Essential Info On Your Car's Third Brake Light

Brake light bulb units are situated at the rear of the automotive, housed within a protecting covering (lens). The brake light activates after you push the brake pedal, thus indicating other drivers that you are slowing down or are about to stop. Usually these lights are red in colour and are easily available from a distance. The third brake light is also called the high mount centre stop light as it is installed above the rear window panel and immensely improves the safety.

The two brake lights are situated above the rear bumper of the car. Some models also have a third light below the rear window and is known as “centre brake light”, “third stop light”, “eye-level brake lamp” or “high-level brake lamp”. This light is installed high at the centre of the rear window or deck lid, where it is easily visible to tailing motorists.

• Brake lights serve an easy however necessary operation -- they warn drivers behind you when you are decelerating. Have you ever been stuck behind a car that has faulty brake lights? Without functioning brake lights, the chances of accidental collisions will surely become higher.
• The brake light wiring system in most cars isn't too advanced or tricky. At one end, you have got the lights themselves: bulbs in sockets connected to a wiring harness. At the opposite end is the brake switch, which completes the circuit when the brake pedal is pressed down.
• The third brake light is normally cantered and installed higher than the two other brake lights that are installed below. Adding the third brake light captures the line of sight of the drivers following the car, making the braking reaction time faster.

Installation of the third brake light has been mandated by the federal law. The third brake light must be of similar specification to the other brake lights so that it is not distracting for other drivers.

The main function of the brake lights is to indicate the other drivers behind that you have applied brakes to lower your vehicle speed. There can be a case where the brake lights are keeping on because of a stuck switch, but that doesn’t pose any immediate threat and is an easy repair. In some vehicles, the brake light also comes on to tell that the brake fluid level is low. The third light can be seen from longer distances and thus helps in early braking and precautions.

The brake lights and tail lights are present in same globe on majority of vehicles in the market. This means that both lights have the same covering on the outside. If the globes are separate, then you might have very specific tail lights and brake lights. Tail lights are engaged when you are using the headlights or you have parking brakes on. Whereas the brake lights get engaged when you press the brake pedal to slow down or stop the vehicle. Both lights are red, but brake lights are more luminous. You also have white coloured backup lights in the rear of the vehicle along with brake lights and tail lights.

The problems related to brake lights are not severe and usually incur the same problem again and again. These problems are usually easy to repair and won’t cause hefty repair costs. Some of the common problems in association with brake lights are mentioned below:

1. Burnt Out Bulb - The most common problem with the brake light is of a burnt bulb. This issue is understandable due to the degree of usage of light over a long period of time. Today most car lights are LED, which are much more durable and longer lasting than older halogen lights which also have a problem of bad or broken filament. In this case the best and simplest solution is to replace the bulb with a new one.
2. Bad Brake Light Switch - When the driver pushes the brake pedal, the switch gets triggered and sends the signal to the lights to turn on. Thus, when you press the pedal and the switch engages, it completes the circuit, illuminating the lights. These analog switches can wear out over time and can also get dirty, that may disrupt the signal transmission to the lights. Usually all the tail light will not glow if the switch has gone roque and must be replaced immediately. If an individual bulb is not working, check for faulty bulb first.
3. Blown Fuses - If either of the light doesn’t illuminate on engaging the brake pedal and you have checked the light switch for faults, the next thing to inspect is the brake light fuse. Locate the fuse box which is usually located under the hood or in the kick panel inside the passenger compartment. With the help of the fuse diagram from the manual, locate the brake circuit fuse and ensure it is not blown. If contrary, replace it with a new fuse of the same resistance.
4. Bad Socket - If one of the brake lights is off, but the bulb is good, suspect a socket problem. Faulty socket can be one whose connections are dirty or corroded, or one whose wiring has worn out over a period of time. Replacing a socket is a simple and inexpensive procedure.

There can be many early indications of faulty brake light. If the light gets dim or brighter, or is slow to respond, you might need to check for the problems with the brake lights.

Newer models have LED brake lights which are very durable and have a long-life span. This makes them less prone to failure and are cheap to replace. Still there are many models that use halogen brake lights which are prone to failure with time.

It is important to understand that the brake lights are very important and they indicate the other vehicles on the road as to when you are applying the brakes and slowing the vehicle down. Thus, these lights can avoid dangerous accidents and save lives. Thus, whenever you notice the symptoms indicating towards the malfunction of brake lights, prepare to correct the problem immediately. Following are the symptoms indicating towards faulty brake light unit:

1. Dimmer or Brighter than Normal Light - Change in brightness is one of the first symptoms. The bulb starts to become dim or starting glowing brighter when it is about to get burn out. This usually happens because of the faulty filament that is wearing out. This means that it is time to replace the bulb as soon as possible.
2. Slow Responding Bulb - Another symptom is that the lights are slow to respond when you press the brake pedal to apply brakes. This can be due to worn out bulb of wiring system that might be transmitting the signal late. No possibility must be ruled out without inspection.
3. Brake Warning Light - Next direct indication of brake light malfunction is the Brake Warning Light illuminating. Newer vehicles have visual indicators that directly tell that the bulb has worn out. This warning can be indicated by a warning light on the dashboard or a message on the touch control panel.

It is said that a workman is only as good as his tools, and it is definitely true when it comes to the car bodywork. It is vital to have the right tools to repair your Third Brake Lights or else a straightforward job would turn into constant headaches. So that’s why we have listed out some invaluable tools below which you will need while repairing your Third Brake Lights.

• Flat-head screwdriver
• Philips screwdriver
• Replacement light bulb

You won’t have to think a lot while purchasing if you are already using a particular car part brand and are fully satisfied with it. There are a lot of people which trust a specific brand and would go with it once again with a minimum of thought. Here we have the best Third Brake Lights brands to help you out in choosing your favourite one in case you don’t have any. So, what are you waiting for? Have a look below and choose the best brand for your Third Brake Lights.

Rugged Ridge Third Brake light

Do you want to gain some more knowledge about the related parts of the car Third Brake Lights? Then you have arrived at the right place. The related parts of the Third Brake Lights are as follows: -

• Tail Light & Parts
• Brake Light
• Backup Light & Parts
• Stop Light
• Trailer Lights

Brake Light replacement cost can differ wildly depending on application, the brand of the Brake Light as well as who does the work. All you have to do is to replace your faulty Brake Light with us online and then you can leave your car to the mechanic and pick it up a few days later. Just be sure that the car mechanic is highly skilled and has a good reputation. Sometimes the additional service level might cost you more than what you have expected. We also recommend you to take pictures of your car before you leave it with them so that you are sure that later on it is returned back to you in an unharmed condition.

The third brake light became a standard in North America in 1986, though it was invented a decade back. Studies show that the absence of the high rear brake light increases the risk of accidents to many folds. Thus, following are the steps to replace faulty third brake light:

Step 1

Find the vehicle’s third brake light housing from the rear package shelf below the rear window or from the upper rear lining near the top rear window.

Step 2

Unscrew the holding screws from the housing and pry the housing to remove the holding clips, if no screws are to be seen.

Step 3

Pull the housing slightly away from the mounting surface. Remove the socket by rotating it counter-clockwise and then pull out the bulb.

Step 4

Install the bulb inside the socket and place the socket in the housing by rotating it in clockwise direction. Line up the tabs on the housing to the slots in the mounting surface. Snap the clips in place by pushing the housing accordingly. Run the holding screws back and tighten them properly.