Chrysler Repair: No Brake Lights, plymouth voyager, haynes manual

Question
The brake lights in my 1996 Plymouth Voyager do not work, except for the small brake light in the center of the liftgate...it does work. The turn signal, tail and back-up lights all operate fine. I've replaced both bulbs and the fuse. I haven't replaced the switch under the brake pedal yet. I'm just a little confused that the little center brake light works and the two more important ones don't. Wouldn't they all be controlled by the brake switch? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Answer
Hi Jim,
You are correct in your analysis, the brake switch sends voltage to the rear of the van where there is a slice where the main wire is split into three different wires that supply the three brake light bulb holders. The wire color is white/tan. I suspect the splice is in the area under the lift door opening, inside the van, hidden by a panel of some sort, or it could be at the left side of the opening below the left side bulb fixture. Unfortunately I don't have the Chrysler shop manual that would show the location exactly, just the Haynes manual, so I have to guess as to its location. There is no other explanation that I can see for your problem other than a disconnection at that splice, wherever it is. Once you find the white/tan wire at the left side holder you could just follow it back to find the splice. It couldn't be a ground problem because all the bulbs would be out of order were that the case.
One other possibility is that the bulb holders have both become defective, so check to see whether you might be getting voltage to the holders but not to the bulb contacts. A soldier stationed in Europe has had that problem with his Chrysler van in Italy, so I got him 4 new bulb holders and sent them over. If you get voltage on the white/tan wires at the sockets when you step on the brake then is has to be that rather than the splice.
Roland