3rd Brake light connection - Honda Prelude Forum

Scobie · 09-18-2011, 08:04 AM

Hi guys, after some advice on what seems to be a fairly common problem, the 3rd brake light / brake warning light issue on a 90/91 3rd Gen.

I find after driving for 10 minutes or so, the brake warning light on the dash comes on. Today I finally got around to having a look and found that what I think is termed the "3rd brake light" - the central eye level brake light on the rear shelf is out. The R & L brake lights and the spoiler light work fine.

The bulb in the busted light is ok, but my multimeter tells be that it is not getting any juice - I tested the plug in the boot (trunk) where it joins the feed and found zero volts . I take it this light is on the same circuit as the spoiler light (I can't find a separate reference to it in the manual) so where is it connected? Is the central light simply paralleled off the same feed as the spoiler wire? If so where..I'm assuming this join is where the break is.

Finally would the 3rd brake light being out cause the warning lamp to come on? The ALB light sometimes comes on as well at about the same time...but the ALB is working ok. Reading in here tells me that topping fluid up helps this but not in my case. I've been assuming a wiring short giving a false alarm?

Cheers
Scobie

Scobie · 09-18-2011, 10:11 PM

An addendum to this one...a colleague has told me - and I have seen reference in theses forums - that if the spoiler light is enabled then the 3rd brake light will be disabled. Thinking about this I don't know for sure if my 3rd brake light has ever worked...so is this the case?

If so then I'm guessing whatever problem there is with the ALB is causing the master alarm (the red light with the (!) (P) ) to come on and not the 3rd brake light?

Thanks

Honda4Life · 09-18-2011, 10:19 PM

The one instide the car should not work if the car has a spoilerwith the 3rd brake light. There is ways to make it work and the spoiler lamp too but that'snot the way it is supposed to be.

As for the "brake" lamp on the dash, check the switch connected to the parking brake. It can get bent up/messed up and not be working correctly.

The switch is #6 in the picture linked here.

Part Detail

Scobie · 09-19-2011, 12:22 AM

Great thanks H4L, I'll stop trying to troubleshoot the eye level brake light, the spoiler definitely lights up.

I'll check out the switch as per your suggestion, but would that light come on if the ALB was faulty?

Honda4Life · 09-19-2011, 10:37 AM

I don't think that would cause the ALB light to come on. You will need to get the code for that if you can. It may the pump is on it's way out.