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Break Lights don't work.

S

Simonthomas

Shifting Up
Just bought my first Series 3 Land Rover. However my break light don't come on when I press the brake. The lights work when I turn them on but not the break lights. I have checked the fuses and put in new bulbs but still no joy. HELP PLEASE !!!
 
Simon,

Check the switch on the top of the brake servo. When I had a S3, the 2 spade terminals kept getting disturbed and i had to tighten them.

Nige
 
Thanks for that. However I checked the spade connections and they seem to be ok and it didn't solve my problem, anything else you can think of???
 
Congratulations on your purchase Simon!!

Sounds like you have either a dud switch (not unknown!) or a break in the wiring to the brake lamps themselves. If you have a tow socket fitted I think that the joints to that from the vehicle loom would be my first point of call... check if you get power to there. The wiring to the lights at the back comes out of the chassis about 12/18" forward of the rear crossmember on the drivers side. Designed to get all the crud thats available...:D

You could check that you are getting power to the switch itself too...the feed from the fuse box to the switch should be green, the feed to the lamps from the switch will be green/purple. (in theory, if you join the two wires, the lights should work, that would isolate the switch from the equation)

Its a question of trial and error I'm afraid...keep going until you find the point where you get no power.
 
I know this sounds a bit daft, but sometimes people who do not know any better put an ordinary 12 volt bulb in the rear, and not the correct twin filament brake tail light type. So it may be worth just checking the bulb in case some twit did this.
 
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Yet, it shouldnt be possible to do that, as the pins are offset. But a good point nontheless! Anybody hamfisted enough to do that would probably force the bulb in anyhow!
 
The plunger on the switch could be worn or the switch may need adjusting. You can always unscrew it and push it in and see if it's closing the contacts, you could also try and put a link in between the the two wires and see if the brake lights come on (by-passing the switch completely) That should tell you if it's the switch or the wiring.

Dave
 
Take the two spade connectors off the brake switch on the servo and connect them together.

If the brake lights work, it's a defective switch.

If they don't, check to see if you have a positive feed on one of the wires.

If you do, then it's the wire that goes from the brake servo switch to the lights. I had exactly the same problem and ended up re-wiring by feeding the wire through the cab (it was a cold winter evening when I did it. I kept meaning to re-sitet it, but four years later it's in the same position).

If there's no positive feed on either wire, take a live from the battery (fused), connect it to one side of the switch and re-connect the other.
 
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