1997 Expedition, 5.4L XLT.

The old girl blew out the right front brake line yesterday evening. replaced the line today(just what I wanted to do on fathers day!!), and the molded hose assembly from line to caliper while I was down there. Bled system(rt rear, left rear, rt front, left front).

After completing all this work, brake lights will not come on when pressing pedal. Checked fuses and bulbs, all good. If I pull the trailer brake lever, the lights will come on.

What am I missing?

 

Test or replace the brake light switch

 

I'm sure that when the line blew the brake pedal went to the floor and either dislodged or broke the brake light switch down there.

 

Took me too long to get back here to reply. Thanks to aloro and 83sd for their suggestions, which were in the right area, but not quite right.

Turns out that the pedal had been repaired before, and when it was, a previous owner shortened one of the wires going to the stop light switch. When the pedal went to the floor, the wire broke. Spliced in an extension, crimped on a fitting, and I have lights again.

 

"not quite right"...That sounds a bit ungracious and condescending. What did you expect with us diagnosing it from 1,500 miles away on a forum?

 

Because you should of course be able to tell that the previous owner of the vehicle messed with the wires in such a way that they broke when depressing the pedal to the floor, that's the most obvious reason of them all, everybody knows that!

 

Sounds to me like if they hadn't mentioned what they did you would still be without lights.