Brake Lights Intermittently Work - Land Rovers Only

RageRover · 10-19-2009, 08:13 PM

Well here's whats going on, I am driving along and my buddy flags me down saying that my brake lights stay on. So I check to see if the panel under the knee-kick panel has come loose and is pressing against the pedal, it wasn't.

I pulled that panel and checked the switch I would play with it and my buddy helped me by telling me if the lights were on or off. At very random moments the lights would stay on, stay off, actually function....then I got to looking at the brake light switch, the little plunger off the switch doesn't even touch the pedal anymore, I kept looking to see if the switch had come loose or what. But if I was to press the plunger in with my finger, the lights should be off, and sometimes they would but more than likely they stay on, and then they stay off even when I let go of the plunger, and all this made sense as that at random times my foot didn't need to be on the brake pedal to take the fucker out of park.

At any rate, anyone have this problem before? What was the issue? Relay, the switch? I checked fuses and from what I could tell all was fine.

Please help, I hate driving my Jeep all the time now. LOL

Also on a side note, I noticed that it appears that there are two switches off the pedal, one of which has a vacuum line coming off it. I assume this is what disables the cruise. Could this switch be the culprit in this case? Just thought I'd ask.

RageRover · 10-22-2009, 05:55 PM

Help...

jgkmmoore · 10-22-2009, 06:59 PM

Replace the switch, and buy a spare. Recommend an aftermarket unit...the orig switches are complete rubbish. Buy a spare to put in the cubby, because the new one WILL FAIL

too. If you have a spare, the installed unit works a lot longer. If you don't have a spare, it will toast when you're 130 miles into the brush.Best for them to fail in the 'on' position....never happens. Never. It should be against the law for that switch to immobilise your truck!

RageRover · 10-23-2009, 12:25 PM

Ok I will order the switch and have one as back up, I found some online for cheaper than dealer prices.

I also notice too then when I try to remove the connector to the switch the brake light relay(s) click on and off before the connector is even removed. I dunno but I will start with the switch.

Any other input would be sweet

daniels disco · 10-24-2009, 07:21 AM

Mine failed when I was out and about one day. Had to get towed home too. Seems when the switch fails and does not allow the brake lights to come on it also locks the gear selector in park. Replace the switch, it's less expensive than a wrecker home.

RageRover · 10-24-2009, 02:01 PM

Yeah I am gonna try the switch its the only thing I can think of.

Lets say I replace the switch....and I get the same symptoms? Then what's my next bet?

RageRover · 10-26-2009, 07:37 PM

T'was the switch....that fucking thing....luckily enough I managed to track one down at a semi-local Autozone that had one.

Now however I did notice one thing though...I entered my vehicle in at the website as a 95' Range Rover Classic County LWB and the switch they pulled up for me looked like it belongs to a P38...not a Classic.

So I said just for the hell of it lets recess back to a 94' County LWB and see what I get...sure as shit they pulled one that matched everything even the OEM number crossed over to their Duralast switch. And luckily enough I got one at the local Autozone that had one in stock.

It only cost me about $24.99...not bad considering it would've been a wee bit more online, through the dealer, etc. and the damn thing was at a local store. So Autozone came through for me for once.

Here is the link at Autozone:

AutoZone.com | | Stoplight Switch | STOPLIGHT SWITCH

texasdiver72 · 10-26-2009, 08:55 PM

I just had the same problem. Bought the new switch at auto zone ($24.99 in Houston) and it has a shorter plunger than the old one. Now, my brake lights stay on, but the shifter works!