3 Potential Causes Of Your Brake Light Issues

The brake lights on the back of your car are very important, since they warn other drivers when your vehicle is slowing down or stopping. Along with putting you at serious risk of an accident, faulty brake lights can also cause you to get a ticket from law enforcement and can prevent your car from passing a state vehicle inspection. If your brake lights aren't working, you should know that there are a few potential causes. 

1. Blown Bulb

Hopefully, if your brake lights aren't working, you can hope that you are dealing with blown bulbs. Just as the light bulbs in your home can stop working over time because they are worn out, you can expect the same thing to happen to the brake lights on your vehicle. If you go to a mechanic's shop, you can have your bulbs tested and replaced if necessary, which should be a pretty affordable fix.

2. Faulty Bulb

Even if you have just replaced your brake lights, there is always a chance that you got a "dud." If your brake lights aren't working, even with new bulbs, it is worth your while to have the bulbs tested or replaced. Since this is an affordable fix, it's worth giving it a try before you shell out the cash to have a mechanic look for or repair other issues.

3. Electrical Issue

If you have tried switching out the bulbs for your brake lights and have tried a couple of different bulbs but are still experiencing an issue, there is a chance that there is some sort of electrical issue going on. There could be a problem with the wiring from your car to your brake lights, or there could be a short in the wires in the back of your car. There may also be a problem with the brake light switch. These types of electrical problems can be difficult to diagnose and fix if you aren't experienced and don't have the right equipment, so you will want to take your car to a mechanic to get to the bottom of the problem. To avoid any potential accidents, however, you may want to have your car towed to the shop rather than driving it when your brakes lights aren't functional, particularly if they are all out of commission. Otherwise, you could be involved in a collision if another driver is unaware that you are slowing down or stopping while driving to the mechanic's shop.

For more info about brake repair and brake light problems, contact a local mechanic.