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Brake lights and turn signals are not working

Tiny
HAYLEYJONES96
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 150,000 MILES
My car has an issue where the brake lights won’t come on at all neither will turn signals. The dash light works pretty much all the time but sometimes just stays on consistently. I’ve had the bulbs replaced a while back and also the brake pedal sensor when I first got the car a year and a half ago. Could it be a fuse?
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Thursday, September 19th, 2019 AT 7:09 PM

18 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Hello,

There is a park and stop light relay with 3 fuses that need to be checked and if all good the BCM needs to be replaced. here are the brake and running light wiring diagrams with fuse and relay locations so you can see how the system works with instructions on how to replace the BCM. These guides will help us get started.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-an-electrical-relay-and-wiring-control-circuit

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

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Tuesday, September 24th, 2019 AT 11:28 AM
Tiny
2CP-ARCHIVES
  • MEMBER
  • 4,540 POSTS
  • 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 80,000 MILES
The passanger side brake light will not work, but the center and drivers side work. The running lights when the headlights are on are the same bulb as the breaklights and work on the side the break light does not, so I know that it has power going to it I have replaced the bulb and the break light still wont work. What would cause the tail light not to illumiate when the break is applied?
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:13 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
Check the voltage at the socket with a test light or meter. This guide should help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/brake-lights-not-working

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:13 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BINGO360
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
  • 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 134,000 MILES
2 bottom brake lights dont work when brake is allied tried new bulbs and nothing and the fuses look good
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So the high mount bulbs work?If so I would suspect the brake light switch. Do you have a test light or better yet multimeter to do some testing?
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BINGO360
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
What does the brake switch do cause ive been seein that come up alot
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BINGO360
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
And no I dont have any of that
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So does the high mount brake light work?The brake light switch is what turns the brake lights on when you step on the brakes. Your going to atleast need a test light to test the brake light switch. Otherwise one could only guess why there inop.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BINGO360
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
If the high mount light means the brake light inthe rear window then yes it works all lights on the rear of the car work just when the brake is applied the left and right brake lights dont
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LOGAN06
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 99,000 MILES
The third brake light in the middle on my trunk doesn't light up when I apply brakes. I bought the car used two Friday's ago and it passed inspection so I assume it worked then, I'm curious if there's a single fuse I can check? It's a strip of LED's and not just a bulb, which isn't what I expected. I also have a side question about my wireless remote, only the TRUNK button works, nothing else. Is there a fuse I could check or does the remote not work right? Thank you!
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Hello,

There is no fuse for the center brake light. It is controlled by the BCM so we need to test the voltage coming out of the BCM to see if it is the light or the BCM here is a wiring diagram of the brake light so you can see how the system works and the location of the BCM. Also a video on how to scan the BCM to see if there is a fault code for it.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

and

https://youtu.be/InIlnsjOVFA

If not power is being generated at the BCM lets try a used one. Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LOGAN06
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
THANK YOU for the quick reply! I found out there was a bad connection at the center brake light all fixed. I love this site.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SUZIE86
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 80,000 MILES
My left brake light went out about a year ago I have changed the bulbs looked at the wires and fuses but nothing seems to work the tail light works its just the brake light wont come on is the certain fuses that I need to check or wires it first started going out when it would rain and then one day it finally just went completly out
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
Use a test light and check for power coming to the socket. Just check the wire before it gets to the socket if you have power there when the brake is pushed then you will need to replace the socket.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MGMOORE
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  • 1 POST
  • 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 103,000 MILES
My brake lights r not working on the passenger side. Bulbs and fuses have been checked and are OK. Could it be electrical and is there a test that can tell mee whats wrong before I get charged a zillion dollars at a repair place?
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,262 POSTS
Use a test light to make sure the socket has a good ground.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LMTHOMP
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 3.1L
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 150,000 MILES
My brake lights are not working at all checked fuzes and they seam to be ok checked bulbs and they also seem ok dont know what else to check is there something else I can check to get my brake light back going
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
Check the brake light switch at the top of the brake pedal. Make sure it is adjusted and working properly. If it is, check to make sure there is both power to it and power out of it when you depress the brake pedal.
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 AT 3:15 PM (Merged)

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