb sockets.

 

[doogie67]

You were right AZ PETE. There was a wire pinched under the turn signal switch and the mount. The previous owner just cut the wire to the brake switch to disconect the short. (It was a drag car) Thanks a bunch, you saved me a lot of time and money.

 

[Az Pete]

Glad to be of help and save another Mustang from a melt down. lol Nothing worse than smelling burning wires.