hey all,
i have a 98 accord ex. whenever i turn the headlights on, the brake lamp indicator on the dash turns on and my cruise control won't work. tailights all seem to be working, but after checking, i did see some crap floating around inside the bulb of one of them. i've had some water get into the drivers side tail light whenever it rains. Basically, when i open the trunk, water drains out of the bulb socket. Anyway, just seeing if anyone might know of any common problems like this.
thanks.

 

Fix the taillight gasket(s). Then dry out & clean up the bulb sockets.

That bulb-failure sensor works by comparing lamp wattage from side to side. A flaky bulb, dirty socket, or ...WET BULB... can set it off.

Another thing, check the brake switch down at the brake pedal. It almost sounds like the switch is stuck ON. In addition to the wet bulb socket. There's a rubber thing on the brake pedal, that pushes the switch when the pedal is UP. That rubber thing often falls out. Then the brake switch is never pressed to turn OFF the brake lamps. That explains why the cruise control doesn't work.

I think this all happens when you turn on the headlights, by power backfeeding from tail-lamp over to the brake lamp circuit.

 

It may also be the bulb needs replacement. The 7443 bulb is a dual filament bulb. One filament comes on when your headlights are on. Both suppose to come on when you step on the brake.

 

thanks for the info. i did inspect a little closer. when my headlights are not turned on and i hit the brake pedal, all brake lights work fine. however when i turn my headlights on, the brake lamp indicator comes on and my brake lights are on even without the brake pedal depressed. i haven't gotten a chance to look since your reply, but i'll try to check it out soon. thanks again.

 

today i was driving down the interstate and different lights on my dash started lighting up intermittently. SRS, doors ajar, etc. they were blinking. really weird. also, i notice when i hit the brakes, my D4 light on the dash (drive, reverse, neutral) dims. when i release the brakes, it lights back up.
thanks

 

That sounds like it's back-feeding through a ground, into all kinds of other unrelated circuits. Having a wet bulb-socket is never a good thing, so I'd fix that first. With luck, all the problems will dissappear.