Light Issues

Was told the other day that my 1997 90 pick up has no brake lights although the rear lights work fine, its just the stop Lights. I had some spare bulbs kicking around so I have changed them and the fuse and the Brake light switch and still nothing.

It did just dawn on me though that the two wires going into the brake light switch could be the wrong way round.... Would that explain it??

Anyone got any ideas of what else it could be?

After checking these obvious things I am coming to the end of my Knowledge about such things.

*PS, forgot to say that the reverse light also isn't working, could that be a clue as to the issue as well?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Have ye checked to see if ye've got power to the stop lights? Take the back covers off and check yer connections. Might be an idea to stick a tester in the connections. If no power, then it might be a broken wire where it goes into or out of the chassis or just a bad earth.
As fur the reverse light, see if this helps any....

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/reverse-light-switch-renewal-63810.html

Brake lights are wired as follows.

Feed from ignition dependant circuits (i.e. on only when ignition switch is on) to brake light switch. Then from other side of switch two wires come off. one runs to each stop light (vech regs say each must be wired independantly.

Best things to check are :-

Is power going to the switch - put a volt meter between the single wire (power feed) going to switch and bodywork/engine block etc and it should read >12 volts.

If this is good then bypass the switch (use a bit of wire etc to connect both spade connectors together - remove them from switch first) - having wires on the wrong way round should make no difference as its a switch. (notr here the same can be done to check the reversing light switch is working (not there willl be no voltage on any of the wires as its an earth switch)

If bypassing the switch makes the lights come on then its a faulty switch.
if there is no voltage on the feed then its a wiring problem - before the switch - check fuse box and connectors on the back of it, and cables onto back of ignition switch.

If lights don't come on when switch is bypassed and there is a good voltage on feed wire then its either the light fittings or a wire going back - unusualy for both to go. - Leave switch bypassed and check voltages on back of light fittings (remove covers inside rear tub.

James