8/8/2011 (8pm central) 1991 MRII..break lights (including rear window break light) remain on after shutting car off. For the time being, disconnected battery. Fuse block covers unreadable - front, engine compartment, driver kick panel box has no cover. Where do I go from here? Thanks.

do the turn signals use the same bulb as the break lights ???
suspect a turn signal switch

most common problem is the rubber grommet on the brake pedal, that turns the brake lights off,falls out of its position. when it comes out the brake light switch remains on.

The lights get power from somewhere else, not their control button - you will need to access the wire connector at the left cluster and locate the wire that delivers the power and the status of the grounding connection/bolt (most likely it's corroded). Since the cluster of lights above the rear window are the central brake lights only it means that if you get them constantly on then the brake lights are constantly on . To check for that is easy, just test the brake pedal switch.

These things may have the central timer module in common.

It is very likely that you have a bad break switch. It is usually located on a bracket right behind the brake pedal bar. A new switch is generally $30 to $45, and only takes a couple of minutes to change.

I hope this helps.

Pump under passenger rear seat. But if your having issue its the first thing to check and replace.

My 1998 passat does the same the other way around.Does the courtesey light on the bottom of the door work?, if not then it's a brown wire going to the courtesey light(the thicker of the 2) that has a break somewhere.I ran a short test lead(earthed to the body if i remember) to this direct and everything worked like new but the light would remain lit all the time with the door closed.These wires are all interlinked with the windows/central locking/door switch/courtesey light and forced door entry(not breaking of glass).The lazy way is to run a link like i did and remoe the bulb but get a auto electrician to advise you first.

Hello! The instigator of this problem appears to be the the rear cargo lamp; Official name is rear dome light. You'll need a multimeter set on the X10 ohm scale to shoot this trouble. Leave the rear dome light bulb out. There are two switches involved; #1 the rear dome light on/off. #2 the right hand front door switch.

Pull the horn fuse out, remove the rear dome light cover, drop the rear dome light down to access the wiring and close all doors on the vehicle. Connect one lead of the ohm meter to the white wire and the other to body ground. If you read any resistance one or both of the two switches (dome light switch or right hand front door switch) is remaining closed when all doors are closed. Next disconnect the black lead from the dome light switch and see if reading changes to zero. If it does this is indicating that the dome light switch is defective. If it does not, disconnect the right hand door switch and take another reading at the same location. If you still measure any resistance, the black wire of the rear dome light is shorted to ground, if not then the right hand door switch is the culprit.

The reason the right hand door switch and not the left hand door switch is involved is the fact that opening the left front door would turn on the front dome light as well as the rear light. If both dome lights are staying on with all doors closed I would then involve both door switches in this test procedure. If your vehicle is a four door model then disconnect one door switch at a time while performing this test procedure.

The horn fuse also supplies power to the rear dome light, and I suspect the two events are related.


Guru..............saailer


I’m happy to help further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/david_6df67de3b14de867

LH/RH lights cable could be disconnected anywhere, will take a long time to trace.
Center Brake Light and LH & RH should be connected at one point.
Jump a cable from Center Brake Light to one of Rear Break Light.
Hope this will works.

Check to make sure the DOME light switch on the dash ( adjust brightness of dash lights also ) is off ( usualy a wheel not a nob) roll up for on down for off next time driving adjust dash brightness with this switch