Ground wire switch @ rear bumper&Rear Main Seal Leak

[John ThreeSixteen]

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone. Hope all having a safe and festive holiday.

I wanted to ask if anybody has had to replace a ground wire (3 pin) switch that attaches to the trailer
harness. There are four, each equally spaced out on rear Tahoe plastic bumper cover. They look like
small round indentations.

The reason I'm asking is the wife backed into a retaining wall and dented in the bumper and broke
off the ground switch. The damage was not immediately apparent. Drove to church and somebody
spotted us and alerted us that we had no brake lights (left and right, middle window ok).

I have attempted to locate the switch with no success. Already checked at RA. My second option will
be my local Autozone and if not there then the Stealership.

Thanks in advance. Sorry can't load any photos at this time.

 

[Fless]

Year, make, model?

Why no pics? Worth 1,000 words....

For the brake lights check your owner's manual for the location of the rear lighting fuses.

The way it's described it sounds like an object sensor (reverse parking sensor) mounted in the bumper cover -- not necessarily a switch. Unless you're talking about something else.

 

[John ThreeSixteen]

Sorry, forgot to mention it is a 2013 Tahoe, LT, 5.3 liter. Yeah, need to get some photos for you
all...my apologies. But, yes, that looks like the part. Just need to find out where to get it.
Thanks for your reply...

 

[Fless]

Those shouldn't have any connection to the brake lights. Look for a blown fuse.

Rock Auto and typically any auto parts store has them or can get them.

 

[John ThreeSixteen]

Thank you so much for passing along all the information, Fless. You are probably correct to check the
fuse...I just saw the damaged bumper and broken switch with wire hanging down from the switch connection.
I'll check the fuse box and see what I can find. I'll also work on getting some photos uploaded.
Need to get into the 21st century...

 

[OR VietVet]

I recently fixed a park sensor on a NNBS rig like yours. The inner two are harder to do than the outer two. Your description does sound like two separate problems. Check fuses and grounds. Plus, post pics of the damaged area.

If you replace the damaged sensor and you are getting warning of still having a problem, you can use a mechanic's stethoscope and use a small rubber cone attached to the tube probe and listen at each sensor when in reverse and either foot on or off brake pedal, I forget, and you should hear a Geiger Counter static pulsing noise from each sensor. That means it is working. If silent, it is not. Then either there is a bad sensor or wiring problem.

 

[John ThreeSixteen]

Latest update: brake lights working after installing new bulbs. Oh yeah!
Got sensor a few days ago...ready to put on but waiting on Tahoe because
it is in the transmission shop getting a rebuild. Ahh. Sigh. If it is not one
thing, well, now it is another.

 

[John ThreeSixteen]

Well, another year and here is the latest on this thread. The sensor went in fine
and no codes or anything on dash. Thank you Lord this issue now fixed.
The rebuilt tranny drives like a dream....took a thousand mile road trip up
to northern Cal. After getting back and changing motor oil last week, come
to find out that there is a rear main seal leak. Back to transmission shop
and waiting to hear back. Looks like they are going to be replacing it.
Really thankful for that as it was not leaking before the rebuild.
All the best to everybody here.

 

[OR VietVet]

Why wasn't the rear seal done while transmission was out, anyway?