help for an idiot

[E55D21]

Ok I admit I'm not the brightest bulb when it comes to electrical issues..
There's a "can" under the dash under the radio, near the ash tray.. It's a round can about the size of my thumb.. I have no clue what this is, or what it does.. It's got a 3 prong plug on it.
The outside of the can fell off exposing the inards. It shorted on the dash blowing a fuse.. It may or may not be related but I had breaklights until the incident with the can. I put the outside of the can back on and bent the tabs so it wouldn't come off again
Now for whatever reason I haved no break lights.. I have turn signals, running and flasher all work just not breaklights.
I traced power all the way through the breaklight switch on the break pedal.. Lossing trace once the wire off the backside of the switch goes back into the harness...

Since everything worked before I'm wondering if this "can" has anything to do with the breaklights..

 

[green1]

Pull it out, and take it to the store.

 

[daredevil]

sounds like the flasher. when it shorted it could have burned the turn signal switch thus no brake lights.

 

[71DartGuy]

^^I'm gonna agree with DD on this one.

 

[waggin]

it's the delay for the light on the ignition switch,about the size of a dime by about an inch,flasher has two prongs and bigger around

 

[E55D21]

it's the delay for the light on the ignition switch,about the size of a dime by about an inch,flasher has two prongs and bigger around

I think that's it... Now I do recall the dome light wouldn't go out so I pulled the bulb... So if I disconnect the can, it should'nt effect anything.

Looking at a wiring schematic off of the mymopar site I see the white wire from the brake pedal switch goes into the the "black hole" of the turn signal switch.

So I'm at a loss of what to do next... tear into the the turn signal switch??

 

[E55D21]

Following your suggestions I started looking into the turn signal switch.. After looking poking and prodding I solved the problem,, Turns out there's a wire jumper on the backside of the turn signal cam that jumps 2 terminals for the brake lights. The wire looked to be like a paper clip in diameter and appearance. After bending the wire to made better contact with the terminals I got the brake lights functioning properly...

Thanks for the help and advise..