Hello,

I have a 1996 Chevy Suburban 5.7L, with ~160,000 miles. My ABS warning lamp came on the other day, and then today I realized I had no brake lights. I'm trying to get a basic idea of what the problem is in order to avoid going to a mechanic, or at least help myself not get ripped off too bad. Everything I've found on the net so far is "if you see that light, go see a mechanic." I checked all the fuses and bulbs, and they seem fine. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, both about the problem, and choosing a good mechanic - I'm in school, just paid off my tuition and picked up all my books, and literally can't afford even a $200 repair bill.


Thanks!

 

Welcome to the forum.

Might get it scanned for any codes. Most auto parts places do it for free. Could be a lot of different things.

 

Does the third light (high mount) work? I would bet not. Replace the brake light switch if not.

 

Thanks for the interest Tahoe and 73shark,

You were right. I took it to AAA Car Care (I have roadside assistance with them, gives me 10% and a 2-yr warranty on labor) and they said it was the break light switch, $125 parts and labor to replace. I felt this was too high so I called around and got a similar price from a couple other places. They put the part in ($100 for 20 minutes work!) and I drove home. Now I'm having trouble shifting out of park, which I hear can be caused by a faulty break light switch...what the hell? If I can put another one in myself, I'd like to do that. Even though theres a warranty on the labor (maybe not the part) I'd rather just avoid dealing with AAA (or any mechanic) all together. Any ideas?

Anyway the ABS light had nothing to do with my bad break lights. Thats on the backburner for now.

Thanks for the input!