No brakes/hazards

First things first: Yes, I have read all the older threads on this and other forums about this not uncommon problem. I'm sure it's a simple fix, but I was unable to find the cause of my problem with them.

92 XJ. 5 speed, power nothing.

No brake lights and no hazard lights. The hazards did work at one point under my ownership of this jeep, no idea about the brake lights- I never noticed until after the hazards stopped.
Bulbs and fuses are good. Turn signals, parking lights, tail lights and reverse lights all work. I see no corrosion or cuts on any wires or terminals.

Looking at fuse-block diagrams online and in the Chiltons manual have only gotten me confused though. (I'm a pretty decent mechanic, but an awful electrician) I'm comparing the fuse block to the one on page 6-28 of the Chiltons manual

In the manual, fuse location #12 (#12 on the block, its labeled #6 in the manual) should be a 15 amp fuse for my hazards and tail lights.
In real life.... there is no spot for a fuse in that slot. Wtf.

Additionally, the red wire coming out of the front of the fuse block goes behind the plastic panel by the drivers left foot and into a wire harness that goes to the rear of the vehicle. What the heck is that for?

I don't understand. My fuse block is missing fuses? Has an extra wire? I don't even understand how to check the brake pedal switch for power. What is my next step?

(This picture is rotated clockwise 90* to make it easier to read/compare to diagrams)

I'm not familiar with the 92, do you have a PDC under the hood? If you have a PDC Under the hood passengers side next to the battery, check fuse 15 or look inside the lid for a fuse diagram.

OK, I'm officially retarded.
I absolutely checked the hazard fuse in the PDC a few months ago when this problem popped up, and I would have sworn it was still good. But I checked it again today, and it still looked good outside, but I brought it into the garage (better lighting) and got a really close look at it, I could see it was popped.:doh:
It still wasn't easy to see in the better lighting, but yup, popped hazard fuse. Picked up a new one and ops check good.
I can't believe I've been driving around like this without brake lights for months, completely stumped, convinced it was a wiring issue, and all along it was a stupid $2 fuse, one of the first things I checked (poorly, apparently). Figures after I get to my wits end and start a thread it's fixed <24 hrs later.
:banghead:

Sooo... lesson learned for the next person who gets this problem... triple check the fuses. In fact, ask someone else who isn't a dummy to look at it too. Becuase even when you are 1,000% sure it's not a fuse, it still could be.

Don't beat yourself up, it's happened to me. Those hairline cracks can be almost impossible to see. What until you come across a fuse that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, that will really get you going.

Now hopefully it will last for awhile, you just had a weak fuse and not some kind of underlying problem that will blow your new fuse.

Yep. Same thing gapped to me this past week