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MG MGF Technical - how do i get to the brake light switch

my brake lights have started to stay on and i suspect it’s the fault of the brake light switch not releasing. is it somewhere under the pedals and how can i fix it. or am i barking up the wrong tree anyway?

thanks

tony
tony

oh, and by the way, it’s a ’96 vvc.
tony

Tony

You dive under the dash head first on your back. Look up at the pedal and follow the wire to the switch. If it is still the original switch it should half twist out so that you can free it up and apply a bit of light lube. I used Motorex Protect & Shine because I always have several cans for looking after the bike.
JohnP

NOpe the tree is quite definatly the right one...
To find the switch it is a plunger type construction located behing the break pedal, facing plunger upwards, wires downwards. It should be the only thing in the footwell behind the pedals with wires going to it.
Twist to free and pull downwards
with the switch out pull the plunger _hard_ , it will release by about 1 inch (so you will _definatly_ know when it has happened)
Then press the break pedal by hand and replace the switch, it will self adjust.
_DO NOT_ lift the break pedal by hand or you will have to do it all over again.

HTH
Will
Will Munns

john and will

thanks, i’ll have a look at that tonight

tony
tony

I had this problem before.

It was the rod that held the brake pedel which had settled.
Sorry, not a very good description..
The rod looks like a plundger with a rubber corrigated thingy around it.

But anyway, instead of spending money on a replacement part,which there was really nothing wrong with, I took out the switch and superglued about two mm's of black insulation tape to the top off the switch.
Once the glue had dried I used a scissors to trim off any excess tape and put it back where I found it.

I checked to make sure the the lights responded correctly (applying the rigtht amount of pressure to the peddle) and there was no problem.
Perfect!!

I know this might sound a bit dodgy with it concerning the brakes but it worked for me and saved me 100 for the labour and 25 for part and nobody hit me from behind yet. touch wood.:-)

Shane

Shane,
Yes this will work, the proble is the adjuster 'auto adjusting', it can be reset by pulling hard on the switch. but in future it may adjust back (this could be caused by lifting the pedal with your foot). The tape method will work (somebody else used a self tapper) but there is nothing to stop the switch readjusting further.

>saved me 100 for the labour and 25 for part
You what? £100 is a MG mechanic working for 1.5 hours, even with a new part the job should take a max of five minutes- for a amaetur!
Will Munns

Will,

>saved me 100 for the labour and 25 for part
>You what? £100 is a MG mechanic working for 1.5 hours, even with a new part the job should take a max of five minutes- for a amaetur!

Sorry, I should have quoted euros, it's about £64 GBP.
It wasn't the fitting of the part that I saw as the problem it was the wait in getting the part,
which I was told could be anything between 3 days and 3 weeks.
I didn't feel comfortable driving the car with the lights on all time so I thought i'd do DIY so I could get the roof down and go driving.

I have added the adjustable replacement that MS offers to my ever increasing MS shopping list though. :-)

Shane

> it's about £64 GBP.
OK. even at 'Rip off britan' prices, that is still an HOURS work, how long did it take you?

>it wasn't the fitting of the part that I saw as the problem it was the wait in getting the part
They wern't charging you for the time it takes to arrive were they ;-)

>I didn't feel comfortable driving the car with the lights on all time
People do give you a bit more room though!

>i'd do DIY so I could get the roof down and go driving.
Amen to that ;-)

But I wouldn't worry about replaceing it, give it a good tug next time(if there is a next time) and save yourself a lot of unnessesory effort.
Again, the switch gets this way because the pedal is not lifting as much as it once did, This may be because the spring is getting slack, or that once the pedal was lifted with your foot under it (IYSWIM)

Will
Will Munns


I agree wiv you Will, it was the first problem i had when i purchased my 97 vvc a few months back, you can even release it without removing it but it does involve being in a tortuous position upside down in the drivers seat..make sure you have a torch in the well ready.. get a longish screwdriver..remove the liitle rubber boot from the top of the switch and you can get the tip of the screwdriver under the top lip of the switch...give it a tap and it will release in my case about 15mm then just replace the rubber boot and the job is done !!!

Mind you i can guaranttee the phone will ring just at the wrong time....you cant wriggle out in a hurry !!!

LOL

STU
stu

This thread was discussed on 20/08/2002

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