[T3] brake light switch

[Daniel K. Du Vall]

Just ran across this http://unique-parts.com/ There is a New break light assembly that they have that looks interesting.

Might be an idea.

Daniel Du Vall

-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org [mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Dave Hall
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2014 5:59 PM
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] brake light switch

I have always applied the handbrake (e-brake) if I'm going to be stationary for a length of time.  However, with auto-trans that's not the way people choose to drive (when stationary!), and if there's a resistance in the switch, it will heat up if there's current flowing all the time your foot is on the brake pedal.  Of course, a good switch shouldn't have a resistance when closed anyway, so shouldn't get hot!  I assume the damage Jim is seeing on dissection is evidence of the failure rather than the normal operating condition.

I've not had a lot of trouble with brake light switches.  Is that because I'm still therefore using the good German switches, or my driving habits?  

Do those of us who drive manual cars have a similar failure rate of the switches?

Is it perhaps because we generally only have the one brake light switch on UK spec cars (ie no brake circuit failure light).  Can there be any reason why when two brake light switches are present, it would explain the extra failure rate?  I can't think of a rational reason for that, if so.

Puzzling!

Dave
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================

-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org [mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org]
On Behalf Of Jim Adney
Sent: 01 June 2014 01:42
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] brake light switch

On 31 May 2014 at 19:17, Dennis Stiefel wrote:

> I will probably just get a pair at my FLAPS for now but it there is an 
> issue replacements I may study to see it I can see how to fit a switch 
> from a modern vehicle on the peddle for future use. That may be tricky 
> since the brake pedals in a modern car hangs from the dash instead of 
> coming up from the floor like our cars and other vintage cars but I 
> think
it doable.

Bob Hoover has already done this, but I'm not convinced that it's a good solution. IIRC, he was tenative about it, too. I suspect that a good solution could be done with a relay, so that the switches themselves never saw the lamp current. The problem that I've seen with dead switches is that there are plastic parts in there that overheat and melt. The OG switches were a wonder of little metal
parts: springs, snap rings, and silvered contacts. I doubt if they are still made to that level of quality, but I'd love to be wrong about that. And I'm not willing to cut apart an expensive switch just to find out.

I should have bought a pair of them, just to test them.

--
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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