So apparently my Brake Light Switch **** the bed the other day. Turned the key and my Disco started up but the shifter was locked in park and the rear brake lights did not illuminate when I applied pressure to the brake pedal. Started by checking fuses: 25, F14, F11, F29 and F33 but they are all good. Next I ordered a switch from Autozone. Turns out at some point Land Rover redesigned the Brake Light Switch for the Discovery II and Freelander models as seen below. So I sent it back. The older design is more boxy and resembles a asthma inhaler. The updated design is slightly bigger, more rounded and has a larger connector with added metal connector plates. The new design does not directly fit into the Disco without a special wire harness. The new design is Genuine and shares the same part number as the original Brake Switch Design:XKB000010

Old:


New:



Side by side:


Atlantic British sells the redesigned switch complete with harness for $40. I opted for the old design which Napa still sells for $11.08.

Brake Light Switch & Wiring Assembly Kit (Genuine Part # XKB500120) - Land Rover switches from Atlantic British

NAPA AUTO PARTS

 

Oh my god hes back!

 

Good to know

 

Thanks, my new to me Disoc II came with a bad switch, and I replaced with the new style (bought from Advance Auto Parts) without incident. I did have to hot wire the lights for a few days.

 

Care to elaborate on the hot wireing? Why did you have to play with the wireing? After I installed my new brake light switch my brake lights would remain on while the vehicle was running, easy fix though. You just adjust the plastic rod piece that hits the brake pedal in such a way so there is a thin hair of space between the switch and the pedal. When the pedal is pressed down it hits the switch and activates the lights.
Good luck and welcome to the forums!

 

I just got myself a newer design switch at Auto Zone the other day to try and fix my Cruise Control. PNP and it seems to be a much beefier design. I now hear my Cruise Control module click so I am getting closer to having Cruise Control again!

 

I just wanted to offer this as I have just discovered my break switch acting up on a 2000 DII . It was not completely shot as it would actuate the release for the park mode, but it was not activating the lights. I removed it and tested with a meter and it seemed to actuate while probing the pins . I noticed that someone had mentioned that the switch plunger can move up in position... so I hooked the switch back to the electrical connection and tried it by hand with the ignition off. No lights
Then I pulled on the plunger and it moved and clicked as though it snapped back into place internally and I started to see lights. I have not traced this out using the RAVE manual yet, but it seems like the switch should apply brake lights with the ignition off - am I wrong ?

 

Is this the right way round? I have a Freelander 1 and the original brake light switch is the 4 Pin version. I can't obtain the 4 pin version and they want to sell me a 3 pin version, the one this article says is the 'old' one, and make me pay out even more for a converter loom.

Did Landy start with a four pin, then go to a three pin and then back again? Why oh why?