Brake Pedal Switch / Sensor?

[GK]

Hi All,

Hope you had a great Christmas.

Here's the deal. I've got an intermittent problem with the brake lights on the wagon. They work sometimes and not others. The top brake light has blown about 3 times in 5 years. The left and right brake light elements have blown a few times each also.

Yesterday, I was testing the brake pedal etc, etc and when I pushed really hard, they came on for a second, but then.. gone.

I'm wondering if the switch on the pedal is a bit kaput and if so, 1. How much would one cost 2. How easy to replace and 3. How do you replace it?

I'm assuming it's a cheap part and quite easy to fix, but you never know LOL!

BTW, I have checked my workshop manual, but it offered no help. In fact the switch wasn't even mentioned!

Cheers,

GK

[bodes-sh]

easy to replace, only cost about $30 from supercheap, repco, etc.

the way these work is strange, they are a little spring loaded mechanism, so they activate with a little pressure and deactivate with even less. when mine played up i pulled it out and bent the tabs on it a bit, it then started working properly again, i had no lights at all. since then i have found it was dragging, so i rotated it a bit on the attachment it sits on and it has been fine since...

anyway, to the removal bit, on the side of the brake pedal shaft, the bit that connects the pedal to the booster shaft, is a spring clip (those ones that go through and around a bolt, etc) if you pull this out then the brake pedal switch should slide off the shaft it is on. there should also be a metal ring thing that goes in the middle of it i think. one side of the switch has a slot cut in it, but you will see this upon removal.

the hardest bit i have found is getting all that out, i needed to put the seat all the way back and down and lay upside down under the dash... once you have done it, or with pictures it makes it a lot easier.. the clip is on the outside (towards the accelerator pedal) of the brake pedal. once you can see under there it's fairly straight forward..

hope that helps a bit, i will try and get photos if i can, but i assume you know where it is.

good luck

[GK]

Originally Posted by bodes-sh

easy to replace, only cost about $30 from supercheap, repco, etc.

the way these work is strange, they are a little spring loaded mechanism, so they activate with a little pressure and deactivate with even less. when mine played up i pulled it out and bent the tabs on it a bit, it then started working properly again, i had no lights at all. since then i have found it was dragging, so i rotated it a bit on the attachment it sits on and it has been fine since...

anyway, to the removal bit, on the side of the brake pedal shaft, the bit that connects the pedal to the booster shaft, is a spring clip (those ones that go through and around a bolt, etc) if you pull this out then the brake pedal switch should slide off the shaft it is on. there should also be a metal ring thing that goes in the middle of it i think. one side of the switch has a slot cut in it, but you will see this upon removal.

the hardest bit i have found is getting all that out, i needed to put the seat all the way back and down and lay upside down under the dash... once you have done it, or with pictures it makes it a lot easier.. the clip is on the outside (towards the accelerator pedal) of the brake pedal. once you can see under there it's fairly straight forward..

hope that helps a bit, i will try and get photos if i can, but i assume you know where it is.

good luck

That's some great info bodes, cheers. Any chance of the pics you mention? I know where it is and all, but the reason I ask (and I didn't mention it in my first post) was that whenever I've had to be under the dash upside down like you mention, I'm really dizzy for a lot of the day afterwards.

I thought I'd try to get as much as possible worked out before I get under there, as I really hate the dizziness.

I know that sounds pretty darn wussy, but it's quite an unsettling feeling.

ALSO

Is the brake switch pretty much the same setup as one you'd find on an AU clutch pedal? That was the last time I was really, really dizzy. The cruise wasn't working properly on the sedan after I got the manual conversion done, and needed lots and lots of adjusting before I finally got it set up correctly. If the switches are the same, it may not be crook, but a matter of a little adjustment.

GK

[peterban]

Hi George,
hope you had a great Christmas.
Here is a link to the e-series replacement which should be similar.
http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=23

[GK]

Originally Posted by peterban

Hi George,
hope you had a great Christmas.
Here is a link to the e-series replacement which should be similar.
http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=23

Awesome, you little ripper.

