Dear Tom and Ray:

My '88 Nissan Sentra has a problem with its brake lights. My husband is a mechanic, and I told him about it. After a while he checked it out and said it was some faulty gadget under the brake pedal, which he adjusted. It worked for a while, but now the brake lights are failing again. Please tell me what's wrong before I get a ticket! My husband thinks the problem is all in my mind. Becky

Tom: Husbands often think their wives' automotive problems are all in their minds. But I can say with some certainty, Becky, that your problem is in your brake light switch.

Ray: There's a little, plastic switch behind the brake pedal that turns on the brake lights when you step on the pedal. It costs about five bucks, and yours needs to be replaced. He tried bending it back into shape, but that didn't work.

Tom: Tell him before dinner tonight that you want him to go out and replace your brake light switch. And if he tells you he can't do it because he's hungry, tell him that hunger stuff is all in his mind.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Back to the March 1994 index