High Mount Brake Light Not Working

[BIGSTEEL1]

I Have A 1997 Explorer Eddie Bauer. My High Mount Brake Light Has Stopped Working. I Have Checked Fuses, And None Seem To Be Blown. I Have Heard That To Replace The Light Is Very Costly. Does Anyone Have Any Idea How To Repair This Cheaply? Thanks!

 

[urbanistic]

replace the bulb?

 

[BIGSTEEL1]

I was told it was a neon bulb and would cost a couple hundred dollars to replace. Is that not true?

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

It is a neon tube with a ballast. It is supposed to last the life of the vehicle, but they do "burn out."

Here's something you can try, it worked for me. Under your rear bumper should be a gray, circular plug for trailer lighting. If it gets dirty, then it can "short out" the third brakelight. Clean it out, and your light may come back on.

 

[project92]

actullay I thought they were LED lights... mine 97 wouldnt work when I bought it dealer had to fix the moron mechanice test the circut to the ballast but never fron the ballast to the light the part was $260 for the light and I belive $180 for the ballst fun part is you have to drill out the pop rivets in the hatch the get the light out ifit is bad...

 

[jr4773]

I have the same problem...im almost 100 percent sure its the bulb as I have tried another ballast....thinking i might pull it off and drill out the back of the plastic ;light housing and stick 2 or 3 small 12 volt bulbs.....legally i think if it lights up when you hit the brakes then that should be good enough and alot cheaper than the neon p.o.s. these came with...i think previous owners 15's shook it to pieces anyone know how to actually test the output of the ballast? I know i have 12 volts going into it with the pedal pushed i have 2 and would really like to know for sure if they are good or bad..if they are both good i would let one go for cheap as I got it cheap.....through someone on this site

 

[project92]

what I had to show the "mechanic" was we use a circut tester (to find hot wires ) the one witha bulb put the alligator clip on a good ground (stick a brick) or have someone hold the brakes on tes the wire from the pedal (before ballast) one should be "hot" then pug in the ballast and check the wire going to the 3rd brake light for a "hot" wire... if you don't get one from there (after ballast ) then your ballast is bad butttt if it good then it's your 3rd light bad then I would use your ideal drill a hole and stick a "back up" buld in it (single fillamate) you may have to wire around the ballast it may shoot to much juice the a regular bulb?

 

[97FordSport]

It is a neon tube with a ballast. It is supposed to last the life of the vehicle, but they do "burn out."

Here's something you can try, it worked for me. Under your rear bumper should be a gray, circular plug for trailer lighting. If it gets dirty, then it can "short out" the third brakelight. Clean it out, and your light may come back on.

I was having the same problem...read this post. I cut out my trailer wiring harness as far up as I could....purchases a new wire harness from A.Z. for 3 dollars and solidered it backon....Walllaaaaa FIXED!!

Thanks for the suggestion!!

97Ford Sport

 

[jr4773]

what I had to show the "mechanic" was we use a circut tester (to find hot wires ) the one witha bulb put the alligator clip on a good ground (stick a brick) or have someone hold the brakes on tes the wire from the pedal (before ballast) one should be "hot" then pug in the ballast and check the wire going to the 3rd brake light for a "hot" wire... if you don't get one from there (after ballast ) then your ballast is bad butttt if it good then it's your 3rd light bad then I would use your ideal drill a hole and stick a "back up" buld in it (single fillamate) you may have to wire around the ballast it may shoot to much juice the a regular bulb?

yea i know that I have power to the ballast but i thought the ballast would put out a whole different voltage for neon..i was gonna get rid of the ballast completely and just wire up the 12 volt bulb without the ballast to the wires that the ballast originally connected to...anyways i just bought an inspection so screw it ..it can stay out as far as I am concerned until I get a ticket for it

 

[rizzjc]

I was having the same problem...read this post. I cut out my trailer wiring harness as far up as I could....purchases a new wire harness from A.Z. for 3 dollars and solidered it backon....Walllaaaaa FIXED!!

Thanks for the suggestion!!

97Ford Sport

I would assume this is due to a short somewhere, which messes up the light. I tried just disconnecting the trailer towing harness, but that did nothing. I do get 12V into the ballast, but nothing out, so I guess it is definitely the ballast. I just hope not the light too. Replacing the ballast is easy (hopefully I can find it cheap).

 

[wongway]

It is a neon tube with a ballast. It is supposed to last the life of the vehicle, but they do "burn out."

Here's something you can try, it worked for me. Under your rear bumper should be a gray, circular plug for trailer lighting. If it gets dirty, then it can "short out" the third brakelight. Clean it out, and your light may come back on.

The plug is under the driver side rear bumper and the plug is connected. When I saw this post I went to look for it and thought it was tied but dangling from the bumper. I cleaned it out but didn't work. I decided to just unplug it and now the high mount works. go figure.
Thanks for this post.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I had to replace the bulb in mine, but I got it from the junkyard here for $10 so that may not be an option if it isn't the ballast or harness.

Drilling the rivets isn't a big deal, and I had a cheapo rivet gun from Harbor Freight that put everything back together for <$10

 

[Project95]

High Tail light

Hey V8BoatBuilder,

Man that trick about cleaning out the trailer plug worked. I cleaned it a little and it came back on, YOU ROC. That saved me a lot of money so everyone should try that before you go pulling out plug caps from the panel.

Thanks Man.

Later
Project95

 

[TheJackal]

It is a neon tube with a ballast. It is supposed to last the life of the vehicle, but they do "burn out."

Man is that the understatement of a lifetime. 9 times out of 10 when I see an Explorer around here with that neon brake light, it doesn't work.

Sux

 

[riverbandit]

All the responses are good for my 95 Explorer I tried the quick clean on connector to Trailer no luck then found ballast (Open hatch remove plastic hold downs on trim starting from center at top maybe 4 or 6 for access)You will see a box with two srews in dead center, dats your Ballst no prob removin that (2 phillips) but how to test 12 Volt feeder but 60-90 commin out ? supposedly. So since i was gettin a flicker ouuta da lite must be ballast, go to bone yard remove one take a chance 10.00 dollars. Nope bad also ,OK drag a battery with me check everthing from the feeder ? BS go to Autozone buy An LED for 15.00 that works directly off the feeder, an yes you will have to remove accorn nuts on side when you lift hatch, then drill out four rivets that hold assembly in (pop window up) , ohhh then drill out 3 that hold lite assembly to housing an gingerly seperate red outter from housing , 86 that Neon bulb , put in the led (has glue strip might wanna use some powefull glue also) there is a meesh screen i guess so neon wont burn lens i left it in then pushed together an used clear silicone around it, run wire i clipped off connector from ballast an sodered it to LED wires so as to get good removeable connection to feeder OPPS after next step connector wont fit thru hole unless ya wanna direct connect it . Whew ok now re rivet three into lite housing an install wiring thru holes then install assembly onto vehicle (Open window install 4 rivets) No Matter how carefull you are the assembly at top will not be flush unless you are a bodyman so run siliclone an an run some black screws in. K why all this trouble Beats $150 for parts an only time i wanna see a neon light is in a bar, And No red lights flashin behind me. Besdes look up my name in da dictionary it sayz (the hard way) Riverbandit