ok.. it's a 91' RS with the glass mounted third brake light. It quit working a few years ago... I tried fuses and even changed the bulb and that didn't work. Does anybody know where else I could look? Maybe a place where it could come loose or short out? Or could I even re-tap into My main brake lights? I've just been baffled about this for a while now... any info is greatly appreciated! thanks! Brant

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Everything I know I learned by messing it up at least once.

 

It might be a stupid question, but did you look to see if the harnesses on your trunk pistons are still on? One controls your brake light, the other your defrost. They're one "wire", or connection each.

 

Those 91-92 3rd brake lights are always causing problems. Inside, the little tabs that hold the bulb in get brittle and break cause of the heat put off by that bulb. You can jerry rig it to work, but it will eventually fail. Last time i check, it was over $100 for a new one at the dealer.

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-Justin-
T-Top '86 5.0L LG4 700R4 WS6 Now Bilstein equipped!
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My '86 Firebird Homepage
The F-body Model Kit Pictoral Archive (updated 9/18/00)

There can be only one!!

 

The '90 - '92 high mounted third brake light gets its power from a coiled cord that connects to the harness at the rear roof interior trim panel, and is controlled by its own switch contact within the brake light switch assembly. (The wires connecting to the two rear hatch struts supply power and ground to the rear window defroster grid.) A separate switch contact within the brake light switch assembly controlls the lower brake lights. There are 3 wires going to the brake light switch, under the dash, near the brake pedal. The orange wire is +12 volt power from the battery, the light blue wire goes to the lower two brake lights, and the yellow wire goes to the high mounted third brake light. Check for power at the yellow wire at the switch, with the brake pedal depressed. If there is no power there, replace the brake light switch. If there is power there, check for continuity through the yellow wire to the third brake light. If there is continuity (power at the yellow wire at the third brake light with the brake pedal depressed), then check for continuity from the black wire at the third brake light to chassis ground.

Tim

 

when I had that problem, it was just because of the bad design of the light housing..

the little wires on the bulb were losing contact with the contacts..

I just bent the wires on the bulb outwards so that they'd press against the contacts, and I havn't had a problem since.

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dwl 1991 RS