Date:         Tue, 3 Jan 2006 10:56:43 -0700
Reply-To:     honemastert <honemastert@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         honemastert <honemastert@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Brake Light Switch Procedure (was Anyone Interested)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

>> Re:  Brake Light Switch..
>> Looks easy enough, but nothing in Bentley tells you how to do it or what =
>> not to do in the process.

John,

(search the Vanagon.com archives.. I found the procedure
 there)

Which one?  front, back or both?  In my case, only
one was leaking, pretty quick and painless, if you do it
right, you dont even have to re-bleed the brakes.. (have
to be quick however!)

see below:
================

Below are some basic instructions for doing the job:

Disconnect the battery: You will be working without the dash and with
exposed "hot" terminals so it is best to disconnect the ground
connection. To do this move the passenger seat forward, remove the
plate under the rear of the seat protecting the battery and loosed the
ground connection. Pull the ground wire off the terminal and fasten it
so that it does not flip back and touch the battery terminal again.

Instrument cluster removal: Pull the instrument panel off and remove
all the wiring. There are 4 Phillips #2 screws holding the plastic tab
of the instrument cluster. Be careful, these tabs can get brittle with
age. They can break and shatter. Wiggle you hand behind the
speedometer and unclip the spedo cable. Just squeeze the connector and
it will come out. Next pull out the switches by pressing the tabs to
release them from the cluster. The cluster should lift out and remove
the big wire connector plug. This will provide you room to get under
the dash board. Put the cluster in a safe place that you will not sit
or lay other components on.

Prime the switch with brake fluid (so you dont introduce
more air into the system)  Dont let this stuff get on anything!
(esp paint.. will eat right through it!)

I only had to do the one in the photo, so I started unscrewing
after removing the wire.  Once I got to finger tightness, I positioned
the other switch with my free hand, and pulled one out, while
simultaneously stuffing the new one in its place.  Do it quick, and
you'll be okay.. hesitate, and it's time to bleed the brakes.

hope this helps..!

good luck,

 -tim