Brake lights not working on my 2000 Dakota. Checked all the bulbs and fuses. Wiring looks good. The parking lights and turnsignals work but no brakes. Possible brake light switch by brake pedal? Is this easy to change? How to test? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

I am not sure if your truck has the same plug as what is listed in my service manuals, but see if there is a 6 wire plug going to the brake light switch. If so, there should be power at terminal #1 which should be a pink with dark blue striped wire, and when the brake pedal is depressed there should be power at terminal #2 next to it. There should also be continuity between terminals #1 and #2 when the pedal is depressed. The manual doesn't say what color that wire is. If no power is at terminal #2 when you push the brake pedal down, the switch is bad. There should also be contunuity between terminals 3 and 4 when the pedal is depressed. The wire terminals are numbered from 1 to 6 reading left to right as you look at the plug on the switch with the locking tab facing up. It should not be too hard to replace and I would guess is not a very expensive part.

Jimmy

 

Before you replace parts, do you have a trailer wiring harness hooked up? If so I'd check how that's hooked to your main light wires. I had an old splice in type harness once, and the wires broke where the splice was. To test the brake light switch use a test light and check for power on the Pink/Dark Blue wire at the switch. If there's no power there then check fuse 5(30 amp) in the power distribution center. If that is good, then there's a problem between the fuse and the brake light switch. If there is power on the pk/db wire, push the brake pedal and check for power on the white/tan wire. If there's no power then the switch is bad. If there is power then it's in the wiring between the switch and the tail lights.

 

I just bought a 1999 Ram 1500. Whoever had it before me halfassed wired a trailer brake into it and totally screwed up the rear lights. My friend and I rewired the rear lights, matching the wires up by color and had to replace the brake switch pigtail, which was burnt. Tail lights, backup lights and turn signals work correctly now. Brake lights don't work correctly though. When the fusible link is in, all of the rear running lights come on and the brake lights don't work. There is still one wire that I can't figure out what to do with. It is white and tan. It comes off the brake light switch and right now is just hanging out of the wiring harness by the spare tire. Where does this connect to and is it possilbe that fixing it will correct my problem? Thanks.

 

The white/tan wire is the positive power output to the brake light bulbs from the brake light switch. That wire also runs through the multi-function switch on the steering column. You might take a look at the multi-function switch and see if it didn't get burned up too from the hack job on the trailer brakes. Maybe trace it from between the brake light switch and the multi-function switch. The white/tan wire has to go to the brake lights, probably runs down the driver's side of the truck. You probably already did it but be sure there was no hack jobs done at the rear lights themselves too.

Jimmy

 

i heard or i remember someone saying something about a recall or something, i could be way off though

 

So you are saying that the white and tan wire should be included in the wiring harness that wires into one or both of the brakes lights?

 

White/tan is the output wire from the switch. It may change colors between the switch and the rear lights. I have no idea if it's the same color at the lights. If your new brake switch has power on the white/tan wire when the brake switch is pressed down, the switch works. There has to be a wire going from the switch back to the brake lights and it should be common to both lights and it probably is the white/tan color. Maybe check at the brake lights themselves for the white/tan wire. Then find it in the harness either under the truck going back to the lights or under the carpet just near the door sill cover. See if you can tap into that wire with the white/tan from the switch. Then see if the brake lights work ok when the brake pedal is pressed.

Jimmy

 

AJ, I know you have a Ram so I don't know how well it will help, but if you download the 2001 Dakota factory service manual in the stickies section look at pages 8w-51-5 through 8w-51-7. That might help you more on the white/tan wire. I don't know how similar the wiring is between a Ram and a Dakota though.

 

couple be the same problem i had, punk a$$ kids and they're BB guns.


i swear to god if i ever find them i wont be posting on DF for a while because i'll either be a fugitive ore incarcerated.