No Brake Lights

I just Bought a 1994 Pontiac Trans Sport 3 dr but the Brake lights dont work.Is there a way to hot wire them?,and if so how.I need to get these fixed.Also it does not start all the time either if turns and turns sometimes but nothing wait a little while sometimes not,squirt ether in carb starts every time.Whats the problem please?

DOes the turn signal work?
DOes the 4way hazard function? IF hazard work and not brake, then the stop lamp switch is dead or blocked. Brake and hazard use the same fuse. TUrn Flasher uses a separate fuse.
DOes the rear window center stop light work?

ABout starting...what engine is it?

DOes the turn signal work?
DOes the 4way hazard function? IF hazard work and not brake, then the stop lamp switch is dead or blocked. Brake and hazard use the same fuse. TUrn Flasher uses a separate fuse.
DOes the rear window center stop light work?

ABout starting...what engine is it?
The hazard lights do work,the middle light does light up when you push the brake.3.1 engine

Turn indicators, left and right: work or not?
I understand hazard lights work, both front and rear, hence circuit is OK to all those lamps.
Middle brake light does light up, hence brake switch works.

THis is a bizarre twist.....it looks like a splice carrying the brake signal past the middle light is gone.
Is there a transfer switch or connection for a trailer attachement installed? ?!?!....even there, hazard and brake use same circuitry ....weird....

one more test: if you manually turn the parking lights ON, will rear hazard work ?

About starting problem: FUel pump is fed through the fuel pump relay at start, then through oil pressure switch once started. It looks you have no feed until engine is running where oil pressure kicks in and maintains pump. CHange fuel pump relay (front, near passenger side headlight)
http://www.avigex.ca/xport/relays.jpg

Turn indicators, left and right: work or not?
I understand hazard lights work, both front and rear, hence circuit is OK to all those lamps.
Middle brake light does light up, hence brake switch works.

THis is a bizarre twist.....it looks like a splice carrying the brake signal past the middle light is gone.
Is there a transfer switch or connection for a trailer attachement installed? ?!?!....even there, hazard and brake use same circuitry ....weird....

one more test: if you manually turn the parking lights ON, will rear hazard work ?

About starting problem: FUel pump is fed through the fuel pump relay at start, then through oil pressure switch once started. It looks you have no feed until engine is running where oil pressure kicks in and maintains pump. CHange fuel pump relay (front, near passenger side headlight)
http://www.avigex.ca/xport/relays.jpg

Yes the Hazards do wotk with lights on.I am stumped,any way to hot wire to work?

..I presume the turn indicators work also......
From the diagram here
www.avigex.ca/xport/brakeswitch.jpg
..it seems we have a broken feed from the brake switch to the combined hazard/turn switch , while the middle light works and proves the brake switch itself is OK. (I have added the middle light cause does not exist in '93 and I think this is where it would be connected...I"ll ask Nicke66 to check with his diagram).
My opinion is that feed from brake switch to the hazard/turn switch is disconnected; all wires that go OUT of this switch to the lamps are OK since hazard work and they use exactly same wiring as brakes and turn signal.

..I presume the turn indicators work also......
From the diagram here
www.avigex.ca/xport/brakeswitch.jpg
..it seems we have a broken feed from the brake switch to the combined hazard/turn switch , while the middle light works and proves the brake switch itself is OK. (I have added the middle light cause does not exist in '93 and I think this is where it would be connected...I"ll ask Nicke66 to check with his diagram).
My opinion is that feed from brake switch to the hazard/turn switch is disconnected; all wires that go OUT of this switch to the lamps are OK since hazard work and they use exactly same wiring as brakes and turn signal.

I have hot wired off the middle brake to the right turn signal hot wire.The brake lights work ,left turn signal worksfine when pushed and released,the right one does not blink when brake is pushed,when it is releasd it does,also now the middle brake light blinks with the right turn signal,just aint my day.What should i do?i am disabled with emyphsema and its hard trying to work out in this cold,so any quick relief would help.

You have done the best in the circumstance and I'd be comfortable with that, and all you describe is totally consequent the way it is wired now, so you have not caused anything weird: just normal in the circumstance. THe fact you bypass the switch causes what you describe and it cannot be solved to "standard" behaviour unless all the switching is duplicated, which is impractical. So for the time being, I say live with it until you have time and conditions enabling to investigate what is wrong with the brake feed to the steering column turn/hazard switch: the problem is obviously between the brake switch and the turn hazard switch, but this is in a cumbersome area and wait till you can work confortably. I feel you are safe now.
One alternative would be to separate the 2 brake lights on each side, and leave one bulb only on the normal circuit, and then connect the other bulb to the center bulb. Like this, you one bulb would be stricly for turn and hazard, and one bulb (on each side) for the brake....but personnally, I would not do it because all this would require to return to normal once the real cause is solved and cutting these wires leaves room for corrosion and..ahh...yes..inside these light clusters, I think it is like printed circuit, so no joy...and even if you could, a missing bulb in the flasher circuit can impair its workling...(except so called "electronic" flashers that are independent of load)...so you could end up worse that you are.

