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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: vegetableman on September 28, 2007, 02:31:36 PM

Title: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: vegetableman on September 28, 2007, 02:31:36 PM
79 pinto and the brake lights havent turned off since yesterday. ive been having to pull the plug on the battery evertime i park.
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: TIGGER on September 28, 2007, 02:53:54 PM
I bet the brake switch down at the pedal is stuck.
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: douglasskemp on September 28, 2007, 03:13:39 PM
I think Tigger is right, that would be my first thing to check.  If you remove it, be sure you remember how and what direction and in what order everything came off, because if you forget, it can be quite a pain getting that thing back on there right, especially while you are shoved under the steering wheel!
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: 77turbopinto on September 28, 2007, 05:31:39 PM
Quote from: TIGGER on September 28, 2007, 02:53:54 PM
I bet the brake switch down at the pedal is stuck.

I agree.

BTW: Did you try pulling up on the brake pedal?

Bill
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: vegetableman on September 28, 2007, 05:45:48 PM
so i need to take off the brake petal? i tried pulling the pedal up and nothing happened so it probably is stuck
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: lugnut on September 28, 2007, 06:17:13 PM
Pull the plug off the brake pedal switch.  If the lights go off, then you found the problem.
mike
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: pintoguy76 on September 29, 2007, 02:10:25 AM
You need a new brake light switch (as everyone else has suggested). I had the same problem on my 76 a year or so ago. A new switch was about $5 at oreillys if I remember correctly. Watch how everything comes apart tho so you can put it back the same way it came apart. It wasnt too hard to change.
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: vegetableman on October 02, 2007, 01:08:12 PM
thanks for the help, but one more question: do i have manual or power brakes? im almost 100 percent theyre manual but i dontknow the difference
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: pintoguy76 on October 02, 2007, 02:01:28 PM
If the master cylinder bolts strait to the firewall it is manual brakes. If it has a big round canister mounted to the firewall, and the master cylinder  bolts to it, you have power brakes. Most pintos ive seen have manual brakes. I've owned  4 pintos (still have 3 of them) and not a one of them has power brakes.
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: vegetableman on October 08, 2007, 03:24:47 PM
allright so a couple days ago, i forgot to unplug the battery and i woke up next day without any brake lights. i bought the switch and new bulbs the next day and replaced both, but for some reason the bulbs will not light up at all-with or without brake pedal down, or even when i turn the lights on. i checked the fuse and it seems to be fine. what could be the cause?
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: 77turbopinto on October 08, 2007, 03:51:20 PM
Bad ground or connection.

Are you getting power to the switch?

Bill
Title: Re: brake lights wont turn off
Post by: douglasskemp on October 08, 2007, 11:27:38 PM
lit light bulbs = heat.  Make sure nothing has melted down.  Inspect everything.

shorts = sparks = possible fire = one hell of a bad day.

Good luck!
--Doug