Thread: I need a new brake light switch!!!

Tweet

my 14 year old one is from Carquest..they sell Standard stuff also I believe.

I like these kind, no plumbing required. basicly it's what's on a 40 Chevy & other car/trucks....joe

TooManytoCount, By some chance do you have a photo of how that mechanical switch is mounted? The floorboard in my 'glass'29A is sloped up at a 45 degree angle where the pedal goes through and it seems I will have to mount that switch on the floorboard on the inside but that puts it where a foot on my high beam switch might mash/bend the flimsy arm on the switch?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Are there brake pressure switches that engage at lower pressures?

You can buy a pressure switch that engages as low as 10psi. This doesnt make the light response time significantly faster.

Another photo of the universal mechanical switch mounted on floorboard. Hope this helps.

Pat

Thanks Pat,

That is an excellent picture. The switch you show is the mirror image of the one I got from Speedway and today I looked at at least three, maybe four, similar switches in the Car Quest catalog, yours, the mirror image and two other ways the bracket faces but they are not cheap so I need to make the one I have work rather then buy all of them till I get one that fits. Then I ordered a low pressure switch from Ron Francis, but I am going back and look to see if I can mount the mechanical one I have in the way you show. That is a great picture! My hydraulic switch is in the lime already but facing down so I would need to bleed the brakes again if I put in the Ron Francis low pressure switch. To answer the question above Ron Francis does sell a low pressure switch to work with silicone fluid or just come on sooner. It is possible to put both switches on line in parallel and maybe I will do that eventually. It is hard to put a price on the help I get from this Forum, thanks again!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don the pic Pat shows is how mine was placed & mounted...joe

Thanks Joe,

I rotated that switch around the hole every way but the obvious orientation directly across the pedal arm, partly because my 'glass floor is flush and does not have the rib Pat shows and partly because I just didn't see it! That picture really helps me but I may have to shim the mount so that the arm of the switch is straight across.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don...you're welcome sir. Glad the pic jogged your thinking a little bit. I've been there many times before trying to figure out how to do something and usually overlook the obvious. As a matter of fact, my 9 year old grandson helped me with a problem this summer!! LOL

Good Luck

Pat

I just replaced my second brake light pressure switch. I had one go out right after I got the car and one went out over the winter (about 5 years later). While not a difficult thing to replace, I don't want to drive without brake lights either.

I read that too much current through the brake light switch can cause premature failure. Since I run halogen tail lights, a third brake light and sometimes pull a trailer with halogen lights and a third brake light, I figure I'm pushing the limits.

I installed a relay under the dash and connected it to fuse panel and the brake wiring. Now when I push on the brake pedal, only a small current goes through the pressure switch and it then supplies a higher current to all the lights. It wasn't hard to figure out and it's clean too. I also have another little LED light that I have in my third brake light that faces the front of the car, so I can see the light working in the rear view mirror.

One might have an issue with this setup as I've added a relay that can go bad too... but it is an easy - in the car fix, as I carry spare relays with me. It may not eliminate the pressure switch from going bad, but it could make it last longer.

Thoughts??
Jerome

Kurt, I went through two of the in line pressure switches in my T in two years. Finally had enough and replaced it with one I have used for years and years with no problems. It has been used on a lot of different Chevrolet cars over the years and has threads for most of the body, making it very adjustable. We also replaced the pressure one on my Son's T because it also failed in a year, and went to the one pictured below.

Here is a picture of it and the writeup from Advance Auto. All you have to do is build a little tab with a hole drilled in it so you can slip this switch into it. As the pedal moves it lets the button come out and activate your lights. I had the same one on my 27 for 7 years with no failures.

Don


ACDelco Stop Lamp Switch
Part No. D885 Warranty
Except CRCONT; Except POWER BRAKES; 2 DR, 4 DR, CONVERTIBLE


$8.89


Sorry for the small picture, that is all I could download from their site.

I mounted mine in much the same way as Pat mounted his. This is the unit I used and the link to Yogi's.

http://www.yogisinc.com/Detail.cfm/-...80/product.htm

Thanks guys for answering my question.
Though I am not sure how this got brought up again.
I'll take any good answers I get, till I get them finished.
Even though the origanal post was back some time ago.
Thanks Kurt