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Forward Look Technical Discussions -> Electrical, Battery and Charging | Message format |
FINS! |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 943 | My recently acquired 1957 Imperial has no brake lights. All the other lights work, headlights & tail lights good on as they should, front and rear turn signals, parking lights. Nothing when I hit the brakes. Brake light stop switch is all I could think of. Any one have any other ideas? Thanks! | ||
DepsilonD |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 792 Location: Buena Park, CA | The switch is where I would start. And this may sound overly simplified, by you may want to check the bulbs too! | ||
LD3 Greg |
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Expert Posts: 1906 Location: Ontario, Canada | Since the rear turn signals and tail lights work, the bulbs are fine. The switch is at the end of the brake master cylinder. Check power to it, the pink wire, it should be hot all the time. Greg | ||
Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Those hydraulic switches have a tendency to gradually short out as they go bad too. | ||
NicksGarage |
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Expert Posts: 1223 Location: Ramona, CA | On my 300F, I had a lot of trouble with the brake lights working intermittently. I was getting ready to bypass the hydraulic switch and found that the bullet connector on the harness had broken loose. I had to cut both wires back a bit and make jumper wires to the switch. They work fine now. Also, people say that synthetic brake fluid can kill these switches. There are a couple threads on bypassing the switch and putting a mechanical switch under the dash like later cars used. | ||
60 dart |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 8947 Location: WHEELING,WV.>>>HOME OF WWVA | sometimes they get sludged up . unplug the wires at the pressure switch and use a short jumper wire to connect the two . if the brake lights come on , its the switch-------------------------------------later | ||
FINS! |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 943 | Thanks for the help guys. I am going to look into it tomorrow, make sure there is power going to the switch, will post back with what I find. | ||
FINS! |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 943 | Ok, so I have brake lights now, the wires connecting to the switch weren't on all the way (why I didn't notice that before I have no idea). However, with the wires plugged in the brake lights glow just a little bit all the time. They work as they should but the bulb stays just slightly lit which give me a battery drain. Any ideas on this one? Headlights, tail lights, park lights-- all work as they should. | ||
mstrug |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 6498 Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Brake light switch may have an internal fault causing a small amount of power across the terminal to ground inducing the bulbs to glow. | ||
Chrome58 |
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Expert Posts: 1316 Location: Belgium, 40 miles south of Brussels | NicksGarage - 2016-08-03 11:05 PM Also, people say that synthetic brake fluid can kill these switches. There are a couple threads on bypassing the switch and putting a mechanical switch under the dash like later cars used. That's what I did, for those exact reasons. I bought a simple mechanic switch and fastened it to the pedal assembly structure. Edited by Chrome58 2016-08-25 8:25 AM | ||
Rebels-59 |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Location: .Norfolk..Mafia.. ,England UK | As Marc says, The Brake Switch is allowing a slight current to constantly run through it,, So switch is bad.. I run synthetic brake fluid on my 59 CRL Dodge and last weekend my switch stopped working, to converted it to a electrical switch on the Pedal assembly.. As Vincent says, it seems Fluid Switches done like synthetic brake fluid . | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13045 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Hydraulic pressure switches cannot stand the synthetic brake fluid. If a leaking one is replaced with a new switch, it will start to leak within short. Anywhich way - a mechanical switch is better since it can be adjusted so that the brake lights comes on with only a light pressure on the pedal. It's milliseconds, yes, I know, but those milliseconds might be all the difference....... | ||
Phatton |
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Veteran Posts: 174 Location: Camptown PA | Sounds like your pedal free play is off. If you have an adjustable master cylinder rod - shorten it just enough for the bakes to go fully off then road test. | ||
60 dart |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 8947 Location: WHEELING,WV.>>>HOME OF WWVA | i used one of these @ 5 yrs ago with synthetic fluid , still works ---------------------------------------------------------later http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hydraulic-Low-Pressure-Brake-Switch-Made-in... | ||
ttotired |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 8443 Location: Perth Australia | Phatton - 2016-08-27 6:22 AM Sounds like your pedal free play is off. If you have an adjustable master cylinder rod - shorten it just enough for the bakes to go fully off then road test. I actually have a similar fault (I think slightly on will be a crook switch as well), but I do have the adjustable master cylinder rod and have the problem of the brake lights coming on by themselves, but it depends on how the rod is adjusted, 1/8th of a turn one way, lights come on by themselves, 1/8th the other way, and the brake lights are fine, but I have to pump the brakes up before driving, no fluid loss, just does it. I should make my own post about this (brakes are important) I dont want to derail this thread, this is more about the brake rod adjustment | ||
FINS! |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 943 | Thanks for the help guys. Any tips for getting these out of the master cylinder? | ||
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