Chrysler Repair: tail lights, chrysler town and country, brake light switch

Question
Hi, My brake lights don't work but the bulbs aren't out. The park realease releases when you push the brake like it is suppose to. The relays don't click but we are not sure if they are suppose to.  The fuse is not blown.  Any ideas?

Thank you,
Sally

2003 Chrysler town and country

Answer
Hi Sally,
If neither the brake lights at the lower level nor the high mounted lights work, then it is very likely not the filaments that are burned out. But you could check if the this next item will work out to repair the problem: the brake light switch at the brake pedal. If you look inder the dash at the lever arm the has the brake pedal function, up at the top end where it pivots you will see a plastic box with two wires attached to it, white/tan and pink/dark blue. When you push on the pedal there is a plunger on the box that is normally pushed in by the lever but will come out of the box by spring action as you push on the pedal. Make sure that it indeed comes out all the way to and if not perhaps the spring is broken or the position of switch box has been moved. Also look to see that the plug with the two wires is attached to the box.
If that does seem to be functioning mechanically so that the plunger comes out all the way when the lever is pushed it is still possible that the electrical contacts inside the box are not working to close the switch. One way to check the circuit and by implication the switch is to simply take a paper clip, unfold it, and then remove the 2-wire plug from the switch. Then insert one end of the paper clip into each of the contacts of the plug so as "jump" a connection between them. That should cause the brake lights to come on if there is 12V from the fuse coming to the plug on the pink/dark blue wire and there is a connection to the bulbs on the via the white/tan wire. If you don't get lights using the paper clip then you will need to use a voltmeter to test where the open in the circuit is located. If you do get lights with the paper clip jumper that means the brake switch is not working and needs to be replaced. Be careful when jumping across the plug that the paper clip doesn's accidentally touch a metal object nearby which would blow your fuse. The 12V supply is present there all the time even when the van is turned off. If the lights still won's come on then look again at the fuse for the brake light circuit, it may actually be cracked and appear o.k. when it really has blown.
Let me know if this doesn't track down your problem. It is a fairly simple circuit.
Roland