Hi all,
I finished bleeding my brakes last night and noticed this morning that the brake lights are on even if I'm not touching the brake pedal. Anyone have any idea what I have screwed up now?
I should mention that I removed the brake booster to weld the firewall back together. Is it possible that I missed something when I reinstalled the booster? I've driven about 20 miles since putting it back together and the brakes are working well.
Thanks,
Charlie
Brake Lights Always On
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CharlieB
- Posts: 237
- Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 8:01 pm
- Your car is a: 1976 Fiat Spider
Brake Lights Always On
1976 Fiat 124 Spider
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18Fiatsandcounting
- Posts: 3798
- Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
- Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
- Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Re: Brake Lights Always On
Hi Charlie, nope, you didn't screw anything up, and it should be an easy fix. The switch for the brake lights is near the top of the brake pedal arm, and it has 2 wires going to it, one red and one white. The red goes to the brake lights in the rear, and the white goes to the fuse box.
What likely happened is that this switch got slightly out of adjustment, and it doesn't take much as it's supposed to come on when you depress the pedal even slightly. There should be a plastic locknut on the shaft of the switch, so loosen that and screw the switch in or out until you get it so that the brake light comes on when the pedal is depressed a quarter inch or so. Or however you like it. You may have to remove the wires to turn the switch body, so remember to reconnect them (and retighten the locknut).
One other possibility is that you have a short across the two wires with a loose piece of metal or the like, but that's pretty unlikely. If you had a short to ground, it would have blown a fuse so that's not the issue.
-Bryan
What likely happened is that this switch got slightly out of adjustment, and it doesn't take much as it's supposed to come on when you depress the pedal even slightly. There should be a plastic locknut on the shaft of the switch, so loosen that and screw the switch in or out until you get it so that the brake light comes on when the pedal is depressed a quarter inch or so. Or however you like it. You may have to remove the wires to turn the switch body, so remember to reconnect them (and retighten the locknut).
One other possibility is that you have a short across the two wires with a loose piece of metal or the like, but that's pretty unlikely. If you had a short to ground, it would have blown a fuse so that's not the issue.
-Bryan
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CharlieB
- Posts: 237
- Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 8:01 pm
- Your car is a: 1976 Fiat Spider
Re: Brake Lights Always On
Hey Bryan,
Ok good, that sounds easy enough and is most likely what happened. I probably got a bit aggressive when I was reattaching everything in the footwell.
I'll take a look this afternoon.
Thanks again,
Charlie
Ok good, that sounds easy enough and is most likely what happened. I probably got a bit aggressive when I was reattaching everything in the footwell.
I'll take a look this afternoon.
Thanks again,
Charlie
1976 Fiat 124 Spider
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CharlieB
- Posts: 237
- Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 8:01 pm
- Your car is a: 1976 Fiat Spider
Re: Brake Lights Always On
Yep, that was it Bryan.
I wish all of my issues were that easy to fix.
Thank you,
Charlie
I wish all of my issues were that easy to fix.
Thank you,
Charlie
1976 Fiat 124 Spider
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18Fiatsandcounting
- Posts: 3798
- Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
- Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
- Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Re: Brake Lights Always On
Glad you got it fixed. But fear not, the next issue won't be as easy. Reversion to the mean, the Law of Averages, Karma, that sort of thing! 
-Bryan
-Bryan