Brake lights out

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ahoppj

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1984
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Chevrolet k10 silverado
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Just bought my truck three days ago and the brake lights aren’t working, but the twilights works when the lights are on. Replaced the bulbs and didn’t work. Next step looking to replace some fuses. But can’t find a reliable diagram to so what’s what? Where can I find a good diagram for a 1984 Chevy k10 Silverado? Also seems that the brake light switch is working fine but maybe not be?? Thanks for the help.
 

ahoppj

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Hello....Its me......

Hello Please
 

Goldie Driver

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Howdy !

Are your turn signals working ? if they are , the brake light switch seems like a reasonable possibility.

If the turns are not working in the rear, then it seems like there is an issue with the wiring or sockets since you have new bulbs.

or, like on mine, the connector for the turn signal switch under the dash was not 100% plugged in - unplugging it and reconnecting it worked. :)

Total 100% internet spitballing here, mind you.

Sorry - no idea on the wiring diagram.

Have you searched here ? There is a lot of good stuff that comes up although it can be tricky to weed through.


Good Luck !

Britt
 

Turbo4whl

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Basic diagram, your's may be a little different.
 

shiftpro

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Look under the dash at your brake pedal and you will see the brake light switch. It's a little plunger, sometime they stick and don't release as the pedal is pushed.
 

ahoppj

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Thanks for responding Britt!

My left turn signal is working but not my right.

this is what my fuse box looks like in case there is any easy fix before I start taking stuff apart .

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ahoppj

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Look under the dash at your brake pedal and you will see the brake light switch. It's a little plunger, sometime they stick and don't release as the pedal is pushed.


I looked under there and they don’t seems to be sticking as I moved the brake pedal
 

Goldie Driver

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Thanks for responding Britt!

My left turn signal is working but not my right.

this is what my fuse box looks like in case there is any easy fix before I start taking stuff apart .

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Do the hazards work ? If so, do both front bulbs light ?

That turn signal connector will look something like the below, BTW :

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Turbo4whl

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This fuse to start:

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Blue 15 amp fuse.
 

roundhouse

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You’ll need a good test light and a helper

If the hazards work
It’s not the wiring back to the light
Probabaly in the switch



A lot of times the signal switch under the steering wheel goes bad
It controls the brake lights and the signals to the rear

It took me 9 hours and several trips to the auto parts store to get mine working

The signal switch was bad, the switch on the pedal was bad
And the sockets were bad
And the wiring plug that passes thru the firewall was bad

Start at the pedal switch
Make sure it’s getting power in and when you step on the pedal, out.
Then follow it to the big firewall connector and check it on both sides of the firewall

Then follow it to the next plug, I think there’s one behind the engine ,

And then follow it down the frame and check it at every connection back to the lights

And if you’re getting power in the sockets but the lights don’t work, the springs in the sockets are bad
 

77 K20

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Do you have a trailer plug on your truck? Depending on how that was hacked/spliced in could be an issue too.
 

Matt69olds

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Check for power at the orange wire at the brake switch. If it has power, check for power on the white wire when pressing the brake pedal. If there is power, check for power on the yellow and green wire at the turn signal connector with the brake pedal pressed. If there is power on both of those wires, then the problem is between the turn signal connector and the tail lights.

If there is a trailer connector, that’s the place to start looking for problems. Most people are too cheap/lazy/careless to use quality connectors and wiring process. Crimp style butt connectors and wire nuts have no place in a car/truck!!


It has been awhile, but last taillight harness I repaired I used a taillight harness from a later model chevy truck. This was on my brother 01 S-10, the original harness had been cut and spliced so many times it was too short to repair. I ended up cutting the original wiring near the fuel tank before I could find solid wire that wasn’t green and corroded.
 

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