Brake lights will not turn off
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Brake lights will not turn off
I have a 1988 F250 which is having electrical problems. Mainly my brake lights will not turn off. I have to unhook the ground on my battery to keep it from wearing down my battery. Now since that started my left blinker and hazards no longer work. My right blinker works fine. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by jbelcher; May 8, 2003 at 05:47 AM.
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: South Ga
Check the brake on/off switch located above the brake pedal.
If you have voltage on both sides without the pedal depressed, then your switch is bad. As far as the signal goes, most likely component is the bulb or turn signal switch, but could be a number of things. If your brake lights are activated the hazard function will not work period. Once you have your brake lights repaired then I would think that your hazard lights will function correctly, unless there is another problem pertaining to them.
Good Luck and let me know if you need further assistance.
FordMasterTech
If you have voltage on both sides without the pedal depressed, then your switch is bad. As far as the signal goes, most likely component is the bulb or turn signal switch, but could be a number of things. If your brake lights are activated the hazard function will not work period. Once you have your brake lights repaired then I would think that your hazard lights will function correctly, unless there is another problem pertaining to them.
Good Luck and let me know if you need further assistance.
FordMasterTech
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The problem appears to be intermittent which tells me it will soon be constant. Went out to look at it and reconnected the battery terminal. Low and behold the brake lights did not come on and all everything was working fine. There seems to be a ghost in my machine. Only a matter of time before it happens again. FMT thanks for your input and I will check those items. I was told by somebody I work with that there is a switch in the steering column which the blinkers, hazards and brake lights run through. Could this also be the problem and what am I looking at when trying to remove and reinstall a new one?
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From: Oswego, IL
Dry lube may work
Take another look at the switch. While I am not intimate with the design on an 88, some designs are simply a plunger switch that turns the light on and off based on contact with the pedal. Over time the plunger wears a groove and may hang up. A simple squirt of graphite or dry silicone lube might do the trick. I think I once used WD-40 but that may collect dust and dirt over time.
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From: Along Lake Erie
The new switches are very different... they're not the old pin-type switch. They have a wire in, and 4 out: one to the lights, one to the GEM, one to the abs, and one to... umm, I don;t recall off-hand....
It's very possible that the spring in the switch isn't popping the plunger back out. A new switch is only about $7, so if that's the problem it's a cheap fix.
-Joe
It's very possible that the spring in the switch isn't popping the plunger back out. A new switch is only about $7, so if that's the problem it's a cheap fix.
-Joe