My wife was driving our 99 RX300 to work this morning and someone pulled up beside her and said that her brake lights were not coming on at all. When she got home tonight we tested them out and they definitely were not coming on.

If we turn the headlights on, the taillights come on, but when we press on the brakes, nothing happens. Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem could be? Someone mentioned that a fuse could have been blown, but I checked several of them and they were not popped.

 

Tail light (end) have two fillaments, one is for brake circuit.

When you apply the brake a switch completes the circuit and the tail lights + center light should light up. When a bulb pops usually one at a time blows and the tail-light-out light in the dash lights up.

Since all are not working (including dash light) the most probable culprit is the fuse or the brake sending switch and less likely the wires + connectors.

I wish I had the diagram to tell you which fuse to check.

Just to be sure, there are two fuse boxes, one in the engine comaprtment and one behind the coin holder. Check both.

Salim

 

I've checked every fuse that looked like it dealt with brakes (according to the users manual that came with the car), but none of them were popped. I checked all 3 fuse boxes (1 behind coin holder and 2 in engine compartment).

where is the brake sending switch located?

 

The brake switch is located under the dash, to the left of the brake pedal arm itself. You need a flashlight to see the switch button pop out as the pedal is pressed. If the button doesn't pop out, this is the problem with the lamps. Sometimes a forty five to ninety degree rotation of the switch brings it back to life.

 

I dont see a switch at all under the dash... Is it completely under the dash?

 

Simplest is to start at the brake pedal. Follow the steel pedal arm up under the dash. About a foot up the arm is the switch, pointing toward and resting on the steel arm.