8 replies to this topic

[ianbunyan]

Hi all,

I've done a search on TMF for 'brake light switch' but nothing of great relevance has come up, so asking here...

I have to press real hard on my brake pedal for the brake lights to work on my 74 austin mini. This has only happened recently.

Anyhoo, is it a plunger type switch near the brake pedal i need to look for and see what is wrong? or would there be something else i need to adjust somewhere? I've looked in the Haynes Manual but nothing there that I can see of?

My brake fluid levels are fine, and the brakes work just fine too.

Not driving her till I get this done as I know how annoying it is to follow someone who just slows down with no brake lights!!

Thankee

[dan__wright]

yes, in front of the pedal arm there is a little white microswitch, move this back (loosen the screew and it will slide) tighten it up and try again.

[Guess-Works.com]

so you are the later split brake system on your car, rather than the original single system which uses a pressure switch on the brake line for the brake light sender....

The later switch on the pedal box are a right pain, sometimes they just come undone and need tightenging, but more often than not replacing.

[ianbunyan]

Actually, I have the single brake system (all 4 brakes on one cylinder) ... so there is a pressure switch on the brake line ay? ... i THINK i have seen that in the engine bay on a piece of piping not to far from the flywheel cover. It has a plastic cone shaped cover on it, right??

A new one of these would do it then: http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=36731

[Guess-Works.com]

Yes, where the banjo junction is to split the NS and OS brake lines to the front wheels, instead of using a banjo bolt, there is a pressure sensor with a single two wires comming out of it.. I'll take a photo of mine...

Edited by GuessWorks, 20 June 2006 - 09:23 AM.

[ianbunyan]

Aaah excellent... I'm pretty sure that's the baby! Thanks for your help GW

[ianbunyan]

ps. can this be changed without bleeding the system?

[Dan]

Nope, you'll lose a bit of fluid doing this. Take off the reservoir cap and thread it back on with a thick-ish sheet of plastic under it to try to prevent loss, but some will always escape.

[ianbunyan]

In a true Napoleon Dynamite fashion, "Dangit!"

Well, time to call my mechanic (at the bottom of my road!) as I can't do stuff like that.

Thanks for all your help guys