Brake lights stay on

Tiny
MOJR29
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 JEEP CHEROKEE
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 47,746 MILES
When I leave the car the brake light are still on?
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Saturday, March 14th, 2009 AT 4:59 PM

16 Replies

Tiny
CRZYDRVR
  • MEMBER
  • 432 POSTS
Hello,

This sounds like the switch is bad or out of adjustment. Here is the location so you can check or replace it. (Diagrams below)

1. Press and hold brake pedal in applied position.
2. Pull switch plunger all the way out to fully extended position.
3. Release brake pedal. Then pull pedal lightly rearward. Pedal will set plunger to correct position as pedal pushes plunger into switch body. Switch will make ratcheting sound as it self adjusts.

CAUTION: Booster damage may occur if the pedal pull exceeds 20 lbs. Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know what you find.
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Sunday, March 15th, 2009 AT 9:29 PM
Tiny
RGROCKETT48
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  • 0 POST
Yep it was the switch for me I got a new one fo $34.00 all set
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM
Tiny
SEVENCOWS
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
  • 2002 JEEP CHEROKEE
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 109,000 MILES
Fluid reservoir is full, switch at E brake appears to be operational. When fluid sensor is unplugged, light remains on. All fuses are okay. Vehicle does not have DRL that I'm aware of. Noticed that e-brake needs to be adjusted to grab more will do that tomorrow. Jeep also has a Large leak EVAP code. Noted tapping sound in right rear when looking for leak.
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
E-brake may be fine, rear brakes may be near critical thickness
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SEVENCOWS
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Sound seem to be coming from a canister of some type, (maybe the EVAP canister not sure). Left Rear brake pads were replaced when I was trying to find the indicator problem (2 days ago )and yes the were VERY thin. Already took off the NEG let it stsay off about 5 mins. Will try taking off the POS on the bat.
Thanks again guys.
T
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JAMIEKITT
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2001 JEEP CHEROKEE
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 115,000 MILES
Brake Lights come on when headlights or marker lights are on. When brakes are applied with headlights off, digital odometer readout & radio readout dim. Brakes are working normally. No warning lights are on. Tried replacing stop light switch-no help. Checked all bulbs & wiring to rear lights-lookls OK. Any ideas?
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,689 POSTS
First, if you have a trailer wiring harness, check if it's chewed up and the wires are shorted. One common symptom is the radio display dimming. It has a circuit tied to the tail lights to tell the display to dim when the running lights are on. If you have a U-Haul-installed trailer harness with three red leds in the plug, it used to be common for them to short causing the same symptoms.

If that doesn't look like the problem, there could be a dealer / factory-installed adapter harness that you may be able to remove as a test.

Another common cause used to be using the wrong marker / tail light bulb. Single terminal on the bottom instead of the twin terminal that was needed. Newer vehicles use a flat, plastic-base bulb that this won't happen to. I think that's what you have. This problem applied to the older round, brass-base bulbs.

If none of these solve the problem, search for "beef99". He is a Jeep specialist and may have additional thoughts.

Caradiodoc
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JAMIEKITT
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I did have an after market trailer wiring harness installed, but I removed it & it made no difference. Bulbs haven't been replaced recently(this problem just started within the past week), And I checked them all, anyway, thinking maybe the parking light filiment had somehow shorted accross to the brake light(both are in the same bulb). How do I search for "beef99"?
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,689 POSTS
Next, unplug the tail lamp housings from the vehicle's wiring harness. If the radio display still dims when the brake pedal is pressed, the problem has to be in the vehicle. In particular, look for a buildup of corrosion between two adjacent pins in a connector, especially along the frame or inside the body.

If the problem is gone, plug one housing back in, then see what happens when you press the brake pedal. If the problem comes back when plugging in one of them, that's the one to look at for the problem.

By the way, I found a similar problem on a friend's son's Chevy truck not too long ago. One of the buttons of solder, (the contact) on the base of the bulb, broke off and was stuck between the right front turn signal terminal and the running light terminal right next to it in the socket. We didn't see it rght away because of the grease in the socket. His left signal worked fine but the right signal blinked real fast and caused all the running / tail lights to turn on, and the radio display flickered.

I put in a call to the administrators to contact beef99 on your behalf. I don't know how to reach him either through the forum unless he's online. Hopefully he will have some more ideas.

Caradiodoc
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SNAKE13
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 99,000 MILES
The brake light on my jeep wont turn off even if I apply the brakes, take on and off the parking brakes, jam the foot brake down or even force it up, ive replaced all the lights but all that did was perminatly turn the top brake light on too :( HELP!
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BIG_JAY
  • MECHANIC
  • 121 POSTS
Under your dash you have a brake light switch that has a little button on it. If u follow the arm that has your brake pedal up under your dash you will see a (usually) black switch with a connector on it with a little button that touches the brake pedal arm. There has to be a little rubber bumper in the arm of the pedal to push the button on the brake light switch. If u can crawl up under your dash this is not to hard of a task. You may need to go to the dealer for the part as only select parts stores will have it.

If not the switch, the ABS may have something to do with it

See the guide below on testing wiring

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

The wiring diagrams for the rear brake lights and the ABS are attached below
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SNAKE13
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thanxs millions but now (my dad) and I have both tryed that pushing that button in and pulling it out from the switch but the brake lights still stay on :P :( could it be a bad switch?
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BIG_JAY
  • MECHANIC
  • 121 POSTS
Yest it can be. If u take the switch down and move the button in or out and nothing changes it is most likley going to just be a bad switch. When u unplug it they should go out.
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SNAKE13
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
GOOD NEWS the swithch is good and is fine and is absolutly wonderfull but the BRAKES STILL STAY ON wtf I mean I did everything u said but this is getting frustrating :( plz help
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 12:59 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KENBUTT75
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 1999 JEEP CHEROKEE
Electrical problem
1999 Jeep Cherokee 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

I will be driving down the road and the car will suddenly turn off. It has happened at night and the lights will stay on, I stop the vehicle and turn off ignition and restart the car, the car starts fine. I was wondering if I might have a ground problem with the fuel pump? I am a poor college student who works full time and attends school full time, my college is twenty miles from home, I need "Jerry" to get me back and forth
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 1:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JNOVACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 723 POSTS
Remove wires fron fuel pump and with volt ohm meter check to see if you get power and move wires and see if there is any change
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Monday, December 9th, 2019 AT 1:00 PM (Merged)

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