Hot Rods no brake lights

wiring the lights for my model A. i've got head lites (bright & dim), and tail lites. for turn signals i'm using a turn signal switch i got from Speedway (the $20. one) turn signals work great even the little green light on the end of the lever. but the stop lites don't work. i'm using an inline stop lite switch that has two terminals. one terminal is connected to the battery and the other terminal runs up to the turn signal switch and connects to the orange wire on the switch. no brake lights. i checked the inline brake light switch and had power going through the switch when i push the brake pedal down. any ideas on how to get the brake lites to work?

 

I will assume you wired it according to the instructions, which I don't have to check, so the next thing to do is follow the wires to their destination. GM uses orange and white wires, so it sounds like you got that right. If the power is getting to the turn switch, first thing to check, then which wire does it pass to next? For the brakes it would be the same as the rear turn signal. Check the turn signal circuits also to be sure they are right.

 

i have had to take those cheapy turn signals apart and make sure the contacts are clean and not bent.

 

Since you have brake light power going into the switch and not coming out; pretty clear indication it is a defective switch.

 

Do the turn signals work when the lights are on? And at the risk of being condescending, are they flashing on the bright side when they do flash? That would indicate that the wires are all correct because you can't have 1 without the other unless the high or bright side was getting voltage. From the signal to the brake light switch, from the switch to volts. Another bug in the ointment, sometimes the insulator in the light sockets will get reversed and have you looking in circles. Depends on the lights and sockets.

 

My guess is that it's difficult to build a quality turn signal switch for $20.

 

I'm not a wire guy so forgive me if I'm all wet. But are you using a single bulb with both the high and low filaments? Next question.... Are the turn signals flashing on and off with the low (tail light) filament, not the high? If the high filament doesn't light for anything that could mean a ground issue, the wrong bulb or bad filaments. What is happening with the front, single filament, signal lights?

 

thanks guys, i got it. one more item off the list.

 

What did you find to be the problem with the brake lights?

Maybe this info would help someone in the future that may come across this thread when they search for "brake lights".