FXHICKEY

Corvette C5 1999, 70,000 miles.The middle light is working but not the brake lights when you step on the brake. Tail lights are working when lights are on. Checked the fuses and they are OKAY. Any advice would be appreciated.

cdkcorvette7

There are several possibilities... You're multi-function switch or your hazard switch could have an issue. You're going to need a multi-meter and a wiring schematic to help you solve this. I'm sure someone on here has one. You could probably find it by searching...

If your center brake light is functioning properly then your actual brake light switch is working. I read a thread a while go that said somewhere off of the switch there are separate connections for the center light and the right and left tails though...

Kmcoldcars

I would first check the brake light bulbs themselves to make sure they are good. Since the center light works you know the brake switch is good. Check for good grounds and see if you are getting 12 volts at the brake bulbs when the brake pedal is pushed.

corvettezman

Do your hazard lights work ?
If yes, then check your grounds. If no , then your hazard switch is your culprit.

SG Lou

Jeff in Den

This diagram shows you why the center mounted stop lamp works while the other two might not. The flasher and multi-function switch have nothing to do with stop light control, the ebcm does. All the input to the flasher does is allow the brake lights to override the flasher. The center mounted light is a straight shot (green), while the L + R lamps require voltage from the ebcm (RED) which has it's own logic.

Good luck, shouldn't be to bad to find.

cdkcorvette7

I'm pretty sure this is not correct. The hazard switch, brake switch, multifunction switch, grounds, fuses and other could all be giving you an issue. See these threads (and MANY more like them):

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...incidence.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ghts-help.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-thoughts.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...nspection.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ghts-help.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...t-working.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...t-working.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...t-working.html



OP, do your turn signals work? Do your hazard lights work? Are you REALLY sure fuse #8 is not blown?

Lots of info out there if you search...

GHL4505

I'm not as electrical savvy as the rest of the guys on here, but this is what I did when my 98 had the same problem. I have LED tail lights with a flasher bypass harness. I removed the bypass harness and everything worked just fine without it, except for having hyperflash with the turn signals. Replaced the bypass harness with a new one and everything has been working just fine ever since.

Jeff in Den

The schematics don't lie. Lots of opinions and guesses in those posts. Flasher is not a player, and the MFS is just a pass thru.

cdkcorvette7

Multiple threads on this now: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...c5-1999-a.html

cdkcorvette7

Perhaps you could explain to me then why replacing my hazard switch solved this issue for me when I had it? If you really want proof go out to your car and unplug your hazard switch (it'll take a little work to get to this) and see what happens to your tail lights...

I'm far from an electronics expert, but I know that any time a circuit "passes through" a switch that has the ability to dictate the operation of that circuit, that switch has the potential to cause an issue with that circuit if it goes bad. Both the multifunction switch and the hazard switch are wired into the brake light circuit such that they have an impact on how it operates; i.e turn signal causes one side to blink, hazard switch causes both sides to blink. If either of those switches develops an issue it can cause the tail lights to not function properly...

Jeff in Den

If it fixed it for you great..but from the schematics I've seen, I don't believe the mechanical function of either will impact the rear brake lights to the point of being inop. Turn signals yes, and hazard lights yes, that's where you get your "blink" from. The brake lights don't blink, but do need to override the hazards, but not the turn signals, that is where those two come into play. I don't have a break down of the ebcm logic to see if they send discretes to it, but I would "guess" not. The easy place to check the function of the hazard switch is the connector to the multi-function switch under the kneeboard, then you can see what is coming out of it and into the MFS.

Either way, best of luck to the OP.