1994 Nissan Altima Brake lights dim tail lights on applicat

VINWKIM

MEMBER
1994 NISSAN ALTIMA
4 CYL
FWD
MANUAL
100,000 MILES

Greetings,
I just returned from motor vehicle inspection and to my surprise I "flunked" because of my brake lights!

The inspector told me that there was "something' wrong with the brake lights.

When you applied the brake the lights are supposed to get brighter,
but my tail lights are actually getting dimmer.

he said its a common problem with nisson altima,
he said he has a nisson and has had it fixed three times.

my soultion?
I haven't tried anything yet. But searched online to no avail.

but I did come upon your website.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
vince

2 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

With your initial observations, this sounds like a bad ground issue. If the same bulbs are used for the hazard flashers or signals, turn one of those on. If the brake lights are separate bulbs, you'll need a helper to press the brake pedal or you can prop a stick between the seat and pedal to keep the lights on. Then, wiggle the sockets and wires for the affected bulbs. If you see a change, look in that area for a corroded connection.

If the bulbs still use the round brass bases, use a cheap digital voltmeter to measure the voltage on the base. It should be 0 volts. If you find somewhere between 4 - 10 volts, there is a break or corroded spot in the ground wire. If both sides are affected, it's more common to find a rusted ground terminal where it's bolted to the body.

Caradiodoc