A couple of days ago I started getting the message "Check Brake Light" on my instrument panel. So I thought it was a bulb failure... I changed all the brake light bulbs & noticed the third brake light (rear windsheild light) would light up when I press on the brake but not the left or right rear brake light. Any ideas what this could be? Is it a separate fuse from the third brake light? The brake lights show no power, but all the other bulbs are working properly. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

 

BUMP... Hey Tech... or anyone else.... there are already 33 hits on this question & no replies.... Can it be the brake switch? I don't think so because the rear middle brake lights up. Or can it be a bad relay? Can someone PLEASE give a suggestion.... Thanks

 

Hi,

The Left and Right brake lights receive power through a common fuse and relay. The third light is independent, except for the switch which is common for all the lights.

The fuse and relay are located in the Rear Equipment Module, on the left hand side of the trunk. Check fuse 11D/3 (3rd fuse, 1st column) and if that is good move on to relay RMI5 (2nd row from the right, 5th from the bottom). You can swap the relay with another one on the panel for troubleshooting. If you swap it and the lights still don't work, there is a "shunt" labeled RSH6 which could also be your problem.

 

Was your car ever wired for the towhitch? I've seeing those causing very similar problems if wired sloppy.

 

you could also make sure the left and right brake lights have the correct bulbs in them, i'm not sure exactly what bulb but it should at least have two filaments.

 

Thanks for all the advise... I will try all the suggestions & let you know what happened.

 

Ok... Thanks.. at least I can rule out the brake switch... So I guess I'll check the fuses & relays you told me to check. Thanks!

 

Ok... This morning I checked the fuses & relays as suggested & the brake lights still don't work. I can't seem to find the "shunt" labeled RSH6... Any suggestion on where it's located? At this point, if I can't locate the shunt, I am going to take it to the Volvo dealer. Thanks for the advise!

 

Hi,

The shunts are the thin and long things on the REM. RSH6 is the very top one. I would swap it out with another one and try the brake lights, but don't plug the old one in the place of the one you are using for troubleshooting. If this doesn't work, you may want to look at connectors for loose pins or corrosion.

One last thing you could try is to swap out the relay and the shunt and reset the REM by removing its fuse for a few moments. I don't know if it will help, but the UEM will shut itself off if it detects a short in the interior lighting and will require a reset and the REM may act the same.

At this point, you are looking at a wiring problem or a problem within the REM or CEM.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Well after changing all bulbs & checking fuses, relays & shunts, I finally took my car to the dealer. Since I had to make them replace the fuel pump due to a recall, i had them check also my brake light problem & also replace the fuel filter. Total wait time was 3 hours & the final outcome was that insisted it was a bad relay. Even though I told them I checked it previously, they said that was the issue. So i ended up paying $200 (labor & parts) to change the relay & a new gas filter. (Gas pump was covered under the recall).

 

Right now mine keeps flashing quickly. My lights are fine.

 

Will the Check Brake Light message appear if any of the three brake lights (2 tail, 1 rear window) fail?

Also, someone mentioned that there are two filiments in the brake light. I just bought new and mine had only one filimen.t

 

Yep, if any of the bulbs, fuses or relay's go bad then the car will tell you.

That's correct, the S60 have seperate bulbs for the driving light and brake light, you only use the dual filament bulbs in cars that are using the same bulb for driving and brake light.

 

I also have a 2001 volvo s60 with the same message about check bulb. I did check bulbs fuses, relays, shunts all was good.Then one day I'm stoped at a light and I see my tip gage is at 900 miles.So I 0 it out. The very instant I do that my brake light start working.I don't know what one has to do with the other. But I was happy.

 

Same problem 2004 s60 It was the relay thanx for the help

 

I fixed mine by hosing down the fuse holder and relay with CRC Contact Cleaner and then working the spade terminals in and out to clean them.
I replaced the bulbs ( probably unnecessary) with all new ones (non-Volvo) so I have a four dollar fix.
One would have thought that the switching out of the identical relays would have had the same effect, what with all the pushing of spade terminals in and out, but it was not until I read about "voodoo-type" behaviour of these circuits by other posters that I thought to try cleaning the electrical plug-in contacts as well. That was the fix. DO NOT use WD-40, you need contact cleaner for this job.