Birkin Brake light Switch help??

[southwind25]

Birkin owners..

Does anyone know what brake light pressure switch is used on our cars?

 

Last night we bled the brakes as thoughtful maintenance before our tour tomorrow, and as a result the brake lights stopped working!

Fuses are ok, so we suspect the pressure switch failed.

(This was not an unusual failure on all our old brit cars..)

 

help?

[11Budlite]

Robert - The stock brake light switch should be 1/8" NPT which is available at local auto parts stores. I got tired of replacing the cheap brake light switches on my '64 MGB (interchangeable with the Birkin switch) so took the advice of a mechanic friend of mine and replaced it with one from a Harley (I think it was a late 90's Heritage or Road King model). It was pretty expensive at appr $19 back around 2000 but I've never had to replace it since and it takes very light pressure on the brake pedal to actuate. On the Birkin, I replaced the hydraulic switch with a GM adjustable mechanical switch mounted at the pedal since I was going through the whole wiring harness and didn't mind revising the brake switch location.

 

The H-D switch that I bought looks like this but with a black body:

[slomove]

Don't know why the bleeding should cause a failure but yes, they are known to break earlier or later.

 

I replaced mine with this one:

 

PARR Automotive part # RFW-SW-32 low pressure brake light

switch. Their Phone # in Oklahoma is 1-800-654-6779 (I lost the web site)

This is a direct replacement for Birkins and many Caterhams.

 

They also carry a mechanical switch for brakes # RFW-SW-62.

[nleroux7]

I had problem with my brake light switch when I bought my Birkin. My brake lights were not turning on unless I use extreme pressure on the brake pedal.

 

I solved the problem: I unplugged it and I plugged an electrical switch directly on the pedal. Now my brake lights turn on as son as I touch the pedal and I'm not affraid that someone will smash the rear of my car.

 

Cheers,