Electrical short on Chevy Tahoe

[..]

Back up lights come on when I brake.

Suggestions needed as to how I fix this. Please don't say remove back up bulbs.  

[Skinhead]

What year Tahoe?  Did you add any lights or additional wiring?

[..]

1997 and no additional lighting.

[JerryB]

Have you had the tail light assys out for any reason?If not there is a connector inside the frame rail near the spare tire.Check and clean those pins and for a bad ground.......JerryB.

[fudgie]

Diito on what Jerry B said. Should be on the driverside.

[the inspector]

Britman....if this problem came on all of a sudden, with no input from you. As it sounds, I would look at either the switch for the back-up lights and or maybe the multifunction switch as sometimes it malfunctions and gets feedback (electrical current) and feeds a circuit that it is not supposed to feed. You also did not say if the the brake lights were working along side of the back-up lights? I would say the short would be in the switchs rather then any wires if you did not help it along with any input, BUT never rule out wireing as a last resort. Let me know what you find.....one more thing I beleive the neutral safety switch inside the transmission case may also be the problem, if my memory is correct, I think sometimes they short out from the heat and short together, you might check that also.


"the inspector"

[junior]

its the circit bord in the tail light it was and is a common thing they get coroded and short out. most any auto parts store has replacements for them

[Stanley Steamer]

its the circit bord in the tail light it was and is a common thing they get coroded and short out. most any auto parts store has replacements for them

Darn......I was thinking it was the Flux Capacitor gone bad!.....

[gregc]

  Remove the tail light, look and see if the bulbs are in their own socket, or if they are in a long multi bulb tray.  If they are in the long tray type arrangement, I would start there.  GM has had a problem with the multi bulb tray type sockets.

[big turkey]

Bad ground is a real good possibility, due to the amount of plastic on all of the new vehicles today.

But if not the GM dealer should help you out and probably save you money because they

know their stuff on thier stuff.

They may even have a recall on that item , look up your vehicle on NHTSA and should be there

if there is a recall. Google of course.

No matter how old the recall, if there is one, will be free.


Worth a try.

Big Al

[Dogg]

jr hit it on the head. those things are junk. sometimes, you buy a new one from the parts store it dont work right either. get them at the dealer. I never had good luck with bulb trays from anyone else.

[..]

Just got back in from riding with the VRCC Memorial Day crew.

Got a polite written warning from the Roswell PD on Friday morning due to my back up lights coming on at the wrong time.

Both sides back up lights are coming on.

Have taken out the bulbs until Tuesday so I can use my truck wihtout getting stopped again.

Is the "tray" what the 3 bulbs fit into?



Never noticed before but shoudl my brake lights come on without the engine running and no key in ignition?

[Michvalk]

Brake lights come on weather key is on or not. Do you have a trailer hitch? Could be the light controller for your trailer lights shorting. Just a thought.

[..]

Brake lights come on weather key is on or not. Do you have a trailer hitch? Could be the light controller for your trailer lights shorting. Just a thought.

Uh Oh.

I recently had to "rewire" the truck side of the hitch at the trailer connector. I'll go back and check my work.

[Coot]

Back up lights come on when I brake.

Suggestions needed as to how I fix this. Please don't say remove back up bulbs.  

You recently rewired for trailer hook-up.  Inspect the job; likely back-up lights wired into brake circuit accidentally.

Coot