Electrical: - Brake lights not working

Ovlovdriver · Nov 13th, 2014, 12:13

Hey, so my left brake light keeps blowing the fuse, obviously causing no lights at all. Is it safe to just disconnect it, keeping 2 brake lights until the part arrives, and would the fuse stop blowing?

Stephen Edwin · Nov 13th, 2014, 13:53

I'm lost as to the basics of your situation. Have you clearly identified why the fuse is blowing and what part to obtain?

Ovlovdriver · Nov 13th, 2014, 14:23

as far as i am aware it is this http://www.joetlc.com/images/1312420.jpg that is buggered. Basically i want to disconnect the left side, leaving the window and right brake light working if possible, without the fuse blowing. Until the new part arrives. I travel alot, it may be a volvo but i still dont fancy a shunt

Stephen Edwin · Nov 13th, 2014, 15:20

The circuit board. Aha. Can you by-pass that to make the brake light work without blowing the fuse?

Far safer if all brake lights that are required or fitted are working, and that is I expect still the legal requirement.

If plod take an interest you might well get a notice to get it fixed and have it inspected by an MOT tester. But plod might well ask if you knew the brake light was not working. If you knew before starting the journey, plod might take a different view.

Michael J · Nov 13th, 2014, 15:22

I thought you might be looking at that circuit board (or the wiring/connector going to it), unless you had an estate which doesn't use them. Try it, just leave out that bulb. It ought to make the light-failure warning lamp come on in the instrument cluster every time you apply the brakes. Nothing else untoward should occur, but it might not stop the fuse blowing. You could have a pinched or frayed wire somewhere before the board.

Ovlovdriver · Nov 13th, 2014, 15:23

sadly i dont have much electrical knowledge and i wouldnt want to run the risk of breaking anything else.

Michael J · Nov 13th, 2014, 15:46

Look at it this way: if a bulb blows "just because" (they do that sometimes) then you might find it causes the fuse to blow repeatedly until you remove that bulb. Normally when you renew the bulb (and its matching "pair" on the other side of the car, to keep things balanced and hence prevent the light-failure warning lamp from coming on) then all is well.

However here all is not well - it blows the fuse again. So, remove but don't replace the bulb. The other side should still work. If the fuse pops without there even being a bulb in that spot then you can't sensibly drive the car until you have fixed the fault. No brake lights at all (because they all feed from the same fuse) is simply not acceptable on the road.

There are quite enough cars driving around with faulty lights for yours to be unnoticeable. You are still better off than most because your car will tell you something is wrong every time you apply the brakes.

Ovlovdriver · Nov 13th, 2014, 17:10

i didnt have the dash warning light, after initially fixing the problem, at first i had no sidelights, fixed that and then no brake lights. I tried replacing all the bulbs with new, still popping fuse so i will try without the bulb

Nov 13th, 2014, 12:13	#1
Ovlovdriver Senior Member Last Online: Jan 17th, 2015 09:36 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Kingsbridge	Brake lights not working Hey, so my left brake light keeps blowing the fuse, obviously causing no lights at all. Is it safe to just disconnect it, keeping 2 brake lights until the part arrives, and would the fuse stop blowing? __________________ My car: V40 2.0 se Previous: s60 2.4t, 2.0t, s70 and v70, s40, 240, 122s

Nov 13th, 2014, 14:23	#3
Ovlovdriver Senior Member Last Online: Jan 17th, 2015 09:36 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Kingsbridge	as far as i am aware it is this http://www.joetlc.com/images/1312420.jpg that is buggered. Basically i want to disconnect the left side, leaving the window and right brake light working if possible, without the fuse blowing. Until the new part arrives. I travel alot, it may be a volvo but i still dont fancy a shunt __________________ My car: V40 2.0 se Previous: s60 2.4t, 2.0t, s70 and v70, s40, 240, 122s

Nov 13th, 2014, 15:22	#5
Michael J Master Member Last Online: Jan 21st, 2018 16:48 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Nottingham	I thought you might be looking at that circuit board (or the wiring/connector going to it), unless you had an estate which doesn't use them. Try it, just leave out that bulb. It ought to make the light-failure warning lamp come on in the instrument cluster every time you apply the brakes. Nothing else untoward should occur, but it might not stop the fuse blowing. You could have a pinched or frayed wire somewhere before the board. __________________ rollin' rollin' rollin'

Nov 13th, 2014, 15:23	#6
Ovlovdriver Senior Member Last Online: Jan 17th, 2015 09:36 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Kingsbridge	sadly i dont have much electrical knowledge and i wouldnt want to run the risk of breaking anything else. __________________ My car: V40 2.0 se Previous: s60 2.4t, 2.0t, s70 and v70, s40, 240, 122s

Nov 13th, 2014, 15:46	#7
Michael J Master Member Last Online: Jan 21st, 2018 16:48 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Nottingham	Look at it this way: if a bulb blows "just because" (they do that sometimes) then you might find it causes the fuse to blow repeatedly until you remove that bulb. Normally when you renew the bulb (and its matching "pair" on the other side of the car, to keep things balanced and hence prevent the light-failure warning lamp from coming on) then all is well. However here all is not well - it blows the fuse again. So, remove but don't replace the bulb. The other side should still work. If the fuse pops without there even being a bulb in that spot then you can't sensibly drive the car until you have fixed the fault. No brake lights at all (because they all feed from the same fuse) is simply not acceptable on the road. There are quite enough cars driving around with faulty lights for yours to be unnoticeable. You are still better off than most because your car will tell you something is wrong every time you apply the brakes. __________________ rollin' rollin' rollin'

Nov 13th, 2014, 13:53	#2
Stephen Edwin Premier Member Last Online: Oct 26th, 2023 20:42 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Thurrock	I'm lost as to the basics of your situation. Have you clearly identified why the fuse is blowing and what part to obtain?

Nov 13th, 2014, 15:20	#4
Stephen Edwin Premier Member Last Online: Oct 26th, 2023 20:42 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Thurrock	The circuit board. Aha. Can you by-pass that to make the brake light work without blowing the fuse? Far safer if all brake lights that are required or fitted are working, and that is I expect still the legal requirement. If plod take an interest you might well get a notice to get it fixed and have it inspected by an MOT tester. But plod might well ask if you knew the brake light was not working. If you knew before starting the journey, plod might take a different view.

Nov 13th, 2014, 17:10	#8
Ovlovdriver Senior Member Last Online: Jan 17th, 2015 09:36 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Kingsbridge	i didnt have the dash warning light, after initially fixing the problem, at first i had no sidelights, fixed that and then no brake lights. I tried replacing all the bulbs with new, still popping fuse so i will try without the bulb __________________ My car: V40 2.0 se Previous: s60 2.4t, 2.0t, s70 and v70, s40, 240, 122s

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