I just bought my first Jeep. It's a 98 Cherokee sport. After I got it home I found out I had no brake lights. All 3 are out. I checked the bulbs just in case and they are good. I never could really find which fuse was for the brake lights on this model but I found a few spots that said it was 23 so I put a new one in there and still no good. I changed the brake light switch and still no good. Checked to make sure it is properly lined up and engaging and disengaging the plunger and that looks good. Finally bought a volt meter and checked the wire at the socket. I have power to the tail light but the other 2 are dead. Checked the power to the brake light switch and I have nothing there either. This thing has had an automatic start and an after market cruise control in it so maybe someone messed up the wiring taking those out. I have also been told that the turn signal has something to do with the brakes and it may be bad but haven't been able to verify that. At this point I think the best thing would be just to run a new wire from the fuse box but I have no idea how to do that. I figured I would post up here and see if anyone has a suggestion before I take it to a mechanic.

 

Using that meter, can you get a reading on the ground side of the sockets to see if they're actually grounded (very low resistance)? When you say there's "power to the tail light but the other two are dead", what exactly are you checking? Do you mean the middle liftgate light is getting power but the actual left/right brake lights are not? You are checking the center terminal in the sockets for +12VDC, right?

 

Welcome, Ikes!

Well, those kind of "somebody messed with it" problems are never fun. But "just to run a new wire from the fuse box" is almost NEVER a good idea, especially when combined with, "I have no idea how to do that."

In fact, the "I have no idea how to do that." part is almost certainly why you think "just to run a new wire from the fuse box" is a good idea.

If you are made of money, you can take this to a mechanic, and maybe get it fixed. But be aware, they cannot quote you a price on job like this. They have no idea how long it will take. They are just going to charge you by the regular shop rate x however long it takes. At $90 or more per hour, it can get ugly.

A better bet is to get a shop manual and start learning how to read the schematics. NOT a Haynes or Chilton manual!!!! They often have WRONG information in them.

 

That's really the issue. I have no idea what I am doing and also don't have the money to take it to a mechanic. I am pretty good with my hand and can fix most thing I just don't have an experience with wiring. I have looked at the schematics and I know which wire powers the brake light I just don't know how to get power to it at the brake light switch. It's got to be a cut wire somewhere between the power source and the switch. I guess it would be best to start tracing it back toward the fuse box and looking for the break.

 

Try Fuse 22 - 15A in the PDC under the hood. That's from the '97 manual.