Third Brake Light not illuminating

[csevel]

I posted a brief reply in one of the other threads but looking for anyone with tips on troubleshooting the rear upper brake light assembly.  I removed and resealed the outer lense due to water leakage and of course now it doesn't work!  I realize we can tackle from the inside and it probably shorted due to water intrusion but besides a voltmeter..any tips on where to look are greatly appreciated! 

Edited June 8, 2021 by csevel
Added content

[ScubaRx]

On mine, the wires were fairly short. It was hard to pull it back and out of the way. Maybe you pulled a wire loose while dealing with the leak. Checking this will probably require you to pull the insulation down again and possibly remove the cover from the inside (a wire could have pulled away from the LED strip and will need to be soldered back).

As a side note, a good voltmeter can save you a world of frustration.

[bhncb]

Sorry but I have to ask. You do realize this is not a brake light don't you? 

[ScubaRx]

2 minutes ago, bhncb said:

Sorry but I have to ask. You do realize this is not a brake light don't you? 

You are correct, it isn't now, but in the early models it was. Somehow, the nomenclature just stuck. We need to come up with a more accurate name.

[rideandfly]

3 hours ago, bhncb said:

Sorry but I have to ask. You do realize this is not a brake light don't you? 

Thinking the same thing. Guessing your light will not work with running lights on.

Edit: Running lights on our LE2:

[csevel]

OK, good to know! 

[SeaDawg]

Is yours led, or bulbs?

On our older 2008, the bulbs sometimes worked loose. Easy fix.

Five or six years down the line, replaced incandescent with led bulbs.

Of you have an led fixture, I'd be looking for a loose connection.  

 

[rideandfly]

3 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Is yours led, or bulbs?

On our older 2008, the bulbs sometimes worked loose. Easy fix.

Five or six years down the line, replaced incandescent with led bulbs.

Of you have an led fixture, I'd be looking for a loose connection.  

 

Our 2015 LE2 has a LED strip.

[csevel]

I guess I assumed the light functioned as a brake alert.  Mine is definitely an LED strip.  I will test when I hook up to go home to see if the light is illuminated when lights are turned from  Auto to ON. 

[SeaDawg]

2 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

You are correct, it isn't now, but in the early models it was. Somehow, the nomenclature just stuck. We need to come up with a more accurate name.

We call it third tail light.

Anybody have a better name? 

Other than "the place to look if you have a leak that looks like the rear window, but probably isn't?"

[BackofBeyond]

The Oliver sign.

[csevel]

6 minutes ago, BackofBeyond said:

The Oliver sign.

Its now the ILOVHER sign! 

[rideandfly]

3 hours ago, BackofBeyond said:

The Oliver sign.

That's what we call ours, Oliver Sign!

[Steph and Dud B]

Would be nice if they were still 3rd brake lights. 

[SeaDawg]

26 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Would be nice if they were still 3rd brake lights. 

I agree.  

[ScubaRx]

On 3/26/2023 at 4:12 PM, Steph and Dud B said:

Would be nice if they were still 3rd brake lights. 

RVIA will not allow that.

[Steph and Dud B]

34 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

RVIA will not allow that.

Wow, that's silly.

[bugeyedriver]

Position Light / Oliver Advertisement Light

[SeaDawg]

6 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Wow, that's silly.

Is what it is. Glad I have mine. 

You can add lettering, but Oliver  can't, since they must adhere to the arbitrary rvia  "rules."

[topgun2]

9 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

You can add lettering, but Oliver  can't,

Really?

 

[mossemi]

I have heard that Oliver did a lot of different things in the “old’n days”, but of course I wasn’t around then!

Mossey

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

I have heard that Oliver did a lot of different things in the “old’n days”

In this case - it was a one and done and never to be another.

[mossemi]

1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

In this case - it was a one and done and never to be another.

And I remember you telling me that you would rather be “lucky than good”!  But I think we were talking about fishing!

Mossey

[topgun2]

3 hours ago, mossemi said:

And I remember you telling me that you would rather be “lucky than good”!

The story of my life!

[ScubaRx]

On 4/21/2023 at 10:17 PM, SeaDawg said:

...You can add lettering, but Oliver  can't, since they must adhere to the arbitrary rvia  "rules."

I really don't think RVIA cares what lettering is placed onto the upper light. The reason it is no longer a brake light (and hasn't been since 2009) is it is against the standards set by RVIA.  Oliver has nothing to say about it.

As far as custom lettering went they would put anything you asked them to on it. We had "Outlaw" on our 2008 Oliver.

 

I forgot to tell them during our 2013 build to do the same.

As delivered in 2014...

They re-cut the overlay to say "Outlaw" and installed it for me a few years later.

It basically boiled down to who you asked.