Date:         Sat, 11 Oct 2014 08:52:01 -0700
Reply-To:     Dug Smith <dug@DUGBERT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dug Smith <dug@DUGBERT.COM>
Organization: What, me organised?
Subject:      Re: ELECTRICAL: need help diagnosing non-working brake/backup
              lights
Comments: To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAFnDXk3NnD3NHQRET=8Ecb84VK3=iJQ=ipwGpwaMM-O_y8KmOA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

I'm not sure, as the only thing I lost was the brake lights themselves -
I still had power at the pressure switches, so it looks like the power
goes through those, then to the fuse box (I wasn't looking too hard at
the Bentley at that point) and back to the lights.  The parking brake
still caused the warning light to... um, light, and I didn't drain the
fluid to check that still worked :o)

I took one of the rear lights out and used a test battery to make sure
it wasn't something spooky there - the lights fired up just fine when
they got power (I've added a high level and a trailer hitch mounted
light, so I wanted to make sure none of my stupid wiring was the problem).

On 10/11/2014 8:32 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
> Another question: the Bentley shows a connection to the brake warning light
> which has the dual function of warning when the handbrake is on and, at
> least on later models I've owned, a warning for low brake fluid. My car is
> by the way a 1983 diesel.
>
> Is the connection to the brake warning light necessary to operate and test
> the system? I wouldn't think so, but I wanted to make sure before checking
> further. The wares below the instrument cluster are not easy to reach with
> the cluster installed.
>
> Jim

toodle pip,
--
         Dug Smith        | Terry Pratchett: It's almost
(mailto:dug@dugbert.com) | impossible to ride a rock and roll
(http://www.dugbert.com) | motorbike and stay on for three verses.