Ongoing Work in 2017

June 16th - Secondary Brake Light Switch


Jeeps were originally built working on 6 volts. By the time mine retired from the French Army around 1990, it had gone from 6v to 12v, to 24 volts. The brake light pressure switch has never coped well with the voltage rise, and arcs, carboning up the contacts.

I tried LED brake lights to reduce the current, but the switch still burns out and the lights stop working. Changing the switch is a pain due to having to bleed the brakes each time, so this morning I fitted a mechanical switch, rather than hydraulic. This switch also turns the lights on before any braking action, warning before slowing. The original was the opposite, braking before the lights came on.

The 'Normally Closed' switch on its mounting bracket. The lights are off so long as the switch is held in. The bracket mounts between the brake pedal arm and steering column.
 

 
Brakes off.
 
Brakes on.

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