Bill Curlee

If you release the bottom catch and use a wood dowl or something like that to insert into the front, you can BUMP the switch and it will pop out. Just make sure that you keep the bottom catch released.

BC

FFIN90

Thanks Bill, do you think that this switch could be the cause of my issues?

Bill Curlee

I doubt it but,,,,,,,,,, ya never know. Have you tried cycling it several dozen times rapidly to see if conditions change??

That is NOT just a SIMPLE SWITCH. Its got more crap inside it than a fruit cake!I don't see how it could effect dash lights unless the switch lighting circuit inside is shorted to the brake signal circuit.. See what I mean.

Bill

CactusCat

Bill and others.. I'm an absolute rookie at this sort of stuff when compared to you guys... Y'all are head and shoulders above my understanding. That being said, it seems like the brake switch is somehow shorted to the ignition switch. It acts like the brake is simulating putting a key in the ignition switch. Even with chimes at times. I may be 100% completely off base with my comment, but sometimes, out of the mouths of babies.... if nothing else, might open a different line of thinking. How it could be shorted, that's another can of worms. Good luck on this FFIN90....

Bill Curlee

Good recommendation. OP try this:

Unplug the ignition switch and see if conditions change.

Bill

FFIN90

Yes I did try that Bill and no change.

I will have to plug everything back in as I have the dash cluster out right now ( somehow I managed to knock one of the trim rings of the cluster and now have to take it apart to glue it back on ) and try this one Bill. On a side note I did replace the ignition switch and key cylinder last spring.

FFIN90

Thanks.

FFIN90

UPDATE: well I gave up on trying this myself and took it to a shop. On the way there my wife gets on the radio ( she was following me to pick me up. ) and says that the lights just started working. I pulled over to verify and sure enough the running and brake lights were now working.
The next morning the shop called and said that the lights were still working and he could not get them to fail, he did check all the grounds and said they looked fine and had no idea what had happened. I picked the car up today and they are still ok, just have to cross my fingers and see what happens I guess.
On a side note while he was driving the car to see if the lights would fail he did notice a loud noise from the back of the car, upon investigating he found that both rear wheel bearings were shot. What a huge difference in the interior noise of the car now, I had just thought that it being annoyingly loud was normal for my car

FFIN90

I'm bringing this thread back to life as I am still trying to figure this problem out.
I had my wife sit in the car and go through all the lighting ( on/off ) while I had a volt meter on Connector C400 ( main connector to rear wiring harness ) .
PIN A Ground
B CHMStopLamp On 14.2V Off 4.88V
C Backup Lamp On 14.0V Off 0
D Left Turn Signal On 3.5-8.0 V Off 0
E Park Lamps On 13.6V Off 0
G Right Turn Signal On 3.0-8.5V Off 0

And of course when I plugged the connector back together the rear lights didn't work, but when I grabbed the connector the lights came back on.
Any thoughts of a possible short in the rear wiring harness portion of the C400 Connector
I think my next step will be to use a jumper and disconnect C400 and jumper the pins to see when the rear lights crap out if the connector is still getting power ( although this would not explain why the turn signals and 4 ways still work when the rest are out )

dadaroo

I am sending you a PM with my phone number so I get a full update on anything else going on. This thread has gone on for a long time related to other issues so we can determine if you need to start a new one.

I will also need to determine if you have the Euro lights or USA Domestic.

dadaroo

Just to add some info.

All the power goes to the back lights via C400. Then, the ground side of every bulb goes back thru C400 (Pin A) to a splice and then to the actual ground at G401.

If the ground pin connection on C400 is faulty it could explain no lights. However I can't explain how just the turn signals/hazards would work and not the brake lights which assuming you have a Domestic car the bulb filaments are the same.

Just thought of something to try. WITH NO PARKING/OTHER LIGHTS ON, tap the brakes about as long as a turn/hazard signal would be on and see if they light up. I want to replicate current flows when the hazards are on.

I am trying a theory that you could have high resistance in the ground connection pins in C400 that can't handle all the lights but it can handle a short limited load. I normally only come up with crazy thoughts when I've been drinking beer. I'll have to start drinking shortly and see if I still agree with this idea. The fact that you could man handle the C400 connector and have everything work fits this theory.

If I am correct (LOL) then the male/female "A" pins in C400 may be deformed or burned from high resistance and heating.

Going to drink some beer and smoke cigars and see if I have any other wacky ideas.

FFIN90

Finally broke down and took it to my mechanic while I still had a few hairs left on my head from pulling them out

Turns out it was a bad ground connection in a connector in the rear lighting area ( possibly from the euro harness I'm guessing ).
Problem SOLVED.

dadaroo

Where at? Rear of the car is not very specific. No info does not help anyone else.

FFIN90

What he showed me was a large connector behind one of the right tail lights ( but not plugged into it ) that we assumed was part of the euro light harness.

DIXZ

Thanks for the update.

WOW, a year and a half journey.

FFIN90

YW, my car was stored for the winter from Nov-Apr so just got back into it.
I need the car next weekend for a road trip or I would have tried some more myself

Lucario6613

Did that ground also fix your dash lights on while braking? I am having similar electrical gremlins at the moment after a complete interior overhaul and hid reverse lights install.

Bill Curlee

HOW,,,, did you ground your HID modules?????? To where????

ALL,,,,, C5 lighting circuits are CHASSIS GROUNDED or SHOULD be.

There is a wiring harness that transverses the rear of the car (behind the rear facia. Tapped to that harness is a Splice Pack. All the lighting and some other rear stuff terminate in that SP. It grounds at G-401

Here is a picture of the same SP but on the FRONT of the car:

Lucario6613

I used the existing ground and battery from the reverse light harness. The pig tails wouldn't hold the reverse bulbs so I cut them off and soldered the HID reverse light harness in as apposed to the scotch lock taps that came with the kit.
I am starting a new thread as I think my issues run a bit deeper. I inspected the ground this morning before work and it was seated fine with no corrosion.

iceokie

Like one of the posters my dash lights and running lights flash when I hit the brake sometimes. I read this thread and OP tracked his problem to the tail light/brake light ground. My brake lights work fine. Was there ever an answer to this? I've searched the forum . . . didn't see anything. I'm checking all the grounds first.