brake light help

i know i am a newbie but wondering if yall guys can help me.

1998 toyota tacoma


when i turn on my head lights the brake lights come on (they are bright and do not change when i tap the brake).. i mean the 3rd brake light is on, and the right and left brake light is on. I've tried tapping the brakes, checking brake fluid, and checked to make sure the parking brake was not on.

any help would be great

 

Look for a ground wire that comes out of the rear taillights and grounds to the rear frame somewhere. Maybe

 

do that on all three of the lights?? i had a bumper built for the front and he changed out the blinker lights.. could that have had something to do with it?? this floors me

 

I would think they should ground somewhere but I'm no electrician (believe me) Look for cut or pinched wiring to the lights and body grounds.

 

The lower two brake lights are a dual element bulb. One element is dim, and used for the parking lights. The other is bright and comes on with the brakes. Sometimes the bulbs burn out in such a way that the two elements solder themselves together. This makes for all sorts of interesting problems, and I will bet that's what's going on with yours. Pull the bulbs and have a good, close look at those internal elements.

 

This is what I was thinking.