El Paso-New Member, Big problem..ish (3rd Brake Light)

[Jaime Desantiago]

Hi all,

My name is Jd and I’m from El Paso, Texas. I know this may come off as a bit irrelevant, but I’m a 25 year old student working on my PhD, teaching at the local university, and working an overnight gig (keep this in mind–saw the prices on some of those 3rd brake lights).

Anyways, let me just start by saying I’m in love with my 2011 Ford Raptor... best thing on the road IMO. However, I encountered a huge, annoying problem.

I wanted to smoke the third brake light, so I went ahead and removed it, smoked it, cleaned the wiring, LEDs, and even placed moisture seals on the wires to avoid the infamous moisture/3rd BL problem... surprisingly, all of my efforts seemed to have caused my 3rdBL to fail.

I’m not an expert on the electronic stuff, nor am I too familiar with the ECU/anything that has to do with electricity or programming. What I do notice is that the 3BL shuts on and off while I’m driving. It wavers between frequency of how/when I hit the brakes, and bumps on the road. For the most part, it tends to shut on and off if I lightly bang the top of the truck, which is really strange. HELP ME PLEASE!!!!

Keep in mind that I have tried my best to prevent the moisture issue (many of you commented on various threads on the forum, and I have followed the forum itself even before I purchased my raptor). Moreover, I’ve replaced the 3BL fuse... still nothing. The biggest problem is that I’ve been pulled over for this issue because according to the State Trooper it was a “faulty” piece of equipment with the potential to distract other motorists.

I apologize for the long thread, but ANY feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[smurfslayer]

based on your description I’d take a guess that your most likely culprit is a loosened connection.

you need at least a voltage tester or multi-meter to self diagnose this. find the brake switch leg that gets power when the brakes are pressed, and a ground and see if that circuit is constant when the brake is depressed. if it is, the problem is past where you tested. if you get to the fixture itself, I’ve not seen it but LEDs can be a little fickle, but my cheap amazon lights continued to work with water pooled inside them. If you get all the way to the “fixture” or light assembly and the tester works but the bulbs in the factory light flicker, something is wrong in the light itself. I haven’t seen inside this so I cannot comment on whether or not it’s “user level” repairable.

good luck