SanderGA Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 So, I bought a 93 HPC on Bring a Trailer back in June. The car was in Salt Lake and I live in Atlanta so I visited it for a few days in August. Great car. Picked it up from Salt Lake yesterday with plans to tour the southwest and drive it home. Yesterday I made it from Salt Lake to Moab. Got caught in traffic and had to pull over as the water temp reached 110 Celsius. I woke up and confirmed the radiator fan does not work. Also went to change a faulty turn signal bulb but the bulb is not the problem. Then I discovered there are no brake lights. Brake lights are the top priority. Tried changing the builds to no avail. Opened the pedal box and tested the connections on the switch shown in the photo. There is not a positive current on either side of that switch. I assume that means I’m one step closer to a solution. Can someone confirm it is that switch that activates the brake lights? I assume so but I’m concerned I’m addressing the problem there when there is another switch in the hydraulic system that’s activating the brake light. Thanks in advance for any assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowss7 Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 99% sure that switch is the only one to operate the brake lights. On mine it was just a matter of tightening the locknut up to make sure it made contact with the plunger when the brakes were depressed. Good luck �� althought that switch does look pretty groaty. May be worth cleaning up a bit. Just be careful if you try to open it up. That spring will try to escape. And it’s really good at getting lost. 😂 Edited October 15, 2020 by yellowss7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 So. Traced the wires. There’s a blue wire on one side of that switch and a green on the other side. They are bundled together and leave the pedal box. The bundle is then split open. In the open section, the blue wire is soldered to a blue wire. The green wire is soldered to two green wires. They are then bundled back up and are bundled with many other wires in what I assume is the main wiring harness. At the back of the car, each brake light is powered by a green wire. The problem seems to be that the blue wire is supposed to carry power to the switch. When the brake light switch detects the pedal is pressed it’s supposed to release power to the green wire(s) and the brake lights work. It seems I need to run 12v of power to the blue wire which is pretty simple unless there’s a relay in the circuit. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 99% sure that switch is the only one to operate the brake lights. On mine it was just a matter of tightening the locknut up to make sure it made contact with the plunger when the brakes were depressed. Good luck �� althought that switch does look pretty groaty. May be worth cleaning up a bit. Just be careful if you try to open it up. That spring will try to escape. And it’s really good at getting lost. Thank you for the reply. The switch does look bad but the plunger does move and fully release when the brake pedal is pressed. If there was positive current on either side I’d be cleaning it like crazy. But with no current on either side I’m not sure what good it will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 You mention a faulty turn signal as well. Do any of the other lights (running, F/R signals, side lights) have issues? Have you checked the fuse box for a faulty connection? Curious if the fan issue is also lack of 12v+ reaching the switch or motor? -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 Earlier, neither side of the brake light switch had power. Pulled the switch so the guys at NAPA could marvel at it and tell me it was unique and there wasn’t another on the planet. Tried a test lead from the positive terminal on the battery to the green wire and got a spark to the frame and no brake lights. Pulled all the fuses for the second time today. First time I visually inspected them. Second time I tested them. One was bad. Not sure if it was bad before or if it went bad when the test lead sparked. Replaced it and put the switch back in. Tested the input and output and the green side had a current. One brake light started working. Put the original bulb in the other socket and now it’s working. So I have brake lights. Still no right rear turn signal no matter which bulb I use. Radiator fan is next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahavams Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Congrats on picking up the car! I’m not much help on the electrical issues, but wanted to wish you a fun and safe trip! Not sure how far West you plan to travel but would love to meet up if you make it out to Los Angeles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 So the brake light problem could have been a stick switch that came unstuck or a bad fuse. I think it was a bad fuse. No power is going down the lead to the radiator fan at 95 Celsius. I‘ve unplugged it and I’m wiring in a manual switch in the cockpit. With dedicated auxiliary wiring the fan runs great. I’ll just have to act as a human thermostat. Turn signal remains a mystery but we all need a little mystery in our lives. Tomorrow I’m heading to Bryce Canyon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pksurveyor Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all76253?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-allstar-performance&gclid=CjwKEAjw3drIBRCOwfC-_qqyjQ8SJADvoWQpxeA1mEhuuQV0oAEffxYEcyI3J8FLpyue1T34rceq4xoCSJ3w_wcB&ibanner=MobileSwitchNo The brake switch is available at Advance Auto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pksurveyor Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bwd-brake-light-switch-s237/11461980-P?searchTerm=brake light switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Budlite Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) Cycle the hazard switch a few times. The turn signal wiring goes through the hazard switch and sometimes that can contribute to the problem. Congrats on the car! I remember the auction on BAT. Edited October 16, 2020 by 11Budlite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all76253?