Okay, here's an easy one

[Sabz5150]

Car is apparently on crack. When I press the brake pedal, my brake lights do not come on. On top of that, my door ajar/belt lights stay on and beeping UNLESS I try to roll up the passenger window, that seems to have stopped working but did it for a bit. If I yank the harness from one of the rear lights, the dead bulb light comes on, but still no brake lights...



Any ideas?

[A20A1]

Unplug the harness to the door and see what happens with the brakes and what not.

[gtmst3]

well as for the brakes it might b a brake light switch

[charliekuney]

What about those two plugs above the clutch and brake pedals? The one above the clutch is for the starter-preventer thing, so is the one above the brake pedal for the lights?

[Sabz5150]

Unplug the harness to the door and see what happens with the brakes and what not.

Nil

[Oldblueaccord]

Sounds like you got a wire pinched some where. look thru the book and see where these wires run. Possible thru the passneger door hinge area? Change all the brake light bulbs out with new too JIC its a bad bulb. The door ajar /seat belt chime box is under the radio i think. You can unhook it for the time being.


wp

[lostforawhile]

does your horn work? same circuit as the brakes. it almost sounds like a ground, the current is trying to return to ground through another circuit.

[Sh4d0w]

does your horn work? same circuit as the brakes. it almost sounds like a ground, the current is trying to return to ground through another circuit.

thats what I was thinking as well

[A20A1]

All the fuses are good?

I agree with the others, check the switch, maybe water got in there. Also look at the light sockets too, maybe something is loose inside. replace a few bulbs to be sure.

Do any wires snag when you open/close the trunk?

Would the brake lights go on with the E-Brake engaged?

... just shooting in all directions.

[Sabz5150]

I'm thinking its a ground... somewhere. Nothing else makes any sense (and doesn't smell like burnt insulation). I'll be digging into the car this weekend and I'll letcha know what I find.

[lostforawhile]

I'm thinking its a ground... somewhere. Nothing else makes any sense (and doesn't smell like burnt insulation). I'll be digging into the car this weekend and I'll letcha know what I find.

I'm trying to remember where the main grounds are behind the dash, I know there's one under one of the seats, bolted to the seat support frame, and one on the left side under the dash somewhere. if you have a bad ground, sometimes operating something else will give a small potential for current to travel back through that circuit and complete the circuit for something else.

[w261w261]

Sounds to me like it's two independent problems. Get the brake lights working first, obviously. I'd bet on the switch on the brake pedal. I've never messed with mine but it might just be beyond it's range of adjustment, or the switch is gone. If you have a voltmeter you can test it easily enough for continuity or see if 12v is available and is passed through when the switch is actuated.

I have an '89 book with all the schematics, pictures of connectors, etc. But let's get the brakes working first before someone drives up your butt or you get a ticket.

[Sabz5150]

does your horn work? same circuit as the brakes. it almost sounds like a ground, the current is trying to return to ground through another circuit.

No, the horn does not work.

I tried looking at the various grounds, and they all seem to be attached properly. The one that does catch my interest is GND-13, which is in different locations depending on which car you have (hatch, sedan), and my service manual does NOT cover the coupe, so that one could be anywhere.

I'm open to any other suggestions. Thanks all!

[lostforawhile]

No, the horn does not work.

I tried looking at the various grounds, and they all seem to be attached properly. The one that does catch my interest is GND-13, which is in different locations depending on which car you have (hatch, sedan), and my service manual does NOT cover the coupe, so that one could be anywhere.

I'm open to any other suggestions. Thanks all!

if the horn doesn't work the fuse is blown, horn and brake lights are on the same circuit

[Sabz5150]

if the horn doesn't work the fuse is blown, horn and brake lights are on the same circuit

It is the fuse... however it keeps blowing them. Not instantly as if it were a dead short, but randomly. I could toss a fuse in there and two hours later it's fine... four hours, fine... six hours, fine... eight and its blown. It could go a half hour before blowing. Horn and brake lights work fine while the fuse is good.

Both door harnesses are disconnected, both safety indicator boxes (under stereo and under seat) are disconnected. Still poppin fuses when it feels like it.


Any help?

[lostforawhile]

It is the fuse... however it keeps blowing them. Not instantly as if it were a dead short, but randomly. I could toss a fuse in there and two hours later it's fine... four hours, fine... six hours, fine... eight and its blown. It could go a half hour before blowing. Horn and brake lights work fine while the fuse is good.

Both door harnesses are disconnected, both safety indicator boxes (under stereo and under seat) are disconnected. Still poppin fuses when it feels like it.


Any help?

you probably have a short, have you thought about disconnecting one horn at a time and seeing if it still blows? or getting some cheap horns from the junkyard and seeing if swapping them fixes the problem?

[LX-incredible]

Does pulling the door closed stop the beeping? There is a switch inside the latch that likes to fail, especially on the passenger side. The extra strain from the window may be flexing the door just enough to keep the switch from contacting. Seatbelts will not function properly if the door is "ajar" or the control unit is unplugged.

For the short, the horns are definitely a possibility, as there's +12v to them at all times. I would also check for pinched brake light wires around the pedal assembly.