If your brake lights aren’t functioning, you may need to replace the switch. This task should take no more than an hour depending on how complex your vehicle’s setup.
Subaru USA recently recalled a large number of vehicles due to contaminants leaking into the brake light switch, preventing it from working correctly. This issue can impact brake light illumination while driving as well as when shifting out of park.
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Symptoms
The brake light switch is an electrical device that activates your vehicle’s brake lights when you press on the brake pedal. It plays a critical role in your vehicle’s braking system, alerting other drivers that you are slowing down.
A malfunctioning brake light switch can lead to a variety of issues, such as your lights staying on even when you aren’t pressing on the brake pedal. This wears out your lights prematurely and creates an unnecessary parasitic drain on your battery power source.
When diagnosing a malfunctioning brake light switch, use a Multimeter and Voltage Light (probe) to test its grounds and continuity. In certain cars, you can also check the voltage of the switch with its brake pedal depressed and released.
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Causes
The brake light switch is an essential element in your vehicle. It signals other drivers when you’re braking and sends a signal to the car computer so features like push-button start, anti-lock brakes, and vehicle stability control can operate properly.
If you notice a sudden loss of your brake lights, this could be indicative of an issue with the switch. It is essential to replace your switch immediately if this is the case as this will significantly enhance safety while driving.
A malfunctioning brake light switch can also lead to other issues, such as your cruise control coming to a halt and shift interlock not functioning correctly. These problems put you at greater risk for being hit by the driver in front of you.
To determine if your brake light switch is defective, look under your dash for where the pedal arm is. If it is not aligned with the stoplight switch, your brake lights may be stuck on.
Repair
When you press the brake pedal, a switch is activated that signals your car’s lights to come on. If the switch is malfunctioning, it could prevent your brake lights from working correctly.
The brake light switch on a Subaru is an electrical device that attaches to your car’s wiring system. When you press the brake pedal, a plunger in the switch contacts a lever in the assembly located beneath it.
The plunger in the switch depresses, engaging the contacts on brake light switches and igniting their LEDs. Additionally, this switch is part of the circuit that controls cruise control disengagement and shift interlock safety features on most modern vehicles.
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Cost
If you’re noticing that your Subaru brake lights aren’t functioning as they should, a replacement may be in order. This is an issue that could compromise your safety while driving.
When the brake pedal is depressed, your Subaru brake light switch activates a relay that sends power to the brake lights. If this switch malfunctions, however, you won’t know whether your brakes are on or not.
Replacing a brake light switch is an easy DIY project with some basic tools, but for best results it should be left to an experienced mechanic as this repair won’t break your budget and could actually save you money in the long run.