last night while backing out of a parking spot i noticed my tail light's reflection on the back of a blazer that was directly behind me. i realized i have no brake lights! the tail lights are fine when the lights are on,just the brake lights don't come on when i step on the brake. the fuse is good,i even put a new one in to make sure and i even changed the switch and still nothing. is there anyhting else i should check? i have a bad feeling something shorted out but i need this car to get to work

by the way it's a 85 el camino.

Do the turn signals work? How about the emergency flashers? Do the tail lights come on with either of these functions?

The turn signal and brake lites work with some of the same wires. There is a multiwire connector at the steering column where you can access the circuits and do a diagnosis. Get a test lamp and a wiring diagram and do your testing. Good luck.

Like Mrapii said ,use a test lamp to isolate the problem.I would start at the rear where the rear harness plugs into the intermedite harness, this plug is at the rear on the left side attached to a small bracket.Once you locate this plug just pull it apart and you will see about 7 [or close] separate circuits,one of them will be the brake lights which will only be hot when you press the brakes,Also one will be a ground.Have someone press your brake pedal while you check it with the test lamp.You can check all the rear lighting at this plug to see if your problem is at the rear or else where.Test all the circuits in this plug to identify the brake lights.If you have current on the brake light circuit at the plug your problem is likely a bad ground at the rear on one or more of the sockets. LOL

The turn signal and brake lites work with some of the same wires.
Yes the wiring is the same, but the brake light signal goes through the turn signal switch. Several times I've seen the turn signal switch go bad causing the brake lights to not work when you hit the pedal, but the turn signals and flasher still work fine.

Here is the brake light schematic. (http://elcaminocentral.com/users/elcamino/schematics/brake_flash_turn_lamps.jpg)

If the turn signals work at the rear and you have no brake lites you are wasting your time checking the brake lites at the rear since the wiring and for both is the same from the multiwire connector at the steering column. Your problem is most likely in the turn signal switch or multiwire connector at the steering column.

At this point Nick (CustomCamino83) hasn't said if he has turn signals or not. So the 2 of you are arguing about nothing at this point. Go to your separate corners. :P

The question still stands: Nick do you have turn signals?

I'm not arguing, I'm just giving him proper info about an efficient diagnosis. I clearly said IF you don't have turn signals. If someone asks for help I think it is important that he/she get good accurate information. When I was younger and inexperienced I often got inaccurate advice and wasted time and money; I hate to have this happen to anyone else, especially if I can prevent it. If I'm wrong about this I apologize.

I just had this similar problem on mine ,I had every light but the brake light and I found the problem was a bad ground in the rear.I used a jumper wire until I found a virgin rear harness and no problem no more.If I gave any bad advice ,"Sorry" but this fixed mine.

I just had the same problem last month and I found a bad connection at the plug going through the smugglers box, I also replace the turn signal switch thinking it was it. Fixed mine by cleaning the plug from underneath the car.

to answer some of your questions,the rear turn signals,flashers,and tail lamps all work fine. basically every light on the *&^% car works except the brake lights. which plug on the steering column is for the lights? maybe that's the culprit,i just had to replace the column a few weeks ago.

At this point Nick (CustomCamino83) hasn't said if he has turn signals or not. So the 2 of you are arguing about nothing at this point. Go to your separate corners. :P

The question still stands: Nick do you have turn signals?

basically,every light on the car works EXCEPT the *&^% brake lights. it might be something with the column,i just replaced the column a few weeks ago with a jy unit.

Look I don't want to beat this issue to death but just look at the schematic that 87ElCamino provided and it is clear that the ground for the stop-turn lite is the same, if you have a bad ground to the brake lite bulb you also have a bad ground to the turn signal bulb. Now I'm going to assume that you have 1 double filament 1157 bulb. At least on one side a bad ground would disable both the stop and turn signals on that side. If as on some vehicles but not El Caminos, there are separate single filament bulbs for the turn signals and brake lites then it would be possible for a bad ground at the brake lite not to affect the turn signal. Now I know that 5th Gens have two 1157 bulbs per side so if no filaments are broken and the turn signals lite up both bulbs you have good grounds at both bulbs. If only one bulb lites you have at least one good ground (to one bulb) and either a bad gound or a broken filament at the other bulb. In any case a functioning turn signal and non-functioning brake lite on a 5th Gen indicates that the positive wiring from the turn signal is ok. Clear as mud, wouldn't you say?

Don't overlook the brake light switch located way down on the steering column. The switch is activated when you depress the brake pedal. If it is bad or misadjusted/out of position, you will not have brake lights

Try operating the switch while you have a friend look at the brake lights. This will not help if the switch is bad, but you can jump the switch to check it out.

BTW, the switch on my truck is made of white plastic and easily seen.

sorry for the late responses,i tried replying yesterday but the website wouldn't let me :-( . well anyway,it turned out to be faulty wiring in the turn signal switch harness. i got the switch/harness out of an old column,put it in, and the brake lights work fine now. thanks for the help guys!

Have sameproblem on 79 Elky, Alllights work tgreat excep tno brake light when hit pedal, Tried bypassing pedal switch to no avail. Recently tighten bolts on tilt wheel, Where is the mulitwire connector? and here is the turn signal switch located also.