TheSamba.com :: View topic - Red taillight stays on with the ignition off

Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:10 am

Hello,

1987 Vanagon 1.6 Diesel ( JX engine code ) owner. Recently i have noticed that when parking the vanagon, one of the red tail lights stays on (only one) - nothing is on in front. The lights switch is OFF all the way , of course.

If I put the key into the ignition (withot starting the engine) said light turns off. Only thing i could do is to remove the ( - ) cable at the battery.

Can someone explain or suggest a solution to this annoying problem ?

Thanks.

Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:36 pm

I had a similar situation and it ended up being the brake switches on the master cylinder. Mine too only lit up on one side because the constant power burned the bulb up on the other side. If you hit the brake pedal does the bulb turn off?

Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:29 pm

Is your turn indicator turned off?

Mon Mar 11, 2013 10:39 am

boof1306 wrote: Is your turn indicator turned off?

Yep that was the culprit. If i leave my turn indicator in either left or right positions and turn off the engine (and remove the key), the corresponding rear red taillight (i think is the brake light) will stay on. Strange ! :)

Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:01 am

Komissar wrote: boof1306 wrote: Is your turn indicator turned off?

Yep that was the culprit. If i leave my turn indicator in either left or right positions and turn off the engine (and remove the key), the corresponding rear red taillight (i think is the brake light) will stay on. Strange ! :)

NOT strange... as designed! :D My German market Transporter SC also has this feature.

Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:03 pm

This feature is common in European cars to act as a visibility marker when you park the car on a rural or unlit road.

Tue Oct 20, 2020 9:44 pm

bump.

I have a similar problem with my newly acquired van ('84). The brake lights remain illuminated regardless of key position or if they are even in the ign. I discovered this as I was troubleshooting why the interior lights did not work and discovered fuse 8 was pulled from the panel. after installing a new fuse the lights work, hurray, however my brake lights will not go out unless I remove the fuse (which I have). I have started to trace out the wiring diagram on the assumption that they may (but both are on) be shorted somewhere...? Ihad hoped it might have been that turn signal "feature" mentioned previously but sadly this is not so simple...

anyone else run into this and can provide guidance while I fumble my way through it?

Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:10 am

At least one of your brake light switches is faulty, and is stuck on. If your brake light warning light on the dash is on, then just one switch is faulty. If that is off, then both are.

You need the three-pin version of the brake light switches, not the later two-pin. Buy two, replace both, and if only one was faulty use the other good one as a spare. ;)