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Re: car schematic in dash, and brake lights... Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: car schematic in dash, and brake lights..., Zip, Wed, 12 Sep 2001 04:37:14 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The brake pictogram, as it's called, is a marginal design, especially in earlier years (you don't mention the year of your car). It works by comparing the current between pairs of brake lights on opposide sides of the car. If the current flow balances, the pictogram stays out. But if the current flow doesn't balance, the circuit assumes that a light is out, and the pictogram illuminates.
The most common reason for the pictogram to stay on all the time is a bad ground at the tail lights. If a ground is poor, current will flow back through bulbs that aren't supposted to be illuminated, the current flow will be unbalanced, and the pictogram lights up.
I'll bet you had your running lights or headlights on at the time. Current from one tail light didn't make it to ground, so it ran up and through a brake light (they all share the same grounds).
The solution is to clean up the grounds at the tail lights. See the Townsend site, specifically:
http://216.78.172.244/electrical_system_folder/pictoflash.htm
for more info.
posted by 140.157....
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