Tail lights won't turn off & Brake lights won't turn on

[NastyNateEF]

How's it going people? Not so good here. When I turn off my car the tail lights stay on so i have to disconnect my battery every time i leave the car for more than 10 minutes. Also, when I'm driving, my brake lights do not work. The brakes do but not the lights.
I'm not sure if it is a short or something to do with the brake switch. Whatever it is, it's causing me a great deal of stress. Is this common with older civics? I have an 89' EF. Any help is AWESOME!!!! Thanks

 

[bjoebright14]

my brake switch went out and have you checked your fuses?

 

[NastyNateEF]

That's the little thing at the top of the pedal right? It's like a nipple? I have glanced at the fuses but I don't have a diagram and don't know which ones go to the lighting.

 

[bjoebright14]

search on google for a digram and yeah see if it is working

 

[NastyNateEF]

Thanks a million bro!

 

[bjoebright14]

anytime rep me if i helped any if not dont worry about it lol

 

[NastyNateEF]

I was trying to figure out how before you even asked hahaha still can't figure it out. I went to your profile and tried but i think im too new to the site. Whenever I can, I will. Peace

 

[bjoebright14]

it the silver thing in between the caution sign on the post where it tells if your online if you need anything else just let me know

 

[NastyNateEF]

Enountering problems left and right

Ok I went to the auto parts store earlier and got a new brake light switch. I removed the old one, put the new one in, and realized that it wasn't going to help. At the top of the brake pedal itself, where the switch comes in contact with the pedal, I found it was just an open hole. I pressed the switch button down with my finger and the lights turned off. Next I found the rubber stopper that belonged in the brake pedal hole. Put the old switch on and it worked with no problem.


I solved one problem just to create another. While I was messing with the brake switch, my stepdad was under the hood trying to find a faulty ground. As he was tracing the Battery Ground, he noticed it was just shaking around freely. It is not cut or damaged and has a connecter piece with two bent sides and a hole thru the center.What do I connect it to?(chassis, firewall, starter,etc?) What I don't uderstand is how my car has been running without it attached this entire time. I was also thinking maybe my dad shook it loose of it's mount??? I gave up on the ground and just attached it to part of the body with a screw. I shut the hood, got in to leave, and what happens? The car won't start. Heck, it won't even turn over now. The lights in the dash light up but the only sound I hear is the turning of the key in my hand.

Help Me Please!!!

it the silver thing in between the caution sign on the post where it tells if your online if you need anything else just let me know

 

[NastyNateEF]

Enountering problems left and right

Ok I went to the auto parts store earlier and got a new brake light switch. I removed the old one, put the new one in, and realized that it wasn't going to help. At the top of the brake pedal itself, where the switch comes in contact with the pedal, I found it was just an open hole. I pressed the switch button down with my finger and the lights turned off. Next I found the rubber stopper that belonged in the brake pedal hole. Put the old switch on and it worked with no problem.


I solved one problem just to create another. While I was messing with the brake switch, my stepdad was under the hood trying to find a faulty ground. As he was tracing the Battery Ground, he noticed it was just shaking around freely. It is not cut or damaged and has a connecter piece with two bent sides and a hole thru the center.What do I connect it to?(chassis, firewall, starter,etc?) What I don't uderstand is how my car has been running without it attached this entire time. I was also thinking maybe my dad shook it loose of it's mount??? I gave up on the ground and just attached it to part of the body with a screw. I shut the hood, got in to leave, and what happens? The car won't start. Heck, it won't even turn over now. The lights in the dash light up but the only sound I hear is the turning of the key in my hand.

Help Me Please!!!

it the silver thing in between the caution sign on the post where it tells if your online if you need anything else just let me know

It wont let me do it yet because im too new to the site

 

[Chipmunk]

Civics

How's it going people? Not so good here. When I turn off my car the tail lights stay on so i have to disconnect my battery every time i leave the car for more than 10 minutes. Also, when I'm driving, my brake lights do not work. The brakes do but not the lights.
I'm not sure if it is a short or something to do with the brake switch. Whatever it is, it's causing me a great deal of stress. Is this common with older civics? I have an 89' EF. Any help is AWESOME!!!! Thanks

Hey did u ever figure out what the problem was i have a 95 civics and mine started doing that the other day to were i had to disconnect my battery every day at work and home. Any suggestions

 

[cjvictoria]

You guys should check out the brake light button on your pedal.. It can be adjusted on pretty much any car out there. I had this same issue a couple years ago..

 

[phyregod]

Ok, good job figuring out the brake light switch nipple thingamagigger.

Now you need to go under your hood and double check all of your engine grounds. Should be one from the top of the valve cover to the front of the car next to the radiator bracket, one from the front passenger side "frame rail" that attatches to a bracket on the transmission from one side, and attatches to the thermostat housing (where the lower radiator hose attatches to the motor)

Check that the distributor connector is clipped in tight, along with the two main engine harnesses that are by your passenger strut tower. Check the wiring on your starter and make sure that wire isn't loose. After that, just look around at all of your connectors and make sure everything is plugged tightly into place.