brake light

welcome!

ouch! is it that hard to change? i'm surprised it burned out already.

edit: i see you have to change the whole led assembly. i wonder what that cost?

 

Your 2014 brake lights are LED, not halogen or any other form of incandescent. They are supposed to last the life of the car.

 

The LED brakes lights definitely should not have all burned out in that short of time. I would troubleshoot what is wrong further and not just jump into replacing the whole taillight assembly.

 

Are your brake lights constantly on, even with headlights off, in daytime? That's not how it should be; they should be off until you push brake pedal. There's a switch monitoring brake pedal position, that activates brake lights whenever you step down slightly on brake: maybe out of adjustment?

 

This - Start with checking the brake light switch behind the brake pedal. The LEDs should last the life of the car...

 

is the led running light supposed to get brighter when you step on the brake? i've never heard of this.

 

I assume you mean that's because the LED running lights are in the front?

+1 on @RRxing's comment. Check the brake light switch.

 

if the brake light switch isn't contacting, i thought the car wouldn't start?

 

True, but what if it's always on?

OOOHHH!! Easy way to check. Try to put it in ACC or IGN mode rather than READY. If it goes to READY when you hit the power button without stepping on the brake pedal, the brake switch is not opening. Sound right?

 

yes, and the brake lights should also be on all the time.

 

Just for reference:

Car in READY, headlights off = no lights in back. (DRLs are on.)


Car in READY, headlights on = some light in back.


Car in READY, headlights and brakes on = lots of light in back. (Plus the middle light.) I didn't try it w/o headlights on, but I think it's the same.


It's hard to tell if the brightness is due to more bulbs or higher voltage, but there are no lights in back without the headlights being on.

 

thanks jerry, i had no idea there weren't separate brake lights. so if the brake lights are always bright, they won't get brighter when you step on the brake.

 

I'm not sure we're talking the same language. But, if the switch is always on, the brake lights will always be bright and (if I understand the scheme) you won't be able to put the car into IGN or ACC modes.

I should have been more thorough with my pictures, but was in a hurry. I may try to do it again with all possibilities and in a systematic way, but probably can't do that this morning.

 

if i step on my brake with the car off, the brake lights come on. so would they ever shut off if the switch was always made?

 

as long as you step on your brake with the engine on or off (with the lights switched on or off), red brake tail lights (and middle one) should be always on until you depress brake pedal, but im not sure cause your car is probably more spaceship than car.. .

 

Hard to say without some investigation whether it's wiring or the light itself. I hate automobile wiring ... and I'm an electrician!

I think that I would first try removing both rear light fixtures, if it's not ridiculously hard to do, and find a way to support them and connect them to the opposite sides. See if the problem follows the light or not.

Duh! I should have remembered that. Serious senior moment here. I'll shut up and sit down.

 

Yeah me too.