Why Are Your Brake Lights and Turn Signals Not Working? (2024)

Table of Contents:[hide]

  • Is the Brake Light and Turn Signal the Same Light?
    • Can Turn Signals Affect Brake Lights?
    • Reasons Why Brake Lights and Turn Signals Are Not Working
    • The Bulb
    • The Fuse
    • The Switch
    • How an Insurance Company Can Help Out
    • Protect Your Vehicle From Possible Accidents

Two truths: your brake lights are extremely important, and there is a chance you can get pulled over if they fail to work correctly. Don’t worry, though. It may be a relatively simple fix if you have a faulty brake or turn signal light!

At Pronto Insurance, we care about the maintenance of your vehicle to prevent bigger issues down the road. Learn about the most common problem causing a brake and turn signal fixture.

Is the Brake Light and Turn Signal the Same Light?

If you are wondering if the brake and turn signals are the same, the answer is that it depends on the vehicle. They are independent light sources on self-propelled vehicles, except for older vehicles.

The turn signal is a flashing light on a vehicle to indicate that it is about to change lanes or turn, whereas the brake light is a red light at the rear of a vehicle that automatically illuminates when the brakes are engaged.

Can Turn Signals Affect Brake Lights?

Why Are Your Brake Lights and Turn Signals Not Working? (1)

Yes. The filament of the brake lights and turn signals are shared. The flasher relay is connected to the big filament on the side you are indicating to turn, which is disconnected by the turn signal switch. Both or one of the brake lights may not work if the turn signal switch malfunctions.

Vehicles having rear amber turn signals are exempt from this. The brake light switch is separate from them.

Reasons Why Brake Lights and Turn Signals Are Not Working

Safety is of the utmost importance when driving. Making sure your car’s brake and turn signals are in good operating order is one of the ways you can contribute to ensuring road safety.

When you apply the brakes, your brake lights illuminate to alert drivers following you to slow down. But you know there are some circumstances where they can start failing, and one of them could be a collision.

Here are some other reasons why your brake lights and turn signals are not working:

The Bulb

Much like that lightbulb in the kitchen that gives out, a burnt-out bulb could be the cause of your issues. Much like the kitchen light, your car’s bulb is easy to switch out. Simply find the correct bulb at your local auto parts store, disconnect the positive lead from the battery, find a way into your car’s bulb (it varies with every vehicle), and switch it out!

The Fuse

Chances are, if your brake and turn signals have all gone down, your fuse is as good as gone. You can find your car’s fuses in the fuse box, often underneath the hook or on the kick panel inside the passenger compartment. Your car manual should tell you which fuse is for your brake circuit.

Once you’ve found it and determined its resistance (with assistance from your local auto shop), you can replace it.

The Switch

Your vehicle has a switch that gets triggered whenever you press the brake pedal to signal your brake lights. With wear and time, this switch will eventually give out. While the replacement process is simple, we recommend you visit a mechanic. This is due to the switch’s proximity to the brake pedal and the likelihood of disturbing the pedal’s travel upon installing the new switch.

When you try to turn on the turn signals, the turn signal switch sends the signal and current to the turn signals. The turn signal lever and the turn signal light cannot communicate if the switch is damaged or malfunctions.

Keeping these tips in mind can save a bit of money when it’s time to get your brake lights in working order. Not to mention, knowing what could be causing your lights to malfunction is a good way to keep your mind at ease.

How an Insurance Company Can Help Out

Why Are Your Brake Lights and Turn Signals Not Working? (2)

You might be able to file an insurance claim for your car’s damages to the headlights, brake lights, or turn signal lights. It depends on the sort of policy you have and how the harm occurred.

If the damage resulted from an occurrence that is covered by insurance, such as an accident, vandalism, or hail damage, then headlamp repairs and replacements are covered. However, routine maintenance and wear and tear are not covered by insurance. You could not file a claim with your auto insurance if your brake lights burned out.

Protect Your Vehicle From Possible Accidents

Safety is the top priority when driving. Making sure your car’s brake and turn signals are functional is one of the things that can help assure road safety. While the operation of these lights may differ, brake and turn signals need to be replaced as they burn out with time to ensure traffic safety.

Pronto Insurance offers different car insurance options to keep you safe. You can select one of our coverage packages with terms of 1, 2, 3, or 12 months. Liability, property damage, SR22, roadside assistance, and many other coverages are included in our package. Get in touch with our team today!

Why Are Your Brake Lights and Turn Signals Not Working? (2024)

FAQs

Why Are Your Brake Lights and Turn Signals Not Working? ›

Chances are, if your brake and turn signals have all gone down, your fuse is as good as gone. You can find your car's fuses in the fuse box, often underneath the hook or on the kick panel inside the passenger compartment. Your car manual should tell you which fuse is for your brake circuit.

