How to check car brake lights yourself?
Car brake lights have the function of signaling that the vehicle is slowing down or stopping so that vehicles behind can recognize and avoid collision.
It can be dangerous if your car's brake lights are broken. So, when driving alone, how can you check if your brake lights are working?
What is a car brake light?
This is a type of light located at the rear of the vehicle with a red light. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, the light will be activated to warn the vehicles behind to observe and actively adjust the speed or change the direction of travel to avoid collision.
Tips for checking brake lights yourself
If you want to check whether the brake lights are working properly or not, you can refer to the simple method below so that you can do it easily even if you are alone.
Against the wall
First, find a wall, park your car so that the rear of the car is close to the wall and step on the brake. The brake lights will then light up and shine on the wall. You just need to look through the rearview mirror or through the rear window to check if the brake lights are still working properly.
Use objects of appropriate length
To check if your car's brake light system is working properly, you can prepare a broom handle, a piece of wood or an object of similar length.
You just need to step on the brake pedal and put the end of the brush handle on the brake pedal position, the other end against the driver's seat. This helps ensure that the brake pedal is always pressed when you take your foot off the position. Then, you open the car door and go out to check and observe the car's brake light system.
Causes of car brake light damage
There are several common causes of car brake light failure such as burnt out bulb, broken switch or fuse, not fully pulling the handbrake...
Broken brake light bulb
A broken or burned-out bulb will cause the car's brake lights to not light up when slowing down or stopping. This situation is not only dangerous for the driver but also affects other vehicles on the road.
Bad brake pedal switch
This switch is a push button located along the brake pedal shaft, just above the pedal. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, the button is activated and causes the brake warning light to come on.
However, after a period of use, the pedal switch often burns or the copper layer wears out, leading to the car's brake lights not turning off.
In addition, the driver's continuous braking process will cause the shield to wear out, leading to falling, puncturing or breaking, leaving a hole in the brake pedal lever.
At that time, the on/off button will penetrate the missing position and open the connection between the battery ECU and the battery, providing continuous power so that the brake light cannot be turned off.