Brake light stays on when pushing the brake.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 324
Likes: 27
From: North North California
Year: 1992 with 260k miles
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 Inline 6
When I press the brake, sometimes the brake lights fail to turn off after I am done pressing them. To turn them off, I have to put my foot behind the brake pedal, and move it backward about 0.5-1cm. How do I fix this?
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,170
Likes: 312
From: Australia
Year: 1997 (RHD)
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 ltr

That, or something is causing your break pedal to not fully clear and return to its 'resting' position...which is unlikely
Last edited by Roler; Jan 20, 2021 at 03:41 AM.
CF Veteran
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 635
From: Hangover, PA
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: 4.0L
It's the brake light switch. It probably just needs adjusted. It is really simple to do I've had to do it before
I cant find a link to the adjustment procedure and my manual is at home. Hopefully someone can chime in today and help you.
I cant find a link to the adjustment procedure and my manual is at home. Hopefully someone can chime in today and help you.
CF Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 7,874
Likes: 100
From: Northern Ontario, Canada
Year: 1990, 1999, 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
what year cherokee? they changed the brake light switch somewhere along the way.
my 90 had the old style, can't remember just how to adjust those. i'm sure i remember adjusting mine when i swapped out my single diaphragm booster.
my 99 had the new style, and can be adjusted without removing it. you just use a pair of needle nose pliers and pull the plunger out. don't matter how far, because once you step on the pedal, it will push it back in to where it needs to be.
you may find yourself doing this procedure a few times to get it right, or you will hit it first time.
if you want or have to remove it, and yours is an 84 to somewhere around 94, it's a biotch to get out. i think the nut is a 9/16 and the bolt head is 5/8, but the bolt head has a real shallow head to it. it's not a typical bolt head. they did this for clearance. and that's what you need to turn to break free, not the nut. you can't really get a wrench or socket in there, as it's kinda set in a bit to the brake light switch. so turn the bolt, not the nut.
you can always watch a yootube vid, i'm sure bleepin jeep has a vid of it.
my 90 had the old style, can't remember just how to adjust those. i'm sure i remember adjusting mine when i swapped out my single diaphragm booster.
my 99 had the new style, and can be adjusted without removing it. you just use a pair of needle nose pliers and pull the plunger out. don't matter how far, because once you step on the pedal, it will push it back in to where it needs to be.
you may find yourself doing this procedure a few times to get it right, or you will hit it first time.
if you want or have to remove it, and yours is an 84 to somewhere around 94, it's a biotch to get out. i think the nut is a 9/16 and the bolt head is 5/8, but the bolt head has a real shallow head to it. it's not a typical bolt head. they did this for clearance. and that's what you need to turn to break free, not the nut. you can't really get a wrench or socket in there, as it's kinda set in a bit to the brake light switch. so turn the bolt, not the nut.
you can always watch a yootube vid, i'm sure bleepin jeep has a vid of it.
CF Veteran


Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,753
Likes: 415
From: Long Island, New York
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 98 stroked 4.7
The brake light should NOT be on when pressing the brake. It comes on with the handbrake switch, or if the fluid in the resv is low, or iff you blew a brake line and tripped the pressure switch in the proportioning valve or if the master cyl is bypassing internally and you trip the same pressure switch in the proportioning valve....UMMM..not sure if he means the exterior brake lights or the brake light on the dash...if exterior, then nevermind
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 275
From: Southern Texas (former AZ & Aus)
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: I6 4.0L
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