97 center brake light - no voltage. is there a fuse?

[ddaytona1]

The center brake light on my 97 is not working. Last year I threw away the ballast and replaced with LEDs. I can run 12V to the LEDs and they light. I dont get 12V to the connector at the center brake light when I press the brake pedal.

Both left and right brake lights work fine.


Any suggestions?


I have to have the explorer through PA inspection this week. I'm thinking that in a pinch I might run power from the left brake light up to the center light.

What do you think about that?

 

[J_C]

http://www.justanswer.com/ford/31e3l-97-ford-explorer-3rd-brake-light-will-not-work.html

Yes you could run power from a 1st/2nd (L/R) brake light to the 3rd center light if you don't solve it by inspection time, but if it's a fuse instead of wiring, there's probably something else on the center light circuit that (currently) doesn't work, and if you wire it into another circuit, that other something on the center light circuit is extra current drain, could even be the cause of a blown fuse and could just blow the L/R brake light fuse.

Then again it could just be a frayed wire or damaged insulation shorting out. A multimeter measuring hot/power lead positive resistance to ground, continuity of the wire, and voltage at various points along the circuit could help. If nothing else you'd add a jumper wire (to make multimeter leads long enough) to measure between the correct fuse and the light connector, and measure whether 12V is getting to the fuse. That's probably covered in the link above, I didn't completely read that whole webpage.

 

[deadernie]

There's a 10A fuse just before the plug that plugged into the original ballast. The fuse holder is wrapped in black foam. It's about two or three inches away from the plug.