OK, the car is a runner, rego'd the whole deal, then......
no brake lights. Check the globes, all good, replace the brake switch on the master cylinder, still nothing. I'm no sparky, but it appears there is no live feed there to the switch. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH, so I guess its off to Mr Auto Electrician unless anyone can steer me in the right direction!
have you checked your fusebox?
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom
Yeah sorry, that was step two after checking and changing the globes.
I know the switch has earth, but no power thru it. I'm just not sure which fuse goes to the brakelights and if they run off a solenoid that may be rooted
do you have a test light? if not go to a hardware store and buy one.
connect the earth clip to the chassis somewhere (somewhere metal) and then touch the other end onto the terminals one at a time, did the light glow when u touched one of the wires? if not trace the wire back to the fusebox, double check the fuse, double check connections, recheck the circut at the fusebox.
if it did have power at the cylinder switch get a mate to depress the brake pedal and check the other wire, it should glow now too, if it doesnt and the other wire had power then its your switch that needs replacing, if it now also has power and your brake lights still dont work then you have a break in your circut on the way from the swtich to the brake lights at the back of the car, trace the wires, check every connection.
check the wire for power (with the brake depressed (or with the swtich hotwired, just join the terminals temporarily together with some wire) just before it enters the loom to go thru the body channel to the rear of the car, then again as it exits the loom, check your earths for your rear lights etc.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom
The fuses often look good but have a bad contact. Give them a twist while squeezing the ends, but careful you dont burn fingers, if there is a bad connection, that high resistance turns to HEAT.
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
No power at the switch (which is brand new) whatsoever. I've tried tracing it back to the fuse box but my skills here are next to zero! The fuses have been checked 10 times, they are schmick! I'll take it to a sparky for a look see. I use to know a guy years ago so i might look him up and try to get rekindled mates rates! It's shitting me coz I can do everything else, except major wiring (can fit stereos)
the wire should be colour coded, maybe with a stripe around it, get under the car with a torch and a rag and find out exactly what colour at pattern the wire has. then open your bonnet, remove carpet etc and on the right hand side you will have the fusebox, below the fuse box there should be some heat shrinked wires coming out of a grommet not far above the fuel tank, look for the same colour coded wire and trace that back to the fusebox, or to whereever it goes and u should be able to work out whats going on, make sure u get a test light, if u dont understand electrics then now is the time to learn, not when ur on the side of the road in the middle of the night because your headlights died and u cant work out why etc.
save your money you shouldnt need a sparky.
fill in your location on your profile, someone in your area may be able to help.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom
Thanks mate, I'll give it more of a go myself in daylight.Had my kids this weekend and trying to fix some brakelights coz they wanna take a ride around the block in "Daddy's punchbuggy" was getting me a bit frustrated, but they can hold off for that ride for a fortnight. Details in profile filled in now!
Was cleaning up around the fusebox and I removed and inspected what i believe to be the voltage regulator. I opened it and found one of the two coils is burnt out inside. All the other electrics work, could this be the cause of brakelight failure?
Sounds like you have found something
Beach Buggy
74 L Beetle
Mk4 Golf
Friend had a similar problem with his beetle. He bought it around and I found that the wire had been joined and it had a break in the wire.Fixed the joint and all good. Check to make sure cable hasn't been joined somewhere in the past.
Steve
Don't know what I was on last night, but it isn't the voltage regulator, its some type of relay box, grey in colour and is screwed in just above the fuse box inside the bonnet/boot (what the hell do you call it on a bug when the engine is in the back???) Any ideas what it is? The earth from the brake switch goes straight to it.
Heres a pic anyway
[ Edited on 19-8-2007 by FunkBass ]
that looks like the headlight relay.
the black one is the flasher relay for indicators.
the headlight relay will have white and yellow wires a little thicker than most.
the brake light switch simply has power in and out. should be solid black wires. doesnt need an earth at the switch for the lights to work.
depending on the model some have an extra switch in the master cylinder, I think for brake warning lights on the dash etc.
Problem solved, thaks all, see new topic "Don't laugh I'm feeling fragile" in General chat!
