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MG MGF Technical - Dodgy brake lights

Hi... I'm looking for some advice on a problem with my brakes. At the moment, when I depress the brake pedal, the rear lights come on, the car stops - pretty much as designer intended, I'd say ;-)

However, when I lift my foot from the brake pedal, the lights remain on until I hook my foot under the pedal and twitch it upwards.

My first thought is - the pedal light switch needs adjusting. So - can anyone tell me where the bloomin thing is? I looked this morning, can't find it anywhere!

My second thought is - why so much play in the brake pedal in the first place? Is this actually a symptom of something more serious going on? Maybe my paranoid imagination, but perhaps my brakes do feel a bit spongy these days...?
Peter

Peter,
This is a common problem with earlier Fs. The switch is just above the brake pedal, if you look under there it can be seen. Just give it a quarter turn and it will come out of the bracket. Then just pull the plunger hard - it is on a ratchet type setup and has gone in too far! The later Fs have a proper adjustable switch which can be fitted if you don't want to keep reseting yours!
Jason H
Jason H

The switch is _behind_ the brake pedal more than above it (it's the only thing back there with wires going to it) , and give it a very hard pull, it will extend about an inch. When putting it back in depress the pedal during the operation and release to set the adjustment.
_Do Not_ lift the pedal with your foot as it is this which causes the switch to be maladjusted in the first place.
Will Munns

When Will says 'hard', give it a real hard tug.. I had to do it twice, because I didn't tug it hard enough in the first place.

Good luck.

Just watch your back, and don't end up in the chiropractor.
:-)
Hanah Kim

>>My second thought is - why so much play in the brake pedal in the first place? Is this actually a symptom of something more serious going on? Maybe my paranoid imagination, but perhaps my brakes do feel a bit spongy these days...?<<

I've had a lot of work on my '97 VVC brakes in the last year; braided hoses, Mintex pads and full bleed (at least twice) - and I now have brakes that work properly.
My wife's '98 Ibiza Cupra still has excessive pedal travel which I've not yet fixed; the dealer tells me it's because it has ABS (he must think I'm as stupid as I look), and the servicing garage doesn't think it has a problem.
I think play in the brake pedal is worth correcting - but finding the cause can be difficult, this play may be contributing to the brake switch problem - as happened on my VVC.

Steve
Steve

i am having the same problem with my brake lights, but they are flickering as i am going along (so i am informed) looked for the switch last night in the footwell could not seem to find it??? where abouts is it exactly?
richb

go to the brake pedal, look behind it, you should find a couple of wires, follow these and you should find a switch on the end. You can do this with your eyes closed, in fact it might be easier like that ;-)
Will Munns

Ye Gods. It's all the way up THERE! You'll need to lie on your back, with your head in the footwell. Grope your hands up past the razor sharp dag-ends of metal until you can stand the pain no longer, and you'll find the switch.

In my case, it seems my MGR dealer had already replaced the switch with an adjustable type, but even at its most adjusted, still left enough play in the pedal to activate the switch by wobbling the pedal. To correct this, the service technician had stretched an elastic band over the pedal switch activator, which was enough to close the switch when the pressure was off the pedal. Sadly, the elastic band has now lost its twang, and no longer closes the switch.

I tried fitting a backup elastic band, but obviously need to use genuine MG-R parts ;-) since the one I chose had less twang than the original.

It then got dark, I got thoroughly p*ed off and uncomfortable, but grateful that my previous MGR dealers have gone over to the Dark Side and are now a BMW-Mini franchise.
Peter

Peter, Try drilling a small hole in the top of the switch and putting a small self tapper in there. how do you know the switch had been changed? I seem to remember that the problem was in the other direction to what you are saying (switch pushing on the break, rather than break not pushing on the switch) when the later switch was fitted to an earlier car, this requires some padding with washers....

Will
Will Munns

This thread was discussed between 04/09/2002 and 05/09/2002

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