One possible small refinement to your temporary solution : I would install a diode on the wire that you have run from the center light to the right brake/turn/hazard lights. IN that way, the right turn flasher voltage would not feed back to the center light... you need a 4 amp diode. The brake lights will have a slight drop in intensity.

You have done the best in the circumstance and I'd be comfortable with that, and all you describe is totally consequent the way it is wired now, so you have not caused anything weird: just normal in the circumstance. THe fact you bypass the switch causes what you describe and it cannot be solved to "standard" behaviour unless all the switching is duplicated, which is impractical. So for the time being, I say live with it until you have time and conditions enabling to investigate what is wrong with the brake feed to the steering column turn/hazard switch: the problem is obviously between the brake switch and the turn hazard switch, but this is in a cumbersome area and wait till you can work confortably. I feel you are safe now.
One alternative would be to separate the 2 brake lights on each side, and leave one bulb only on the normal circuit, and then connect the other bulb to the center bulb. Like this, you one bulb would be stricly for turn and hazard, and one bulb (on each side) for the brake....but personnally, I would not do it because all this would require to return to normal once the real cause is solved and cutting these wires leaves room for corrosion and..ahh...yes..inside these light clusters, I think it is like printed circuit, so no joy...and even if you could, a missing bulb in the flasher circuit can impair its workling...(except so called "electronic" flashers that are independent of load)...so you could end up worse that you are.

One possible small refinement to your temporary solution : I would install a diode on the wire that you have run from the center light to the right brake/turn/hazard lights. IN that way, the right turn flasher voltage would not feed back to the center light... you need a 4 amp diode. The brake lights will have a slight drop in intensity.

Thank You very much
The time and energy you have gave in this endeaver is way beyond the call of duty.Any automechanic would of charged me a arm and a leg for the time and info you have,I will tell all my friends of this wonderful sight and the the men that make it happen.Once again Thank You!

My pleasure. How about the starting problem?
By the way,I have added some details to www.avigex.ca/xport/brakeswitch.jpg
..and the 2 brake filaments in tail light cluster are indeed linked by a yellow wire, not printed circuit
www.avigex.ca/xport/taillightRH
IN fact, you can test the ability of the flasher to function with a reduced load simply by removing one of the bulbs. If it flashes at normal rate, it is OK then the option of splitting the filaments between brake and turn/hazard is open....and after a night sleep, I might be tempted to do it..if running a separate additional wire to each cluster is practical. If the flasher flashes at a weird rate or not at all, then using an "electronic" flasher would work it out. (electronic flasher are installed if a trailer attachmenet option is used because of the expected variation in electric load).

Yes the Hazards do wotk with lights on.I am stumped,any way to hot wire to work?Hey guys i installed a new fuel pump relay and it still doesn't start,I still have to put starting fluid in after the first start or it wont start,it also kills as it its running after about 2 or 3 minutes of idling could it be fuel filter?

HAs the EGR valve been ruled out?
DO you have CEL on?

THe way you describe it now makes me think of several who solved similar kind of problem by replacing the Crank Position Sensor....but this should probablr light up the CEL, but a few with that problem did not report a CEL . TYpical behaviour: car hard to start..or starts then stops after a few minutes, or start the first time then after a short stop to the pharmacy, would not restart again...does that figure?

HAs the EGR valve been ruled out?
DO you have CEL on?

THe way you describe it now makes me think of several who solved similar kind of problem by replacing the Crank Position Sensor....but this should probablr light up the CEL, but a few with that problem did not report a CEL . TYpical behaviour: car hard to start..or starts then stops after a few minutes, or start the first time then after a short stop to the pharmacy, would not restart again...does that figure?


It starts when i first get in ,after that if i shut it off it will not start again unless i shoot starting fluid in the carb.or if i let it sit for 15 minutes then it will start.when i am going down the road and come to a stop sign i have to keep it reved up or it will kill and i have to use starting fluid again,if i let it idle eventually it just dies and then the fluid again or let it sit 15 minutes.

