High level stop light not working any fuse...?

Hi all,

Does the cente brake light have its own fuse? I checked bulb was okay then using multimeter I realised there was no feed going to it..... Is there a separate fuse on this one? Is there a feed coming from one of the other rear brake lights.... Cheers in advance if you know, Blanes
 
All sorted now. You were right Frank it was a broken wire between the tailgate and body in the rubber grommet section.
For anyone else, here's a little idiots guide and some photos for making the job easy.

1. Lift tailgate, unscrew the screws from centre brake light, check the bulb first!
2. Stick a large stick, bicycle pump or light sabre (that's what I used) between the seat and brake pedal to push the brake on. Use a multimeter to check the feed to the centre brake light bulb. You can take this off once you find if there is no power to the bulb!
3. If there is no feed, carefully pull out grommets (top right) between tailgate and car rear.
4.The wire has a cloth wrapping, so carefully cut throuh it and unpeel it. The wire that feeds the centre brake light is green and red with silver blobs on it every few inches, (it comes from a feed on the offside brake light.)
5.Give it a little tug. If it pulls out you know you have a snapped wire so pull the two bits out either side.
7.Get yourself some new wire that can handle 12 Volts.
8. Order a Chinese Takeaway. Keep it warm in the oven, but nick a chopstick.
9. Now take that chopstick. Lube it up with WD40, wiggle it through grommet to grommet carefully so you don't break other wires. Chopstick should be smooth and strong so shouldn't damage other wires.
10. Now gaffer tape the end of the new wire to the chopstick. Wiggle the chopstick back through with the wire on it.
12. Now join the new wire to the ends of the broken wire and use electrical tape or solder/insulate depending if you are a bodger or not.
13. Put the hatch up, you can then press pedal and see if centre brake light bulb now works.
14. If it does, put things back together, the grommets probably wont go back in so hook one side in, then spray a splodge of WD40 on them and you should be able to poke the other side in.
15. All done, you can now go back to the kitchen and eat your Chinese.

The best part of doing it the chopstick way, is its quick and you don't have to cut through the original grommets or rubber. It goes back like nothing has changed. Takes about an hour if you take your time, but be careful you don't damage the other wires.

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