How Do Brake Lights and Tail Lights Work?
Your tail lights help the drivers behind you identify your vehicle in dark, foggy, or overcast conditions — essentially anytime you’d need to have your headlights on. When you turn on your headlights (or if they flip on automatically), your tail lights will engage.
Meanwhile, your brake lights alert drivers behind you that you’re decelerating or slowing down to come to a complete stop. Your brake lights will illuminate when you press on your brakes or engage your vehicle’s parking brake.
In addition to your tail and brake lights, your white backup lights are located at the rear of your vehicle. Your backup lights will engage when your car is shifted into reverse.
Are Tail Lights and Brake Lights the Same Bulb?
One globe (or bulb housing) may contain your tail, brake, and backup lights. Or, they could be split into separate globes. And yes, in some vehicles, the brake light and tail light share the same bulb. When tail lights and brake lights share the same bulb, they use separate filaments (or conducting wires) for each, allowing your tail lights and brake lights to trigger independently. Not all cars use a shared taillight and brake light bulb. Some cars require two separate bulbs, and many newer cars forgo bulbs altogether in favor of LED lights.
How to tell the difference between tail lights and brake lights
Both your tail lights and brake lights are red. However, your brake lights are often more vibrant and bright than your tail lights.
Pinpointing Rear Light Problems
Have you found your brake lights are not working but your tail lights are? Or maybe your tail lights dont work but your brake lights do? Here are the most common causes.
Burnt Out Bulb
A bad bulb is one of the most common reasons your brake lights, tail lights, or both aren’t working. Much like the light bulbs in your house, the light bulbs in your car’s tail lights and brake lights need replacing from time to time. Luckily, replacement bulbs are relatively inexpensive and easy to swap.
Socket, Wiring, or Circuit Issues
The actual bulb socket is susceptible to corrosion or contamination — which can cause your tail lights or brake lights to go out. Your wiring can also fray, split, or come detached at the circuit. The fuse panel that powers your brake lights, tail lights, or the circuit can experience issues due to contamination, corrosion, or aging. Any of these issues can impact your tail lights, brake lights, or both. In any case, it’s best to let a professional tackle your vehicle’s electrical problems.
Switch Problems
Your brake light switch can go out, which would cause your brake lights to stop working without impacting your tail lights. Your brake light switch is a small switch located within your brake system. When you press on the brake pedals, the brake switch is activated. The brake switch allows power to be sent to the brake lights, causing your brake lights to switch on. A brake light switch can prevent the lamps from operating. A brake switch replacement could have your brake lights up and working again in no time.
Fuses
Your car has one or more fuse boxes that contain all of your fuses. Often, there are two fuse boxes: one under the hood and one within your dashboard. An open fuse occurs from high current flow or low resistance. An open fuse can render your brake lights or tail lights inoperative until your vehicle is diagnosed and repaired.
Select the Right Replacement Parts for Your INFINITI
Before you take to the road ahead, check out the lights behind you. Your tail lights and brake lights play a crucial role when you’re behind the wheel. They help you communicate with other drivers and improve your visibility on the road — which, in turn, can help you avoid a collision. Don’t take chances with your INFINITI’s tail lights and brake lights. For quality you can trust, order OEM-made bulbs and other electrical system parts from Genuine INFINITI parts today.