The car is a '91 Formula, and it's been sitting for awhile. In fact, I hardly even drove it since I purchased it a few months ago, and I honestly don't remember if this was always the case....;

Headlights work fine, interior lights work fine, tail lights now work fine, brake lights work (but it's possibly part of the problem). The cluster isn't lighting up when I turn the lights on for some reason or another. With the key OUT, and the cluster lights turned on, although they don't light up, you do hear the noise telling you to shut off your lights....

However (and this is the strange part), the very same noise is again prevalent when you apply the brake pedal. What's weird though, is that with the engine RUNNING, and when you apply the brake, no noise! But the moment you turn the engine OFF (regardless if the key is in the ignition, or not), when you hit the brake pedal, the noise immediately goes on. Also need to add that the brake lights are also on constantly when the taillights are switched on at night....

Now, and this might be the reason, but I wanted to make sure before I go through the hassle of buying and installing another one. This car has a steering column from a '92 3.1 Firebird. Is it possible that this is actually the reason for the issue? Both steering colums are equipped with cruise control, and both share the same wiring schematics (from what I can see, as I'm comparing it to another 3.1 V6 that I have)...

Has anyone experienced a similar problem? I searched and searched to no avail though, and any feedback would be appreciated....

 

^ Just to add to the confusion, with everything off, and key OUT, when I hit the brake pedal, not only does the noise trigger, but the entire rear light assembly luminates, not just the brake lights. Don't know who the heck had this car before my cousin Rob, but they obviously didn't know what the heck they were doing. Gonna pull the dashboard out to have a looksy, as it honestly sounds like an aftermarket alarm install gone completely wrong by the former owner....


-Gaspar

 

sounds like great fun, i wish you good luck, wiring gremlins can be a real pain, especially if someone has been messing with it.

 

FIXED.....!

Updating this for the archives. Someone did in fact try installing an aftermarket alarm system, but this wasn't the reason why the brake lights kept coming on. It was a combination of two things, believe it or not. Somebody tried hacking into the stock harness, which is the reason why the cluster wasn't lighting. At the same freaking time, they had the wrong damn bulbs in the taillights. Proper bulbs were installed, wiring was returned back to stock schematics, problem solved....

That is exactly what somebody did before my cousin got the car, they really messed things up (this problem was just the tip of the iceburg). It's always an adventure when buying these cars used, lemme tell ya....

 

i have a 91 firebird 3.1 6 cylinder with lights on hit bump hard all dash lights went out all gauges work interior light ect ckd fuses ok. changed dimmer switch. could it be a short with a ground wire. i have the whole dash apart. i have no idea what to do. any suggestions.
thanks,\patti