GK

P.S I did have a great Christmas, too much food of course. But hey, I am Greek-Cypriot so that's always going to occur on such a special day. I had lunch at mum's with her and my siblings and tea at my sister-in-law's place, who is also Greek (along with about 25 other Greeks!).

Fantastic reason for a fantastic day, fantastic company and fantastic food! LOL!

[superroo]

More pics and guides to help.
These are both from my gregory's AU (all series) manual

http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...brakepedal.jpg
http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...rakepedal2.jpg

Even though in the first link the pedal picture is of an auto, I can tell you from experiance that a manual one is exactly the same

Cheers

[speedzter]

All a bit vague now, but had the same problem.
I remember a round plastic bush on the brake pedal, remove it and it solved the problem. I read about it on here somewhere !.

Cheers

[The Monty]

If I have one piece of advice, its to not use a replacement part from supercheap or autobarn. Quite simply, the spring in them are too hard, and you will go through a handfull, taking them back and forth until you actually get one with a soft enough spring to actually work. They are around $12-15 through these places or $26 or something from Ford, but the Ford ones will last 5 times longer, are MUCH easier to put in, and arent gay purple, lol.

[GK]

Thanks for that info fellas, especially Ben for the pics. I've added them to the helpful info collection! LOL!

This is such a great community to be part of.

I called Essendon Ford today to get a switch, but their spares department was shut. I'll leave it until Monday.

I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,

GK

[GK]

All done.

Switch was $45. My mate (ex mechanic) ended up fitting it for me. I'm so darn glad as everytime I get anywhere near the pedal box upside down, I'm dizzy for hours afterwards.

The switch engages very quickly which means even with the lightest application to the brake pedal, those behind will know.

GK

[The Monty]

Good to hear, not a part you want to mess around with.

[Kotche]

Originally Posted by superroo

More pics and guides to help.
These are both from my gregory's AU (all series) manual

http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...brakepedal.jpg
http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...rakepedal2.jpg

Even though in the first link the pedal picture is of an auto, I can tell you from experiance that a manual one is exactly the same

Cheers

Sorry for bumping an old thread but since this one had the diagrams I'd figured I'd use it.

I replaced the brake switch this morning (no brake lights and cruise control not disengaging) and found it really hard to get the new one on with the bush shown below fitted:



So I've left it off and all seems fine but wondering if anyone else has had this issue? I'm assuming it's because I bought it from supercheap for $14 but maybe there is a 'knack' to getting it back on with that bush?

[Kotche]

Wow, join date 2009 and only just made my first post. This forum is great by the way, used it to fix so many issues with my AU.

[Uncle_Ken]

Originally Posted by Kotche

Wow, join date 2009 and only just made my first post. This forum is great by the way, used it to fix so many issues with my AU.

Well done, you must be one of those 'lurkers'

And you are correct it is a great forum


UK

[GK]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Ken

Well done, you must be one of those 'lurkers'

And you are correct it is a great forum
UK

Indeed!

GK

[Kotche]

Originally Posted by Kotche

Sorry for bumping an old thread but since this one had the diagrams I'd figured I'd use it.

I replaced the brake switch this morning (no brake lights and cruise control not disengaging) and found it really hard to get the new one on with the bush shown below fitted:

image

So I've left it off and all seems fine but wondering if anyone else has had this issue? I'm assuming it's because I bought it from supercheap for $14 but maybe there is a 'knack' to getting it back on with that bush?

The brake lights appear to have been fixed but the cruise control requires a bit of force on the brake pedal before it turns off. Any suggestions?

[Kotche]

Ended up biting the bullet and buying a genuine ford one, fitted much easier and works perfect. Should take the dodgy one back to supercheap but I know I probably wont!

[david lee]

thats a bit dear my mechanic charged me $20 and about 2 min to fit.its a common fault

[Kotche]

you either have a very good mechanic or a very bad one

[TheSly1]

When my brake switch had a problem i replaced it with another one from bursons for $15-$20 was a tridon brand name been going strong for 2-3 years