Why are my brake lights not responding to the pedal? ›

One of the most common reasons for unresponsive stop lights is simply a burnt-out bulb. Over time, the filaments inside the bulbs can wear out, causing them to fail and no longer emit light when activated by the brake pedal.

Why are my brake lights not working properly? ›

If one or more of your brake lights aren't working properly, it could mean one of three things: The brake light system fuse is blown, the brake light bulbs are burned out or the brake light wiring switch is broken. All these issues are easy to troubleshoot.

Why is my tail light working but blinker doesn t? ›

If the lights are working fine but are not flashing, this is an issue with the turn signal flasher or turn signal switch. If you want to check this problem out yourself, you will need to access the signal switch electrical connector.

Why do I have brake lights and turn signals but no tail lights? ›

Although tail lights and brake lights use the same bulb, there are some cases where the brake lights are working and the tail lights are not. A blown fuse, bad tail light bulb, and a faulty tail light socket can prevent your tail lights from turning on along with the headlights. Faulty tail lights are a safety hazard.

What would cause the brake lights and turn signals not to work? ›

Chances are, if your brake and turn signals have all gone down, your fuse is as good as gone. You can find your car's fuses in the fuse box, often underneath the hook or on the kick panel inside the passenger compartment. Your car manual should tell you which fuse is for your brake circuit.

Why is my brake pedal not responsive? ›

Air in the brake line(s) is the most common cause of a soft/spongy brake pedal. If air gets into the brake lines, it can prevent brake fluid from flowing properly, causing the brake pedal to feel spongy or soft. If the brakes are soft or spongy, this is a good time to change or flush the brake fluid.

Can a fuse cause brake lights not to work? ›

If your brake lights aren't working, a blown fuse could be the culprit.

What fuse controls the brake lights? ›

The first thing you will want to do on this is to check your fuse for the brake lights. This is fuse number 7, this is a 15 amp fuse in the under-hood fuse box.

Why are my brake lights not working but the third light is? ›

When the lower lights do not come on and only the third-brake light works, the brake-light switch may be ruled out. Again try the emergency-flashers to check for wiring, socket and lamp problems. If the flashers work, check for blown fuses as a few vehicles use separate circuits for the lower and third brake lights.

What causes turn signals to stop working? ›

Turn signals may stop working due to several common reasons. Burnt-out bulbs are the most frequent issue, but electrical problems like blown fuses, faulty wiring, and corroded connectors are also common. Additionally, a malfunctioning flasher relay can cause the signals to blink erratically or not at all.

Why is my blinker not working but the bulb is fine? ›

If you're certain that your bulb is good but the turn signals still aren't working properly, there might be a problem with your vehicle's flasher relay, turn signal switch, or electrical system.

How do I know if my blinker relay is bad? ›

Turn Signals Don't Work

This is the most common symptom of a faulty turn signal relay. Once the relay is broken, the lights won't turn on with the switch. On some vehicles, the hazard lights also rely on the turn signal relay, so those lights might also cease to function.

Why are my rear running lights not working but my brake lights do? ›

If a sensor fails, it can interrupt this complex design and cause a part to stop functioning properly. If both the headlights and parking lights fail along with the tail lights but the brake lights keep working, a sensor is likely to blame.

Why did both my tail lights stop working? ›

In some cases, your tail lights going out could indicate that you have an issue with the battery. Make sure your battery contacts are clean and that it's fully charged. Whether it's a burned-out bulb or a problem with a fuse or wiring, this problem is usually easy to fix fairly quickly.

Does one fuse control both tail lights? ›

A blown fuse usually causes both lights to go out. On newer cars, the tail lamps can be fused separately and/or each bulb or shared circuit can be fused. A fuse can be blown due to other problems, so you'll need to check more than just the fuse, but it's the right place to start.

What is an unresponsive brake pedal? ›

One common reason is a buildup of air in the brake lines, which usually means your vehicle's brake fluid needs to be flushed. A lack of brake fluid due to a leak (often caused by rust) can also result in an unresponsive brake pedal.

How do you check a brake pedal switch? ›

With the ignition on and the brake pedal pressed, connect the test light to the negative terminal on the battery and then touch the other end to one of the wires on the brake light switch. If the test light doesn't light up, there's a problem with the power supply to the brake light switch.

Why is my power brake pedal not returning? ›

If the spring is broken or weak, it won't have enough force to push the booster diaphragm back and the pedal will stay partially applied. The vacuum valve in the booster could also be bad. Either way, you will need to replace the booster.

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