I'm installing a third brake light on my car. The assembly integrates turn signals and back up light as well. I hope to have the install completed by Sunday. Meanwhile, I'm curious to see what others did.
Nothing. I've never added a third brake light to any thing. Not that I'm a purist but I just never felt the need or desire to add one that was never intended to be there. Just my opinion...
I hated the 3rd brake like in both my truck & OBW.. Both have burned out and won't be fixed. There is my picture.
I've considered doing it, just haven't gotten to it yet. I think it would be a good idea considering there are so many drivers out there that don't realize cars didn't always have 3 brake lights! There's lots of bad drivers out there, you gotta take precautions.
Our '62 LeSabre had one installed by the previous owner after the car was hit hard. The doggie in the window's eyes lit up with brake lights and signals. My wife painted bulbs red.
I have come to question the whole third brakelight concept. Fact: when they first came out, no one had seen anything like it and they were very distinctive / noticable and made an impact. Fact: back when they came out, brake lights were a lot more finicky and unreliable. Quasi-Fact?: with all these SUV's and big trucks with big high-mounted lights, I suspect regular taillights are more "in your face" than they were way back when. So, now that we are all used to them, normal brake lights almost always work, and so many normal brake lights are higher up anyway, do third taillights really matter?
Funny that you mentioned that as I was thinking about it. It's crazy, but I have had vehicles in front of me with only one, out of three, brake lights functioning. And, in a few cases, it was only the third brake light. I know that lights fail while driving, but most people don't even bother to ever check the lights on their vehicles. If they did, and IF everyone paid attention while driving, third brake lights, as Steve said, wouldn't have been necessary.
I hated while I am driving at night my rear view mirror would light up with red from my third light.. Truth there are so many stupid drivers out there If you were to put 10 brake light on your car they won't see them.
Funny you say that Jerry. I was just behind a Trailblazer today that the only brake light working was the 3rd light. It is on a different fuse than the other 2 brake lights. I tried to get up to the driver but she was " IN A HURRY " and god forbid if someone got in front of her or next to her. I would say a cop got to tell her but I don't think they even care .
The only improvement of brake lights is flashing upon initial braking. Specifically at night when the rear of a vehicle is already lit red. In the busyness of some driving situation where there is light saturation driver fatigue or both the momentary flashing of red directly in front of a driver is extremely hard to ignore thus causing increase attentiveness. Static lights to include 3 tail lights are not effective in the long run.
So here's what I came up with... But the actual third brake light option doesn't work. The aftermarket system has a dedicated wire for the "brakes" signal. Our turn signal switch does it for the car. I have to figure out how to make the after market system work with the GM turn signal switch. Right now the light bar stays solid on middle with outer areas still moving. It's supposed to spread out and stay lit with no movement. The video is set for public, you should be able to see it. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10218587363019086&id=1347037948
You have to take the power for the 3rd brake light directly from the Brake light switch. Its the only way it will work properly
Correct! The left and right brake lights go through the turn signal switch. It separates the front and rear. Otherwise, when you hit the brakes, your front turn signals would lite up. On a lot of the GM's that only a third brake lite operating, it's most likely a bad turn signal switch or sometimes the hazard switch is faulty.
That’s why I like to have a louder/older car. They won’t want to look at their phone, since I touch the gas pedal too hard too often
I got to thinking about this comment and how the front signals never light up when braking. So that being said, I am going to connect signal wires from the front turn signals and the brake switch and run those to the back of the vehicle to the harness of the brake light assembly I installed. That will get me where I'm going. I figured someone would say something on this post that would get me closer to a solution. Thanks 19GS!
If you are just installing a 3rd brake light without any turn signals, just run 1 wire from the brake light switch (the wire that's hot only when switch is closed) to your 3rd light. If your 3rd brake light also has turn signals, run the turn signal wires from your rear lights. It would just be less wires to run.