It starts when i first get in ,after that if i shut it off it will not start again unless i shoot starting fluid in the carb.or if i let it sit for 15 minutes then it will start.when i am going down the road and come to a stop sign i have to keep it reved up or it will kill and i have to use starting fluid again,if i let it idle eventually it just dies and then the fluid again or let it sit 15 minutes.

aLSO WHEN I AM TRYING TO START IT NO GAS IS BEING SEEN GOING INTO THE CARB WHETHER I PUMP IT OR NOT.

aLSO WHEN I AM TRYING TO START IT NO GAS IS BEING SEEN GOING INTO THE CARB WHETHER I PUMP IT OR NOT.
i DID A CODE CHECK AND THE MAF SENSOR WAS BAD SO THE CODE SAYS I WILL REPLACE IT TOMORROW AND SEE IF THAT DOES IT.sTILL DONT HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORKING PROPERLY.WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL DOESNT BLINK THE OTHERS WORK JUST THAT AFTER I HOT WIRE FROM THE MIDDLE BREAK TO THE RIGHT SIDE.

i DID A CODE CHECK AND THE MAF SENSOR WAS BAD SO THE CODE SAYS I WILL REPLACE IT TOMORROW AND SEE IF THAT DOES IT.sTILL DONT HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORKING PROPERLY.WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL DOESNT BLINK THE OTHERS WORK JUST THAT AFTER I HOT WIRE FROM THE MIDDLE BREAK TO THE RIGHT SIDE.

MAF DID NOT WORK STILL DOESNT START AFTER FIRST ONE

I read through the thread and do not see engine type. Since you are talking of "carb" it makes me think of the 3.1 throttle body injector....and then at least until 93 there were no MAF sensor on the 3.1 , but a MAP sensor...please light up my bulb......

94 Pontiac Trans Sport Van 3.1, and yes it does have a MAF,No gas at all, goes into the carb when i turn the key after the initial start, or if i wait 30 minutes ,then it will start but back to the starting fluid ,after that and it will not idle at stop signs and if it dies I have to spray Starting Fluid in to get it started again.WHAT IS IT ?PLEASE!!!!!!!!

THis
www.avigex.ca/xport/31fuelcontrol.jpg is from '93; this is the "output" side, does not show input sensors, and should be representative of yours too.
What you describe really looks like lack of fuel at startup.
On a cold start, when someone else turns the ignition ON, and you look into the throttle body, do you hear the pump for 2 sec (about) and do you see the 2 injectors spray fuel into the throttle body during these 2 sec.?
Then when hot , if you do same thing, do you hear the pump?...and do you see the onjectors spray fuel? ( last answer is no from what you have described...). First step is finding if the problem is with pump control or injector control.

THis
www.avigex.ca/xport/31fuelcontrol.jpg is from '93; this is the "output" side, does not show input sensors, and should be representative of yours too.
What you describe really looks like lack of fuel at startup.
On a cold start, when someone else turns the ignition ON, and you look into the throttle body, do you hear the pump for 2 sec (about) and do you see the 2 injectors spray fuel into the throttle body during these 2 sec.?
Then when hot , if you do same thing, do you hear the pump?...and do you see the onjectors spray fuel? ( last answer is no from what you have described...). First step is finding if the problem is with pump control or injector control.
I found out someone had moved the fuel pump relay to another spot so i had the relay in the air cooler fan.Now it worked fine till about 5 minutes ago, going to the store, it started to kill at stops again,. could i have messed up the relay in the wrong hole or if it keeps blowing relays what would cause that??

I kind of understand that after installing the new relay in the actual pump socket, it started well and ran for a while without problem....then after unspecified time, it went awry again....is that right..?
..those relays are similar so using it for the fan was not detrimental. Excessive surrent drawn by the fuel pump (this has been reported in the past) might damage relay contacts..but I'd expect that to blow the fuse too...to have a clear idea, I'd try to have an ammeter connected to the pump feed, should not read much more than 10 amps....(I'll double check that)..
may be this could help www.avigex.ca/xport/fuelpumptest31.jpg

I kind of understand that after installing the new relay in the actual pump socket, it started well and ran for a while without problem....then after unspecified time, it went awry again....is that right..?
..those relays are similar so using it for the fan was not detrimental. Excessive surrent drawn by the fuel pump (this has been reported in the past) might damage relay contacts..but I'd expect that to blow the fuse too...to have a clear idea, I'd try to have an ammeter connected to the pump feed, should not read much more than 10 amps....(I'll double check that)..
may be this could help www.avigex.ca/xport/fuelpumptest31.jpg
fuse was not blown