imsodamnhappy

Ok. So my brake lights are not working. The upper center one works fine, the two side ones don't. At first it was the switch behind the brake pedal. I replaced that with no problem and it worked for a second, then stopped. So, here I assumed it was a loose wire, couldn't find a break. The switch tests good.

I took it into a car shop who will remain nameless, and they said it was the multi-switch in the steering column, which makes no sense to me because my turn signals work perfectly. Wouldn't my turn signals not work if it was that switch? They said something along the lines of the turn signals and the brake lights being different parts of the switch. Which they may be right, but that would seem kind of silly and unnecessary to have the switch like that.

However, ever since they put the switch back in, the brake lights now work. Which almost confirms my first theory about a loose wire, right?

They wanted to charge me 195 to replace the damn switch, 135 of it was for the switch itself. I'll buy a new switch myself and put it in myself for and save 150 bucks in that case.

Just looking for some help, conformation that they were right and why, or people who had similar problems before I commit to buying a new switch.

MDTAHOE

GM runs the brake lights through the turn signal switch except for the center one. It is a extremly common issue. So common the only test you need to do if the center brake light works is to make sure the other bulbs are good. That is a good price if you had a chevy truck it would have been over $600.00

MDTAHOE

Are you saying they put the switch in and took it back out but the lights still work?

imsodamnhappy

No, they had the switch out to test it, then when I denied the fix, they put everything back together and the brake lights work.

Thanks for the pictures though, really explains a lot. I just can't believe they run the side brake lights through there like that. Just seems kind of unnecessary.

I can get the switch itself for like 35 bucks from my uncle and put it in myself, i'm just still not certain it's the problem since the brake lights seem to be working now.

imsodamnhappy

Also, maybe I am missing something but the pictures don't really tell me why the brake lights didnt work but the turn signals do.