Anyone have this problem?
Where do we start looking?
Scott,
I would look under the dash first and see if somehow one of the wires didn’t come off the switch. The switch is mounted to a pin that comes off the side of the brake pedal up under the dash. If both wires are on then it’s likely it’s that switch.
Thanks. We checked. wires are there. Are you saying it might be the switch gone bad?
Is there a way to test that?
Remove brake switch from brake pedal and jumper the leads on the brake switch with a paper clip (be careful here to avoid shorting). The brake lights should be on.
Disconnect the wire plug from the switch. Then jumper between the leads on the plug like Midlife said, and see if the brake lights come on.
Alternatively, you could also put a voltmeter (set to resistance / Ohms) across the leads on the switch and then press the brake pedal. If the switch is good the resistance will go from infinite to zero, and back to infinite when you release the brake pedal.
Either way, be ready to spend a bit of time upsidedown and twisted around underneath the dash! But definitely test that switch before you jump to replacing it.
The switches go bad on a regular basis because, like the turn signal switches, they were barely capable of handling the current necessary to light up 6 bulbs. Easy to test, be sure that you buy the proper switch for your application if it is indeed the culprit.
Yep that’s the right switch
Don’t know if you have the switch changed out yet, but IMO I would pull the 4 body plugs under the drivers seat, and if the nuts will come off the seat tracks easy I would do that just for ease of access rather than contort oneself, especially being that you have a console.
Please do not jumper this with a paper clip. Go to Harbor Freight and buy a package of alligator clip leads. Better yet get a test light and see if you have power on both sides of the switch when you press the brake pedal.
If you jumper something with a paper clip and it pulls a lot of current, like a dead short the paper clip will instantly get so hot you can’t touch it and it might melt anything it touches. Alligator clip leads are insulated and they are a small enough gauge wire that if you do something foolish they will fail before you burn the car down.
The brake light circuit is one of the few that is hot all the time, so if bad things happen turning the key off won’t save you. The power lead for the brakes is also one of the larger gauge wires that can carry enough current to really make some smoke…
Right you are. I know better, but most folks don’t have alligator clips and pins. My bad.
Another trick I like to do is make a jumper with a fuse in-line. Good insurance when jumping circuits
Thanks all.
We couldn’t get the switch off. But something in the “jiggling” and “Tugging and pulling” to get it off… made the brake lights suddenly work again.
Huh.
I’m assuming this’ll come back again.
So, I’ll keep this thread alive… until then.
All you need to do to remove the switch is to pull that pin shown in your photo. Then the switch and the rod to the master cylinder will slid off the brake pedal. It is a bit hard to see but from your photos it appears that you are missing the plastic bushings that fit over the stud on the brake pedal. If the bushings are missing the switch will be a little loose on the stud and can move forward and backward a little. I do not know that it would have enough movement to cause your problem though.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
My son took the pin off… but couldn’t get the clearance to slide it off the brake pedal.
Any tricks I can give him?
You only need to slide the switch sideways a wee bit, then tilt it upward. The inside “hole” is actually a slot.
The whole rod rotates to get the switch and rod off the pin. The whole rod has to come off the pin, then you can remove the switch. You should get the plastic bushing if it is missing. Without it the brake lights will come on very late, if at all. Great way to get rear ended by another car and it will be your fault, not theirs if your brake lights are not functioning.
Thanks all!
Does WCCC sell the plastic part?
Anyone have a link for a 67?
I have the opposite problem. Brake lights and running lights work but turn signals stopped working. I had purchased all of the parts from WCCC to upgrade the turn signals and they were working great. Then they suddenly just stopped working. I do have one bulb that will not light up to full brightness but did not think that would be the problem. Does anyone have any thoughts on what could cause this? Thank you.
Don70
Check the fuse?