Help, Brake light & Trac off light on

[kaseykfan]

I am having a problem with my 2000 WB Chevy Venture. The Brake light and Trac off light are on, but do not always stay on. I can be driving and suddenly they go off, but just as suddenly they come back on. I do not feel a problem with the brakes, but when the lights are on the Traction Control will not work on my van. I have never had a problem with warning lights before and am very afraid this is a major problem.

If you have had this problem in the past please tell me what I should do.

[AJT1961]

Notorious burned out plugs/sockets connecting the taillight assemblies to the wiring harness. There are many posts in this thread about the problem and it's pretty easy to fix. If you pull off your rear taillights and unplug them and inspect the plugs and sockets, you'll probably see your problem. If that's the problem, you'll need to replace the offending socket assembly along with that portion of the wiring harness (GM sells a kit for this). It can cause a lot of weird things to happen like the TCS light going on, multiple rear lights going on when you apply your brakes, and your turn signals speeding up when you apply the brakes.

[kaseykfan]

Thanks for your help, but I remembered that Onstar can do a diagnostic check to see what the warning lights are for. So I pushed the Onstar button and within a minute they told me that the brake fluid was low. I then took the the van (to the dealer) to get the oil changed and had them put in brake fluid. They also checked the brakes, which are fine. They had a hard time putting the fluid in because it is in such a difficult area to reach, but they did it and the lights have gone off. So far, the problem is solved. I am so glad I called Onstar. They saved me a very expensive visit to the dealer, which would have found the same problem Onstar found.

I am also glad I did not have to remove the taillights. I looked and you need a special tool just to remove the screws. This I do not have.

Thanks for your help.

[GregA]

The only "special tool" I can think of is a Torx screwdriver. Available at most hardware stores.

[maxvonb]

FYI...This same thing happened in my 2000 Chevy Venture...BRAKE light and TRAC OFF light were both on and the problem was low brake fluid. Fixed with simply adding Brake Fluid.
Safe Driving!
Shari