Still having problem with brake light switch help!!!!

DeBordEngineMan

DeBordEngineMan

Senior Member
I am new to this hobby I have had a few posts concerning help on things for my car but I am having the most trouble with the brake light switch I had a previous post on this a week or so back and still have the problem!!!!So mad I am just about ready to sell!!!!!! Here is what I have: new wiring harness, headlights work on both high and low, parking lights work front and rear, horn works, interior dash light works, Amp meter works shows charge with car running of about 8 amps turn headlights on amp meter goes to about 15 amps same with horn, parking lights a little less amps. Now with all that being said I have had one brake light switch and it didn't work right bought another from Brattons the other one came from Mikes Affordable but both imports, hooked it up and as long as you hold it in your hand it works, bolt it to the transmission and it will smoke the wire going to the generator take the wire loose from generator and all lights go out, you can also touch the two brake switch wires together and the brake light works,took all wiring harness off TWICE!!! and rewired to make sure it was right,everything seems to be wired right according Les Andrews book, Looked at all the wire, no bare spots with naked wire to short out I am going nuts trying to find this problem switch is insulated and not touching, maybe another bad,crappy,sorry,cheap,junky import I am so tired of this problem any help out there??? Bratton's sending another switch just in case that is the problem. Sorry for venting just sick of this. Anybody have a good original switch out there(if that is my problem) that they want to sell I am going to Arden on July 2nd to the car show and swap meet first time there if I don't get fedup and sell before then. Robert DeBord
 
Sounds like one of the wire terminals on the switch is shorted to the switch housing somehow. Do you have a multimeter? Check for continuity between the switch wire terminals and the switch housing. There shouldn't be any. If there is the switch is bad.
Good Luck,
Jon
 
UPDATE TO ORIGINAL POST: Went back out to try and check switch for shorts I unhooked the two wires going to the switch I touched each wire by there self to the transmission bolts one would give a good spark and the other would not is the one wire that sparked suppose to do that? It sparks the same way the switch sparks when I touch it to the transmission when I have the wires hooked up to it. May indeed have some thing wired wrong? Any thought on this new development? Robert
 
When you touch the two wires together did the brake lights come on?? If there a short and no brake lights. disconnect one brake light bulb and then touch the two wires together to see if there a spark and the other light comes on? If spark put bulb back in and disconnect the other bulb and then touch the two wires together to see if lights comes on.This way you know where the problem is? Did you change the brake light switch?
 
Robert you didn't say what style it is 28-29 or 30-31 but could the screws for the wires be to long and shorting out inside, have you tried shorter screws if possible or extra flat washers, if it keeps up you could insulate the stop light switch with rubber washers on the mounting bolts not right but would get you going til you find a good switch. If you have a continuity tester bolt the switch to the car with wiring unhooked and screw each wire screw in slowly while testing between screw and mounting bolt this should tell you if the screws are shorting it out.
 
This is the way it should be. One hot, the other not. What you are doing, is when you activate the switch, you then send juice to the other wire which is not hot, on to the brake light. If at any time you get a spark from the wires when hooking them up. You are showing a direct ground. As mentioned, I would look at the switch some more. The screws being to long could very well be your problem. To eliminate that possibility, just touch both wires to the switch terminals by hand. You should have not sparks. If it still sparks, then the switch is grounded inside somewhere. Open it up at look at the insides. It is a very simple switch. The continuity tester will tell you the same thing, if you know how to use one. I had to learn myself how to use one, so I don't presume everyone know hows. Hope this helps. Jon
 
Robert,
Eliminate the switch from the circuit a minute. In other words disconnect the two wires from the switch. One of the wires (the one coming from the headlight switch or the front of the car) should be hot or have voltage. The other wire coming from the taillight or back of the car should not be hot (no voltage).

Take the ends of the wire and put them together. Use a small screw in the terminals, or a short piece of bare wire. Just make sure you have a connection between the two. Tape them or insulate them in some way so they don't short on the frame. Check the taillight. Did the brake light come on? If so. I'll bet your switch is the problem.

Let us know and we will get it fixed.

Good Luck,
Jon
 
All good stuff here, just what to add one thing get a main line fuse now when you get your second problem and you will it will blow a fuse not burn wire, AL
 
OK guys I have found out the problem! I hope? As I said everything works on the car could touch the two wires together and the brake light would work so as many said check the switch... after pulling most of what little hair I have left out I looked closer at the switch used a meter worked fine. One of the two wires that hook to the switch was the problem I think? They looked like they were laying to flat on the bottom of the switch I bent the eye terminal ends away from the switch body so they were only touching the insulated washer and not any part of the switch housing. No more spark!!!! everything worked like it is suppose too!!! :D So I guess the ends were close enough to touch a little that is the only thing that I could figure out that I did. Whatever I did worked, thanks to all the help that I got maybe the old girl just heard that I was fedup and going to sell her! So I guess I will keep her a little longer....till the next problem! which I am getting ready to post. Thanks everybody!! Robert DeBord
 
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