Brake lights won't turn off and now car won't start

I just got home! I have a 2002 Ford Explorer. We got home, put our car in
park, turned it off and noticed the brake lights were not turning off, and
thought they were sticking. So we gently pulled on the pedal, and that
didn't do anything. So we thought we'd take a look at the fuse box.
After just eyeballing the fuses and not touching a fuse, we closed the
fuse box and then tried to start the car, and it won't start, and now it
makes a tack, tack, tack, tack sound when you turn the key. What the heck
just happened? It's been working perfectly fine, until now! Someone
please, give me some feedback.

There is a brake switch sensor bad. Same thing happened to me. I believe
the bill was 65 bucks.


"shellbellncheez" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
>I just got home! I have a 2002 Ford Explorer. We got home, put our car in
> park, turned it off and noticed the brake lights were not turning off, and
> thought they were sticking. So we gently pulled on the pedal, and that
> didn't do anything. So we thought we'd take a look at the fuse box.
> After just eyeballing the fuses and not touching a fuse, we closed the
> fuse box and then tried to start the car, and it won't start, and now it
> makes a tack, tack, tack, tack sound when you turn the key. What the heck
> just happened? It's been working perfectly fine, until now! Someone
> please, give me some feedback.
>

Also sounds like the constantly on brake lights drained the battery...

"Rush" > wrote in message
...
> There is a brake switch sensor bad. Same thing happened to me. I believe
> the bill was 65 bucks.
>
>
> "shellbellncheez" > wrote in message

>>, we closed the
>> fuse box and then tried to start the car, and it won't start, and now it
>> makes a tack, tack, tack, tack sound when you turn the key. What the
>> heck
>> just happened? It's been working perfectly fine, until now! Someone
>> please, give me some feedback.
>>
>

"shellbellncheez" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
>I just got home! I have a 2002 Ford Explorer. We got home, put our car in
> park, turned it off and noticed the brake lights were not turning off, and
> thought they were sticking. So we gently pulled on the pedal, and that
> didn't do anything. So we thought we'd take a look at the fuse box.
> After just eyeballing the fuses and not touching a fuse, we closed the
> fuse box and then tried to start the car, and it won't start, and now it
> makes a tack, tack, tack, tack sound when you turn the key. What the heck
> just happened? It's been working perfectly fine, until now! Someone
> please, give me some feedback.
>

After you recharge your dead battery, check the brakelight switch again.
Look under the dash on the brake pedal arm and inspect it.
Maybe it was moved somehow and needs re-adjustment.
Otherwise, just replace it.

gordo wrote:
>
> After you recharge your dead battery, check the brakelight switch again.
> Look under the dash on the brake pedal arm and inspect it.
> Maybe it was moved somehow and needs re-adjustment.
> Otherwise, just replace it.
>
A month ago, the brake lights in my 2002 Explorer XLT (140K miles) began
to stay on. I simply pulled out the brake light switch, opened it up,
cleaned it out, reassembled it, and put it back. Simple to do, took
about an hour, and solved the problem. If you decide to do it, take
careful note of the assembly order of the various small parts as you
remove the switch. When you go to put it back, it may not be obvious.

Bill