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-allstar-performance&gclid=CjwKEAjw3drIBRCOwfC-_qqyjQ8SJADvoWQpxeA1mEhuuQV0oAEffxYEcyI3J8FLpyue1T34rceq4xoCSJ3w_wcB&ibanner=MobileSwitchNo The brake switch is available at Advance Auto. Thanks for giving me a lead on a brake light switch. That looks perfect and I'll definitely be getting one. So here's an update. I've traveled from Utah Motorsports Campus to SLC to Moab to Bryce Canyon to the Grand Canyon which is 909 miles. Apart from the electrical issues noted previously the car has run flawlessly. Surprising because I had to use 85 octane for one tank due to the scarcity of gas stations in Southern Utah. Maybe not that surprising because while the engine was uprated to 218 hp with porting and hotter cams, it doesn't have a higher than stock compression ratio. Most of the challenges have involved getting it set up livably. I've taken a couple of steps in that regard. After sleeping on the ground four nights at near freezing temps I've even up on camping and mailed all my camping gear home. My vision Rx is around -8 with a lot of astigmatism and my efforts to get sunglasses was a failure. Driving across the desert without sunglasses is a very bad idea. I got some sunglasses that fit over my eyeglasses so I've addressed that. I went without earplugs for a couple of days which was a huge mistake that I've resolved. I didn't think I had the hardware for the doors so I went without. I then realized that the hardware for my new wind deflectors will hold the doors. The doors arrived today and I'll be enjoying them for the first time tomorrow. I think I finally have it about set up to start doing some 400-500 mile days. The plan tomorrow is to leave the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and make it to Palm Springs in no more than two days. I'm planning on two nights in Palm Springs and then doing a run up the PCH this weekend. One question I have is fuel capacity and range. I've been getting 20-25 miles per gallon. Riding a motorcycle taught me to always reset the trip odometer at every fill-up. I don't let the tank go below 1/4 on the gauge and generally fill up before 150 miles. I'm generally putting in 6.5 gallons. If I new I could trust there were 8 usable gallons in the tank I could extend my range 30 to 40 miles which would be great. What sort of range does everyone get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johncg Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 just a few thoughts about the tail lights. I recently had one tail light stop working. The fuse kept blowing. I eventually learned that the dash lights which illuminate the dash switches was on the same fuse and that many of these old switches ('99 DeDion) had degraded and begun to pull more current than normal which all added up to more than the fuse could handle. I could have replaced all the switches but instead pulled the ground wires to many of those switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 (edited) When you check “avoid highways” on Google maps unmaintained gravel roads might be included in the itinerary. I headed back rather that venture down that path. Regardless, I’ve made it to Palm Springs and now have a clunk in my trunk when I come off the power. I think something in the rear suspension has come loose or is broken. Any recommendations for a mechanic in the area that will put it on a lift? Never mind. Took it for a spin this morning and all seems good. So 500 miles yesterday. With the doors on covering that sort of mileage is a real pleasure. Edited October 21, 2020 by SanderGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 I’m trying to plot a route from Palm Springs to Santa Barbara that includes some roads through the mountains east of LA. Google doesn’t want to participate. Are fires in them there hills the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashyers Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 How far up the coast do you plan to go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 How far up the coast do you plan to go? I want to make it to Kampena Saturday at 3:00 pm so Richard can put the car on the lift and tell me anything is broken. Assuming that yields good news, I’ll head East from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashyers Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 SanderGA, I'm in Oakland, if you want to drop by on the way up to Sears Point for a bit of socially distanced grilling and a rest you're more than welcome. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 Thanks for the invitation Andy. I have a couple of balls in the air. Let me see how they shake out and I’ll let you know later today if I can make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanderGA Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 Made it to Santa Barbara. Car keeps running better. Tomorrow I’ll do the PCH. If the invitation is still open Andy, I’d love to swing by tomorrow evening. My email is sander@sanderabernathy.com. I’ll also send that in a direct message. If you don’t get it either way, you can easily find me with google. My name is Sander Abernathy and that’s also my domain name. If you google it you’ll easily find me. Just let me know time and place and I’ll be there. if anyone has an interest in following my journey I’m using the handle @caterhamchronicles on the ‘gram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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