280z brake light trouble

[Guest Bored_Rice]

So I bought a 280z this week and the front fender lights and brake lights don't work. The rear lights turn when the head lights are on but the they don't turn on while I'm braking. Any suggestions?

[woldson]

Tail lights turn on. Break lights don't work ethier way?

[Guest Bored_Rice]

Yeah that's about it.

[woldson]

Break out the volt/ohm meter and follow wireing.

I personally would start at the pedal.

[Guest Bored_Rice]

thanks I'll try that.

[BigRedZ]

Does any one have an update on this. I have this problem as well with my 77 280z. Any help would be appreciated.

 

What I have done:

Check the wire diagram.

unplug the break switch to see if I can get them to say on all the time (nothing)

Look for any physical damage of wire, ect.

 

 

I have not gotten my volt meter out yet, but plan on that after I get back home.

 

Thanks.

[jhm]

I'm assuming you checked the obvious (e.g. bulbs, fuses, etc)? If not, do this first.

 

You say your tail lights work, but the brake lights don't? Many times the problem is a bad ground in the vicinity of the affected area. There's a ground wire for the rear lights inside the hatch, right behind the spare tire well. Even though your tail lights are working, I'd check this ground wire to ensure it's got a good connection. Also, check your harness connections (to the tail light assemblies) and bulb sockets while you're back there.

 

Unplugging your brake light switch will NOT ensure that brake lights stay on all the time.....rather, that ensures that they will stay off all the time. Plug it back in and check the operation and adjustment of the switch. The switch can be adjusted closer or further from the brake pedal. It should provide a solid connection across the two leads when the brake pedal is depressed. Sometimes a simple cleaning, lubing, and adjusting of the brake light switch is all it takes to get the lights working again.

 

Good luck and be sure to post your results!

[BigRedZ]

Well I got my break light problem all sorted out. I will give a quick run though.

 

Before I start, I would just like to say that the first PO on this car did not know electronics for crap, and I have had to spend many hours sorting and taking out his crappy install of many electronics in the car. This is why I got the car so cheap. The owner of the car did not know car electronics ether, and had no clue why things in the car were the way there were. Good thing car electronics is really the only thing I really understand in cars.

 

first thing I did was check the break switch. I unplugged it from the 2 leads that go to it (you can just unplug the leads, I just like to make things harder for myself ). I got the volt meter and checking it. When it first did it, i got nothing, but then tried it again and go the VM to jump. So I knew that was good.

 

Then I looked at the wire diagram again and decided to follow the wires. inside my dash one fo the wires was unplug from a harness that the PO had in there before I bought the car from him. I uninstalled it and soldered the 2 wires back. Then I followed it to the fuse box. I never took a close look at it, but the PO had all the wrong types of fuses in there (SFE30), so I replaced all of them.

 

Then from the fuse box, if followed the wire to the back tail lights. There were no breaks, nothing. so I check all the end points, and reset them in.

 

At this point, I connected everything back, and they worked, but they just stayed on, I knew this was because the little pad on the brake arm was gone (ran into this problem with my other Z). I got a nickle and a dime and epoxy them to the brake arm.

 

So now it works. Lest review what I just said.

 

First check the brake switch, which can be located mid way on the brake arm.

 

Check all the wires for any breaks, frayed, shorted, etc.

 

Check the fuses

 

Check the end points and reset them even in they look ok.

 

If they come on and stay on check the pad on the brake arm, and if it need to be replace then epoxy a nickle and dime together then epoxy it to the brake arm.

 

Hope this can help someone else that has this problem.