About to go solo ,how do I check the brake lights?

The last freightliner I drove had a switch on the dash that would apply air to the brakes. It also would turn on the brake lights.

 

Have the company buy you a new 680 that will do an exterior light check with or without the trailer. ......

 

The Prostars that my company uses has a light test mode. You just hold in the work light switch for a few seconds while the engine is off and it will start cycling all the lights.

 

On my truck, if the air pressure is low enough for the low-pressure warning light & buzzer to be on, the brake lights are also on. So, as the air is building up in the morning I walk around and make sure my brake lights & turn signals are working. If you still have air pressure in the system, you can test the tractor protection valve and emergency brake along with the low-pressure alarms by shutting off the truck and pumping the brakes until the alarm comes on and valves pop out like they are supposed to do...then fire up the truck and do your walk around checking the lights as it airs back up.

Or if your truck has a hand valve for the trailer brakes, you could pull it down and walk around the truck (make sure tractor brakes are set before you do that in case the hand valve decides to release)...that will also activate the brake lights.

 

Wow, really old and long thread. I start my day when it's dark, so I just press the pedal and check the mirrors for brake lights.

 

Thread was started 1 day ago. Yup...it's REAL old & should probably be retired.

 

But wait I got one more idea and im amased nobody thought of it you need about 25 foot of loose wire you take a piar of wire strippers you strip a bout 1 inch on both ends go back to the end of the cab where the pig tail is unplug the pigtail socket find the brake light circuit wrape a bare end of the wire into end of the brake light circuit walk back to the cab climb up into the seat stick the other end into your mouth close your eyes and yank the trolly lever down if you see sparks between your eyelids and your eyeballs good chance there is juice to the sockit. works in daylight also.

 

Hood prop. That's how I do it. Think my Blue Point on cost something like $44 from the Snap-On truck... you can find them from $22 - $30 elsewhere.

 

I just press the check lights button on my KW. Goes through a repeated sequence of light cycles. High Beams, lows, brake lights, turn signals and marker lights. All I have to do is just walk around truck while this is happening. Nice convenience feature.