Ahhhh, Help me, Brake lights not working...

[TheEndIsNear]

Hi all me again... I think I may be in over my head with this car. So this morning I go out and fire up my new(to me) 1990 525i and get a 'Brake Light 01' warning one the dash, so when I get to work I put a new bulb in the third light break light and all is well, warning goes away. Then, after work I fire her up and drive to my son's daycare(only a few blocks away) and as I'm backing into a parking spot I get a 'Break Light Circuit' warning on the dash display. And, alas no break lights... I've checked all the light bulbs and contacts at the lights, and the fuse for the break lights and everything checks out good and yet no break lights and this warning saying 'Break Light Circuit'. Help me, where do I start?

Josh

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

It's under the dash, mounted inline with the brake pedal arm.

It could be the problem.

[632 Regal]

i had tons of brake light probs, ended up spending an evening with 600 grit paper and a bottle of stabilant 22. cleaned EVERY connection possible and sine (54 months) all is well. tedious BS never isolated the problem either, it just works and I'm willing to forget it.

[TheEndIsNear]

Well Bob, your my new best friend... I did just that and tore out the 3in. of sound proofing all the other crap, found and removed a Nokia speaker phone kit(some idot hard wired it into the car) and started playing with the swich... $21.99 for a new swich later and shes all good...

Josh

It's under the dash, mounted inline with the brake pedal arm.

It could be the problem.

[TheEndIsNear]

OK, so im sitting out here in this car going through wires like its goin out of style. I pulled the break swich from the pedal and tested the swich, its a 4 wire swich. when i depress the swich two of the connecters close a circut and the other two always remain open... is this normal or should it close both circuts when the swich is depressed???

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

it's a kind of lever switch with 4 points.

You can carefully open the switch-boing- parts fly everywhere! and clean the contacts. its a cheap fix that will buy you time as the contacs carbon up and give up the ol' "Brake circuit" warning again.

Another problem is cheap bulbs, the CCM will trip and give you the "brake light" or "brake circuit" warnings if you use funky tin/brass based bulbs.

try to use Osram/Sylvaina

[TheEndIsNear]

That's actually what I did as a hold me over. The new switch is a special order that will arive on Thurs. But, its only $21.99 so I'm not to hurt. I like things that fix cheap. Oh, and all my bulbs are actually OEM BMW. The previous owner left me with a nice collection of new BMW bulbs.

Josh

it's a kind of lever switch with 4 points.

You can carefully open the switch-boing- parts fly everywhere! and clean the contacts. its a cheap fix that will buy you time as the contacs carbon up and give up the ol' "Brake circuit" warning again.

Another problem is cheap bulbs, the CCM will trip and give you the "brake light" or "brake circuit" warnings if you use funky tin/brass based bulbs.

try to use Osram/Sylvaina

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

You're on your way