A Crown Vic question

[knotquiteawake]

When we respond to a prowler, burglery alarm, or suspicious person call we generally turn off the headlights to be less visible. However, the brake lights turning on make it pretty much useless. I've heard some PI Crown Vics have some kind of kill switch for the brake lights.
My supervisors and I are interested in finding something like this for our units. Does anyone know if something like this exists and can be installed? Our units are the Interceptors so its already got most of the police options, my guess was that they didn't think to add it when we bought them.

[davis002]

It's a simple install actually... for any vehicle. If you have a business that installs equipment into emergency vehicles, they would likely be able to do it fairly cheap. All it really requires is a switch and a length of wire that cuts into the power for the brake lights. Given it's simplicity, if you are skilled at installing car stereos and amps, you should be able to figure it out on your own.

[T202]

In the "old days" we would hold the emergency brake release out while you gently stepped on the emergency brake pedal. It took some practice and sometimes if you step too hard on the pedal and your hand let go of the release, you would end up doing a 180 in the middle of the road.

[knotquiteawake]

i've been doing the ebrake thing at times. But like you mentioned it takes practice. And usually you need to be focusing on the call not on the driving. I'll look into our installer or into a self install.

[N. A. Corbier]

Blackout switches may be in some CVPIs, but Davis is correct. They're relatively easy to install.

[publicsafetyred]

The blackout switches we had in our patrol cars would turn off the brake lights, radio lights, and dash lights. I did get rear-ended while doing this once.

[Charger]

In my days working at GM, this came up from time to time... The PP Impalas (2000+) have a "stealth mode" button that kills all the exterior lights as well as the radio/dash lights... However it does NOT kill the brake lights, due to some federal traffic rule.. (Something required by NHTSA if I remember right).. But like everyone has said, they're pretty easy to wire up... Most departments do anyways... Kinda like the rear wigwags that alternate the brake lights & reverse lights... NHTSA has some goofy rule on the books that says even LE isn't supposed to flash their center brake light... But do you ever see any LE vehicles that flash the outer 2 brake lights only? Nope... (Actually, I've seen ONE, but it was a few years ago, and I think it's only because the center one was burned out as all the other vehicles from that department were flashing all 3.. lol)

[davis002]

NHTSA has some goofy rule on the books that says even LE isn't supposed to flash their center brake light... But do you ever see any LE vehicles that flash the outer 2 brake lights only? Nope... (Actually, I've seen ONE, but it was a few years ago, and I think it's only because the center one was burned out as all the other vehicles from that department were flashing all 3.. lol)

I can't say i've ever seen a police vehicle with a flashing third (center) brake light... At least not on any in Minnesota.

[N. A. Corbier]

They throw strobes in the tail lights up here, they don't flash via the wig-wag switch. But, yeah. I've seen the CMHTL or whatever its called flash on the old tauruses.

[Charger]

They throw strobes in the tail lights up here, they don't flash via the wig-wag switch. But, yeah. I've seen the CMHTL or whatever its called flash on the old tauruses.

CHMSL (Center High Mounted Stop Light) IIRC... I noticed a few years ago the strobes were becoming more popular in the CVPIs... Not sure if it was relevant, but I remember reading in a Galls catalog a couple years ago that they didn't recommend the rear wigwag for the CVPIs, and instead referred the reader to the hideaway strobes... Didn't give any explanation as to the reason though, and I haven't received a Galls in a while so I don't know if it still says that or not.

I can't say i've ever seen a police vehicle with a flashing third (center) brake light... At least not on any in Minnesota.

Hmm.. So apparently there ARE some LE agencies that follow the federal guidelines eh? Good to know! LOL All the departments around here (that use the rear wigwags, anyway) alternate the reverse lights with all 3 brake lights..

[N. A. Corbier]

Galls still states that the rear flashes will NOT work in Fords. They sell a 55 watt halogen flasher kit specifically for CVPIs. I wouldn't bother putting anything but red and clear strobes in tail/backup lights, if I want perimeter lighting, I want the thing bright.

[knotquiteawake]

Hmm... If there is a NHTSB regulation about the brake lights i might not be able to get the brass to do it. i'll try anyways though.
One of our units is going in to get its code3 equipment serviced soon (rear deck flashers burnt out or something). So i'm going to write a proposal titled "Tactial Approach Equipment for Patrol Units" explaining our current methods of tactical approaches and how much better they would be if we had a brake light switch.