My six month old brake switch has gone bad. I used paper clip trick to jump rear defrost and rear brake light to defeat the issue until I can receive another brake switch.

Obviously this is not a long term fix.

But can the truck be used normally? Will this drain the battery if parked overnight?

 

Not personally familiar with that trick. Does it involve turning on the rear screen heater to simulate pressing the brake pedal? If so, might cause a drain (brake lights on) if forget to turn off, and key ON.

How did the switch fail? Did a plastic clip break? The cruise control brake switch seems to be in a spot susceptible to getting kicked, breaking the plastic clip. Was it that switch, or the one with the ratcheting plunger? Setting the plunger correctly is a bit finnicky. Maybe why the new switch failed?

 

The switch just failed. Less than one ear old.

Easy to replace and the paper clip trick is easy to employ.

 

Do the brake lights turn on when the jumper is installed? or after the heater is turned on? Or does it only supply power to other modules and such? When I installed a jumper at the brake switch connector, the brake lights were always on while running as I recall.

 

Good question.... but I never checked. Got to where I was going and ordered a new switch.

Frustrating to have the original last >25 years and the replacement last <1 year. Either way, simple swap out but remember to pull the red sheath and plunger all the way out when removing the old switch or it will be very difficult to do.

 

Walt,
What brand was it that just died?
(Mine orig just died too and have a Hella brand ready to go in.)
Unfortunately we seem to have entered an age of manufactured garbage!

 

I threw out the failed switch and can't find the purchase record so I don't know for certain what brand it was. I purchased it at FCPEuro and they currently sell HELLA and FACET. I'm guessing I bought the Hella.

This time I bought two! A VEMO and a Facet (Rock Auto). The VEMO is installed. Fingers crossed but in reality it is one of the easier fixes and not terribly expensive either.

An odd thing about the recently failed switch, spraying it liberally with electrical contact cleaner (essentially MAF cleaner) worked for 1-2 shifts out of park. Then it went back to its failed state.

 

Walt,
Found this vid about brake switch 'self adjustment'. Its news to me figured I'd share it with ya.

I put in my Hella brake light switch and its either broken or I need to try pulling the plunger like the vid. - I can hear switching when i fiddle with the plug.... but not working otherwise.

 

back a thousand years ago, mine failed and when I tried to get a replacement at Rileys, they wanted to give me one for a manual trans, and not the auto trans I needed. Their books were wrong. luckily I had removed the old one and matched it up before I left the store.
The paper clip trick will only work when the rear defroster is on, and will light the brake lights until they are turned ff (rear defrosters) They will turn off with the key.

 

Can confirm - this is manufactured garbage: Hella