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  #1  
Old 12-23-2012, 12:54 PM
jloose17 jloose17 is offline
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Angry dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

trying to track down this electrical gremlin. my parking lights and door dinger come on when i press the brake pedal with the truck off and lights off. after reading some other post online, ive cleaned both connectors under the truck and checked the ground on the drivers inner fender. the problem stops when i remove the led tail light bulbs that i currently have installed. have not tried with regular bulbs seeing as i have none on hand. would the leds be causing a back feeding issue?
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Old 12-23-2012, 12:55 PM
HazardousRanger HazardousRanger is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

no idea if this would help or not, but flip the leds around.....could work
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Old 12-23-2012, 12:58 PM
jloose17 jloose17 is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

when i flip them around everything still happens the same the lights just obviously dont light

----------

also have swapped the tail light sockets cause i had spares
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Old 12-23-2012, 11:26 PM
S13minus1 S13minus1 is offline
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Load resistors will fix it, or high quality LEDs
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Old 01-10-2013, 02:12 AM
Poppy Poppy is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

I don't have a wiring diagram in front of me but try to think of like this. What electrical circuit should close (come on) when you press the brake pedal down? Tail lights + ? now pull the fuses to this circuit or circuits and see if the dash lights still come on when you press on the brake. If this stopped the dash lights from coming on then you may have a direct short between the dash light circuit and the tail light circuit. If the dash lights still come on then you need to pull the dash light fuse and try again. Keep pulling fuses until the problem stops and you have isolated the problem circuit. Now it's time to get out the VOM meter and start trouble shooting or take it to a qualified auto electrician.

The other thing to always check first is any work mechanical or electrical that has been done to the vehicle recently. Big hands or sharp tools have a way of finding wires. Hope this helps.

This reminded me of my first build when I was 14 and in high school auto shop, a 1954 Oldsmobile. When I pushed on the brake the head lights came on!
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Old 01-10-2013, 07:39 PM
Hot Rod Roy Hot Rod Roy is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

Did you change the tail light sockets when you put in the LED tail/brake lights? (I'm presuming your 2001 originally had single bulbs for the tail and brake lights.) It sounds like you have bad grounds on your tail/brake light sockets. The current from your brake light wiring should go thru the brake LEDs, then to ground. If you have bad grounds, the current from your brake light circuit will go thru the brake LEDs, then thru the tail light LEDs, then thru the tail/parking light wires to the front parking lights and dash lights, then to ground.

Last edited by Hot Rod Roy; 01-10-2013 at 08:21 PM.
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Old 01-10-2013, 09:21 PM
jloose17 jloose17 is offline
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Default

same sockets yes
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Old 01-10-2013, 10:19 PM
Rangerman49 Rangerman49 is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

Quote:
Originally Posted by jloose17 View Post
trying to track down this electrical gremlin. my parking lights and door dinger come on when i press the brake pedal with the truck off and lights off. after reading some other post online, ive cleaned both connectors under the truck and checked the ground on the drivers inner fender. the problem stops when i remove the led tail light bulbs that i currently have installed. have not tried with regular bulbs seeing as i have none on hand. would the leds be causing a back feeding issue?

You might want to a few minutes and watch this video....

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Old 01-10-2013, 11:00 PM
jloose17 jloose17 is offline
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Default

already checked and double checked all grounds having to do with this circuit, opened inspected and cleaned both body harness connectors under the truck, swapped out the bulb sockets for spares I had. and haven't had the free time to dick around with it since.
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  #10  
Old 01-20-2013, 05:17 PM
sloater95 sloater95 is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

I am currently having the same exact problem. Haven't had the time to take a look at it so i ride around with parking lights always on so I don't look like an idiot illuminating all my lights at a stop sign. Ill let you know if I come across anything when I look it over.
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Old 01-22-2013, 10:01 AM
jloose17 jloose17 is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

finally got around to swapping out my led brake light bulbs back to stock problem gone so clearly cheap bulbs with no built in resistors
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  #12  
Old 03-09-2015, 11:41 AM
airraceaddict airraceaddict is offline
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Default Re: dash lights illuminate when i press brake pedal

Howdy everyone, new to the board,
I know the original post is pretty old, however I think I have relevant information. I was having the same problem on my 94 Mazda B4000 this winter. I FINALLY broke down and bought the Haynes service manual. Specifically for the wiring diagrams. I came to the conclusion that part of the Hazard Light Flasher SWITCH was not disengaging completely. It is tied into all of the circuits that everyone is talking about. I sprayed some contact cleaner in the switch, (liberally I must say ;-) and low and behold, everything is working again. 20 years of dirt and crud can get in that switch with it mounted on top of the column. Apparently the right half was not happy because my right turn signal would be steady when activated like a bad bulb, left worked normally. This may not be the answer to everyone but could be a correct diagnosis for some, but the switch is all one unit with the turn signal and wiper switch. Not a separate switch. $114 for new. Just sayin. And airbags are involved to change it which could make it dangerous. SOOOOOOOO BE CAREFUL!!!!! or have someone who knows what they are doing replace it.
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brake lights, dash lights, illumination, parking lights

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