| wlobb | -- 03-23-2025 @ 12:33 PM |
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Hi everyone, this one really has me pulling my hair out. My '51 custom’s brake lights are in intermittent at best. I’ve spent a few days tracing wires, testing wires and connections. The wires are good, hooked up properly, the turn signals work and the taillights work. So, today I decided it has to be the brake light switch on the master cylinder. I made a little jumper wire with two bullet connectors and shorted out the two contact jacks at the switch, flipped on the battery and I have lights so it’s got to be the switch, right? I replaced the switch with a new one same thing no brake lights, so I figure maybe I got the wires crossed, although it doesn’t look like it matters, they’re both black wires. I cross the wires still no brake lights. So, I take the old switch up in my shed to use my multimeter and vise and press a little allen wrench inside against the copper inside the switch and it goes from infinite resistance to zero ohms. That tells me the old switch is working. Does anybody have any insight? The master cylinder is working, I mean when I step on the break the car stops. It actually stops pretty good for old juice brakes. I’m going back out there now to run something inside the hole in the master cylinder and see if it’s clogged, but when I took the first switch out some brake fluid ran out so I don’t think it’s that I’m open for anything at this point. Thanks, Bill
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| carcrazy | -- 03-23-2025 @ 3:31 PM |
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Has the car been stored outside or in a high humidity area? If so, the connections between the wires and the brake light switch may have corroded causing the symptoms you are experiencing. You can clean the connections with fine sandpaper on both the male and female connector surfaces and then gently compress the female connectors to ensure they are making good contact and check the brake lights for proper function. I have heard that if you use DOT 5 brake fluid, the hydraulic type of brake light switch may not work reliably and you might want to consider using a mechanical brake light switch instead.
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| wlobb | -- 03-23-2025 @ 4:54 PM |
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Thank you! The wires and all connections are clean, but I think you may have nailed it with the brake fluid! Thank you! I didn't think of that.
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| mikecnc | -- 03-24-2025 @ 8:38 AM |
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I had a similar problem last summer with my 53 Customline; checked connections, etc and replaced brake light switch on master cylinder. It turned out that it was the turn signal switch.
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