Well I have had this before and thought it was my tranny. Today going up a hill on a dirt road in first gear. I shut the engine off got out of the truck and the brake lights are on and wont go off. There were on at least 5 min. I got back in the truck started it and still brake lights on. I then went from park to neutral and there was no brakes holding it seemed. The brake box lights were on and still the tailights. I messed with my brake box and still nothing. One time before I unplugged it and it never effected a thing. They finally went off in about 10 min. One thing though if I am pulling a trailer I think the trailer brakes are holding . What could be my problem?????

 

bump to topp

 

Isn't there a switch on the brake pedal for the brake lights? Maybe that's hung up, keeping the lights on!

I'll look at mine to make sure.

HTH

Tony

 

Unplug the trailer brake controller and see if the problem goes away. It might be a bad controller. Regardless, it is a good place to start.

 

sounds like a wireing problem to your connection (trailer) as for the light staying on and then going off ,that is controlled by the computer, try leaving your lights on, switch truck off, after a peroid of time lights will go off with switch on, so the problem seems to be wireing. hope this makes sense

 

Sounds to me like you got a brake switch stuck or faulty. There is a switch mounted on the brake pedal lever (normal service brakes, not park brake) that is mounted to a metal bracket that has a plunger that contacts the brake pedal lever. when the pedal is pushed it usually lets the spring loaded plunger come out and internally complete a circuit for the brake lights (some work the opposite and push the plunger in). Either way best diagnosis would be to unplug the connector on the brake switch first. If the lights go out it is a brake switch problem (probably just needs a new one), if they don't go out then it is a problem after the brake switch (ie trailer brake controller, wiring short, etc, etc.)

The reason it seems like you trailer brakes are draggin when you are hooked up to a trailer is because there are 4 connections to most brake controllers. Power, Ground, Trailer brake wires and the signal from the brake switch. When the brake switch completes the circuit for your brake lights it also sends that same signal to the brake controller to tell your trailer brakes to come on. Once that signal is received to the trailer brake controller it usually sends a preset voltage to the trailer brakes to get them to start working, from there various methods are used to control amount of voltage/current to the rear brakes such as a sensors that detect the amount of deceleration and then send more or less to the trailer brakes...however even with just the brake lights on and no real deceleration the brake controller still sends that original preset voltage to the brakes, causing brake drag. So long story short it sounds like the problem is before the brake controller and most likely your brake light switch on the pedal assembly is faulty.

 

I believe your right on the switch. I have already tried to unplug the brake controler and it didnt effect anything. Like I said before the truck brakes dont seem to be holding but with the electric problem the trailer brakes are on and holding. This dont happen very often but I need it fixed.

 

The only way to tell for sure is to unplug or test the brake switch when it happens...if you unplug it and the lights go out it is going to be the switch. It would be warranty so I would be tempted to go to the dealer and explain what is happening and see if they will replace the switch for you anyways.