Engine running rough- erractic idle

[tddurham]

Arg! I am so fustrated with this car right now. I have a first generation Nissan Altima, 1993. It is a great car, mostly.

I have so far replaced the front wheel axels (I think that is what it is called) after an accident it was in.

In Jan, I replaced the brakes, I keep up with the oil changes, I have replaced the alternator, the starter and just recently, a few weeks ago the fuel pump.

After replacing the fuel pump my brake lights stopped working, that same day! I wondered if the mechanics when they removed the back seat and put it back in might have compressed some of the wires, they wouldn't look at it again (crappy mechanics) so I took it elsewhere, they located the problem and said it was my brake light switch. Ok. Cool, brakes started to work again

Then the idle started running low and the car seemed to be jerking at low idles, took it back in, the distruberter cap had only two connections on it, with the other two worn down to nothing, replaced that (I had a tune up in Jan, I didn't replace wires, just plugs) So figure there was two wires that might need replacing, I wasn't paying the price they wanted me to for a full set, it is something I can do on my own!

Besides, drained the gas tank, letting it get to near empty and then the jerking stopped, figured it was a clogged fuel filter (which I would have hoped with the 600 dollars I paid to get a new fuel pump they would have replaced too, but no) and now it is idling fine.

Well, then one night someone knocks on my door, the brake lights were on while the car was off. Fine, I disconnected them. Reconnecting them when I needed to. And so on and so forth. Now....the brake lights are not working at all! I figure, maybe a blown fuse. The bulbs are fine, all the connections to the housing, fine, and the brake switch, brand spanking new! My only problem, I have three fuse boxes, two under the hood, one under the dash, I have checked all three and there is no spot for a fuse for the brake lights unless I disconnect them all and check them all.

So any help here? Before when my brake lights were not working, and I had this SAME problem it was a blown fuse. So I am almost certain that is the problem. Thanks!

[tddurham]

It is not the fuses. -sighs- I had them checked, it has to be somewhere in the wiring. I am getting power to the brake switch, now on to the wiring. -grunts-

[Rev_D21]

First gen Altimas are notorious for the ground wires going loose inside the taillamp housing. Check your ground connections.