Taillights

Tiny
PRIMROSE
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 NISSAN ALTIMA
My taillights will not turn off.I have to pull the fuse to make them go off. I thought it was my brake lights but when I pressed the pedal the lights brightened. Taillights and brakelights are in the same bulb. My battery cable clamp recently kept coming off the post and the bolt was all the way tight so I wedged a little nail in the clamp to keep the clamp on, maybe this could cause a short? The nail is touching nothing but the clamp and post.
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Saturday, May 25th, 2013 AT 4:46 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Check the light switch. Are front clearance lights turned on as well?
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Saturday, May 25th, 2013 AT 9:42 PM
Tiny
PRIMROSE
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I bought a new switch per your advice today.I went to install it and found that there is just a hole where the plastic thing that pushes the plunger in is supposed to be. I went to buy a new plastic plunger pusher but the auto parts place said it is a part that you just cannot get anywhere. He said that maybe I could get one at a junkyard so I looked at the pieces that were left and it appears to be one molded piece so to get one off of another car I would have to break it in half. Discouraged, I went home and tried to jerry rig something to push in the plunger. I finally succeeded with a small plastic bolt. Unfortunately, though it pushed the plunger what appeared to be all the way in, it still didn't make the brake light go out. I already returned the switch, so now I don't know whether the old switch is bad as well as the plastic thing, or if the jerry rigged bolt just isn't pushing the plunger in far enough. Wow, such a seemingly simple repair has become a gen-u-wine pain in the kiester, lol! Mainly because of the location under the steering.I am a big person and it would be comical to watch me attempt to squeeze under the dash and try to get both arms in a satisfactory position! Haha! I can't really get to the switch or see it unless I remove the steering drive shaft and wheel. Does anyone know where I can find a plastic plunger pusher or if something else could suffice in it's place? Boy, if I had the money this would be one job I would give to my mechanic!
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Sunday, May 26th, 2013 AT 3:49 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
I did not ask you to replce the switch. You need to be checking/testing it first.
The switch comes as an assembly and if you use the junk yard part, get the complete assy. You would need to remove the steering wheel to have it replaced.
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Sunday, May 26th, 2013 AT 5:34 PM

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