I have a 1991 Trans Am. It has the 3rd brake light mounted in the top of the back glass. Well the thing stopped working Saturday night. I thought the bulb burned out but I replaced it today and it still doesnt work. I tried wiggling the wires and slapping the headliner in the route of the wiring and it still wouldnt work. The fuse that goes to it isnt blown.

What could be the problem, any ideas? Help plz this really bothers me, it not working and not being able to fix it.

 

see if you are getting voltage out of the socket. If not, check to see if there is voltage out of the fuse box. If so, you've got a cut wire somewhere. If the fuse box has no voltage, you've got to trace that. I don't recall if there are any fusible links for the 3rd brake light.

 

Will do


I know the book says that the brake lights, hazards and one other thing runs off the same fuse and all works but the high mount.

 

not to play devils adcovate, but think you might have anothe rbad bulb? might be worth looking at it just to check... never know!

 

That could be but niether of the bulbs I pulled out looked burned out or broken.

 

Well, i have a 91 T/A so if you need me to compare something, let me know... car is in the garage under a cover, but iu can pull that off... my suggestion is start at the socket. Inspect that, check for voltage with a volt meter.

If there is nothing there, let me know, i have a facotry manual, i could try looking up to see where the wiring is run. Probably could find a bad relay or something.

Just let me know, i'll be on and off during the next few days, so i'll have time and what not to scan in a page out of the manual or something... gotta be something simple, its just finding it that is the challenge!

 

Can you find me a diagram of how the wiring to it is run through the car and take a pic and post it or tell me? Im gonna mess with it next weekend. Its in the tranny shop today. Tranny broke on me.

 

eheheh damn auto's lol


i'll get that scanned up probably thursday durig the day... gonna be busy all day tommorow..

 

When mine does that I just bend up a little on the bulb connectors (they are small wires on the base of the bulb) and then it makes better contact.

 

Ill try that, thanks Dyno

And fb305 I appreciate you getting me that diagram.:hail:

 

fb305svs have you got that diagram for me yet. Thanks

 

I'm not 100% sure if that brake light is wired the same as mine.. but if the power has to be transfered from the contact points, then check the inside of that contact point box on the hatch. The wire inside tends to break. My brake light in the spoiler stopped working and that was the problem. Your best bet is either locate a replacment at a wreckers thats still good. or take out the rivits and fix it.. I tried to get a new one from the dealer.. and it's discontinued.

 

Well I got it working. All it was is it was getting a bad connection to the bulb. I just moved the prongs and it started working again.

I checked the voltage to it and it is getting 12 volts to it.

Thanks for yalls help.

 

Well just so you know, the 91-92 firdbirds and possibly the camaros too, get th epower for the 3rd brake light via a wire run under the headliner... not from the tradictional contact pad in the back

Glad ya got it working, i was just about to scan the diagram in for ya!

Steve

 

Thanks for the help man.