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Emergency brake light switch
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reluctantartist
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 5:37 pm    Post subject: Emergency brake light switch Reply with quote

Does anyone know where the emergency/parking brake light switch is located? I have been unable to find it's location in the Bentley Manuel.

Thanks
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mightyart
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brake light switches.
For the foot brakes, there are two on the bottom of the master cylinder.
For the hand parking brake, there is one under the handle.
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reluctantartist
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do I access it by removing the hand-brake lever boot? And what should I be looking for?

Thanks
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mightyart
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

reluctantartist wrote:
Do I access it by removing the hand-brake lever boot? And what should I be looking for?

Thanks

Yes it's under the boot, it's the only thing with a wire going to it.
Mine is a black spring switch with a green wire, you pull up on the handle, the switch moves out and the light comes on, release the handle it pushes in the switch, the light goes out.
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reluctantartist
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Mightyart....I have been doing lots of work getting it ready for the summer trips and that is one last thing I want to fix....too man y times the wife and I have driven with the brake partially on.
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PDXWesty
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's supposed to be an emergency brake light???
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Huxmobile
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I smelled burning brakes when I arrived at work today, then found my brake lever wasn't fully down. Thanks to this reply I went and found the Green and White wire, detatched! Early morning fix.

Thank you!
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90Doka_Guy
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PDXWesty wrote:
There's supposed to be an emergency brake light???


Just the one on the dash that lights up if the parking brake is on.
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tencentlife
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keane wrote:
PDXWesty wrote:
There's supposed to be an emergency brake light???


Just the one on the dash that lights up if the parking brake is on.


Yeah, it's the one that is perfectly blocked from sight by the rim of the steering wheel. So even when it works (mine always has perfectly, one click up on the handle and it's on), you can still drive around with the brake on unless you crane your neck to see the warning light. Why this wasn't put in the vacant space under the LED cluster right front and center, I'll always wonder.
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goffoz
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why the hell do they call it an "Emergency brake" ..its for parking Rolling Eyes
Just like the expression "firewall"..Is that supposed to inspire confidence Shocked
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mightyart
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

goffoz wrote:
Why the hell do they call it an "Emergency brake" ..its for parking Rolling Eyes
Just like the expression "firewall"..Is that supposed to inspire confidence Shocked

It's called the emergency brake because you can use it to stop if your regular braking system is completely gone.
It's connected to the rear brakes by a cable totaly independent from the regular system.
Way back when I took drivers ed they actually showed us how to use it to stop if the brakes failed.
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markz2004
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh - I just thought it was for getting a car (never a westy) to slide sideways in snowy parking lots.
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Timwhy
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Had an issue with my E-brake switch today. The switch plundger had stuck in the off position
and the warning light would not come on. Took the cover off the brake lever to expose the
switch. Just a little wiggling of the plundger freed it up and is now working correctly.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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novice
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jumped in my 84 westy today, parking brake won't disengage. Looked underneath van cables looked fine. Looked under the e brake boot and the little lever that moves when pressing the button works fine.

Question, is that little lever supposed to clear the metal piece it sits on to make the e brake disengage. Thanks. If I can't figure it out, going to be a flatbed tow.
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Ahwahnee
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

novice wrote:
...If I can't figure it out, going to be a flatbed tow.


Seems like it would be pretty easy to back-off or even undo the handbrake. There should be a couple of ways but perhaps the easiest would be that small nut on the threaded adjustment rod that operates the metal crosspiece that pulls the left & right cable. About amidship under the van.

That nut could be loosened to the point where the brakes release or, failingg that, to the point where the ball fitting on the cables could be unhooked from the metal crosspiece.
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novice
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks dude, loosened cable, in fact unscrewed e brake off the floor, rear wheels still locked so eliminated e brake...
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novice
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To end my little tale, went back to the search feature and found techniques to diagnose, and fix what turned out to be the actual problem. After washing my van, I used the e brake and a wet brake shoe had stuck to the drum.

I jacked it up to hammer the drum, and heard the shoe break loose. All better. Damn I was happy.

All hail the mighty search option.
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MootPoint
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tencentlife wrote:
Keane wrote:
PDXWesty wrote:
There's supposed to be an emergency brake light???


Just the one on the dash that lights up if the parking brake is on.


Yeah, it's the one that is perfectly blocked from sight by the rim of the steering wheel. So even when it works (mine always has perfectly, one click up on the handle and it's on), you can still drive around with the brake on unless you crane your neck to see the warning light. Why this wasn't put in the vacant space under the LED cluster right front and center, I'll always wonder.

I posted this really simple mod a couple months ago but this looks like a good place to repost it.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5367836&highlight=#5367836

    Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

    Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Having now used it since I wonder how I lived without it. Like 10¢ I'm no NBA player (Sorry, Chris) so the eBrake light was invisible to me with occasional dire consequences. This works really well, IMHO. I always see it when I glance at the gauges as I'm about to put it in gear.
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psych-illogical
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow. A 4 yr old thread still surfacing. I saw this yesterday when I was at work and it got me to thinkin, 'One of the very few things that doesn't work on my van now is that stupid light.' So, I went home, rolled back the boot on the lever and there's absolutely no switch anywhere to be seen. Musta been removed by some PO. So, the search is on for a switch to install and then I'm gonna do the Moot-mod to the light and relocated it somewhere visible (brilliant, really).
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spitsnrovers
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A door courtesy light switch from most any older vehicle will do the trick for that emergency brake lever.
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