Club 80-90 Forums

Hi

My break lights are not working van has been stood for 10 years in nice barn.

To start with I had to swap the old continental fuse box as the contacts had snapped but swapped like for like b7t don’t know if the brake lights were working before that.

Up to now I ave tried the following to diagnose it

Checked fuses... all fine
Checked brake switch contacts all clean
Remove the brake switch connectors and bridged them and lights not working still
I put power to that brake lights units using power prob and the bulbs light up
I have checked the earths and also checked the black resistor in the engine bay and all seems fine

I’m really lost what to check try next ... I have 10days for mot retest so desperate to figure it out

Sounds like a feed problem. I suggest you get yourself a multimeter, so much easier on the diagnosis as you've tried obvious stuff.

Can you put your van details in your signature, it helps us to help you

937carrera wrote:Sounds like a feed problem. I suggest you get yourself a multimeter, so much easier on the diagnosis as you've tried obvious stuff.

Can you put your van details in your signature, it helps us to help you

Hi sorry will do it’s a 1981 t25 holdsworth conversion

Am I right in thinking then that power should go to the lights when the brake switch closed.... so power should run from fuse box, to switch to the lights.... so just need to trace at what point the power is gone ?

Yep, but you're missing the fuse out.

Early wiring diagrams are available from https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiringt2.php

Go down to 1980-81 and click on the 5th image, that has the brake light bit. US wiring might be a bit different to UK (two switches maybe ?) but it shouldn't be so radically different.

Note fuse 8 is the starting point, and there are a number of connectors in the circuit. If they are unplugged / corroded no brake lights. Diagram 6 tells you where they are located

UK wiring diagrams are in the Haynes air cooled manual (green cover)

Try and put the van details in your signature (user control panel, top, left of the page), that way it will be in all your posts.

Thanks you for all your help and the links ... appreciate you taking the time out to help