xsara 2000 1.4i- rear brake lights are not working

[_kid_]

As the title says i have noticed the rear brake lights (all 3) are not working, all other light are ok. According to the manual they appears to be no fuses for the rear brake lights

I have had a look at the bulbs on the nearside they look fine- surely not all 3 would not go at the same time would they

Can anyone point me in the right direction

[myglaren]

Have you checked the brake light switch?

[_kid_]

how do i do this

[myglaren]

The brake light switch will be attached to the brake pedal near the pivot.
Look first for loose connections or broken wires.
It may merely have become maladjusted, try pushing on the plunger using a small screwdriver or similar and get an assistant to see if the lights come on.

If not you will need to disconnect the wires from the switch and somehow attach a test lamp or meter to it to see if it is making connection when the pedal is pressed. As it is awkward to get at you may need to apply a little ingenuity to achieve that. Otherwise remove it and test it, which can be equally tortuous.

You could also remove one of the bulbs and check for a voltage at the socket but that won't differentiate between a dud switch or a wiring fault, it will tell you if all three bulbs are blown or incorrectly seated, both pretty unlikely.

You could also test the wiring on the back of the brake light units for a voltage. If one has become disconnected it may affect the others if they are chained.

[citronut]

you can also fit a link across the terminals of the plug which goes to the switch (just for testting), then check if your light work if they do it's definatly your switch

regards malcolm

[_kid_]

It turned out to be the brake light switch, for some reason the plunger at the end of the switch was jammed in and would not move out therefore the light was always in the off position.