[T3] brake light switch

[Dennis Stiefel]

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
===================

Dave I try to do the same with the e-brake myself especially if on a hill
unless there is cars behind me as I want them to know when I have my brakes
on.  The warm switch is quite puzzling to me as well especially when I seen
and felt it first hand while I had mine on a lift and brake pedal depressed
on a switch that was sending no power out.  The other switch was cool as a
cucumber.  The warm one has got some kind of resistance to ground thing
going on or so much resistance internally that not enough power is getting
to the lights to make them work.  I should of put a DVOM on it to see what
the resistance was just for the heck of it. Any way 42 year old switches so
can't complain.  Almost as old as my little brother(he was a week away from
turning a year old when mom and dad bought her new). 

Dennis Stiefel
72 Fastback FI MT
71 STD. Beetle
67 Ford F-100 (hart of Crown Vic)
Rainsville, AL