Heavy Equipment Forums Heavy Equipment Community

HELP PLEASE! 1998 INTERNATIONAL 2554 4×2 DUMP TRUCK NO BRAKE LIGHTS

Willyb2122 · 2023-06-08 13:17

Can anyone help me figure this out? I have a 1998 international dump truck. I bought a couple months ago. Guy I bought it from claimed he didn’t know they weren’t working. I saw wires where the casing was trimmed in the brake light near the bulb where someone has been troubleshooting before I bought it. Fast forward to now I knew it needed a flex plate put in it so I let a local shop do it that works on big trucks only. He’s had it a month and said what took so long was figuring out the brake lights and that he doesn’t see a brake light switch anywhere and it’s like someone removed it. Said it’s not like the other internationals he has in the junk yard. So I go pick it up yesterday and I get home and realize the brake lights are not fixed. The problem I have now is that he has wired something or jumped something and when I mash the brake pedal, it appeared to him that the brake lights were coming on, but it is actually just the running lights/tail lights. Upon mashing the brake pedal you also get the headlights coming on at the same time and if you actually switch the headlight switch on and press the brake pedal, then nothing changes at all because the tail lights are already lit up. I’ve got a call into him to call me back so we’ll see what he says but if he gets the wiring back right, can anyone tell me what to check for the brake lights? I have attached a truck pic, door tag pic, and relay panel pic. I’m willing to PayPal someone if you help me get this straight. I need this thing running safe for new side business and I keep getting minor setbacks. Very frustrating. Thanks

Replies3
  1. #1Jonas3022023-06-08 16:18

    The brake light switches can be at the pedal which I doubt on yours as it's an obvious location can also be behind the seat under the back panel, under the hood assuming it has air brakes I included pics of two different IH of simular vintage It will be just wire tracing and figuring out to get the lights working Dump truck wiring is always a mess and full of repairs it takes some patience and good luck to get them working A good looking little truck though

  2. #2AllDodge2023-06-08 17:19

    I have a 97 4700 with juice breaks so might not be able to help much

  3. #3Truck Shop2023-06-08 18:03

    Is it air brake or hydraulic brake-first. Juice brakes the switch is normally mounted at pedal and some are hidden higher up behind dash panel. If it's air brake the pneumatic switch will be can be located at a common air manifold, or plumbed at a valve, both will/should be obvious. sometimes there will be several mounted in a series, such as low air, trailer brake air.