Hello. New member here, writing on behalf of my housekeeper.

She drives a 1998 1500 Laramie SLT, and got pulled over last night by the local constabulary and given a ticket because her 3rd brakelight wasn't functional.

She doesn't believe she has a third brakelight - everything up there is a cargo light. The cop didn't buy that assertion. Having bought the vehicle used, she doesn't know what might or not be expected to exist.

A bit of poking around on the web didn't immediately give me any mentions of 3rd brake lights for that year. Can anyone here claim with authority that the 1998 does or does not have the 3rd light? If not (which we hope is the correct answer), how can she prove that to the traffic court? Would a wiring diagram be the ultimate proof?

Thanks, everyone.

Art

 

There is indeed a third eye up there, (required by law) between the cargo lamps. (its red. unless someone else changed it.) Should come on when you step on the brake, regardless of if the engine is running or not. Might be burned out bulbs.....

 

Thank you!

I walked out to take a look, and the area in question was obvious. (I had never paid much attention to her truck.) Upon removing the cover, there were, in fact, two bulbs. Both were open circuits when measured with an ohmmeter.

Don't know what the bulbs are, but I'm sure the auto parts store will have 'em. Thanks for the quick response!

Art

 

That really ticks me off, giving a ticket to a poor housekeeper driving a 17 year old truck, for the 3rd brake light. Why is that even ticketable? She's got 2 functioning brake lamps, a friendly get it fixed would have been the only appropriate action.

 

Well, I didn't think it was polite or appropriate for a newbie in the group to be expressing an opinion about the pigs around here (Orange County, CA). Let's just say I have long considered them the enemy.

She was easily able to acquire the bulbs at an AutoZone a few blocks away, but I don't think she's put them in yet. I'd guess the odds are well over 90% that this is the simple fix. If not, it could get into a messy diagnostic effort, as car wiring can be remarkably obscure.

FOLLOWUP: Success. Thanks, everyone.

Art

 

I grew up there and can't help but agree with you. I felt safer in the dangerous neighborhoods where the pigs wouldn't go than in the safer neighborhoods they weren't afraid of. The OC pigs aren't the worst I've ever known, but they're rotten enough. I gots me some stories...

 

I guess truck campers , canopies , and carrying an appliance in your truck is frowned upon in California ?

Freedom , looks good on paper I suppose !

 

Every single vehicle made since 1986 has had a cyclops or third brake light by law (except big rigs). Whether the cop did something that we don't approve, is moot, as she had technically broken the law. All lights are a safety issue and I am usually screaming at people with one headlight or taillight out. For me its really so I can see them, since I have my truck lit up like Christmas with cab lights, running board lights, extra clearance lights and reflectors out back, and extra driving and back up lights. I want to be SEEN, especially in TX where the drivers are very unique breed.

 

Now there is an interesting way of putting it.

 

I'm the OP. And I agree that it's outrageous seeing the surprising number of vehicles with dead lights - brake lights, tail lights, head lights. I bicycle more miles than I drive, and will often try to get the attention of a driver when stopped at intersections, and tell them that a light (or this past weekend, all three brake lights!) are out.

In this case, my housekeeper had absolutely no idea that her Laramie had a third light. Thus the enquiry here. Once that issue became clear, one could hardly complain about fixing it.

Art