The brake lights on my 1961 TR3A do not work, and I am out of ideas.
I have 12V going to the brake light switch (on frame, under carbs)
via a green wire that comes directly from the
ignition-switch-controlled side of the fuse box. When my lovely
assistant steps on the brake pedal (with ignition switch on) I get 12
V out of the brake light switch via the purple-on-green (P/G) wire
that leaves the switch. When I jump directly from the battery to the
P/G wire that goes from the engine compartment to the brake lights,
the brake lights come on. When I connect the green wire that comes
from the ignition-switch-controlled side of the fuse box directly to
the P/G that goes to the brakes (i.e. bypass the brake light switch
completely), the brake lights come on.
HOWEVER, when I connect the 12 V P/G/ wire leaving the brake light
switch to the P/G wire that goes to the brake lights (i.e., the
normal wiring setup), I have no brake lights. I have sanded all
connections and replaced the in-line connectors (under the carbs). I
have even held the two wires (P/G leaving brake light switch with 12
V to P/G going to brake lights) in direct contact, and still no brake
lights.
So:
a) the pedal-activated brake light switch works
b) the lamps in the brake light fixtures work
c) but the lamps only come on with the 12V from the battery (or fuse
box) and not with the 12V from the brake light switch.
Is it an amperage problem? Is the brake light switch giving me 12V
but very low amps? How do I test that? Am I forgetting something
that is incredibly obvious? Why does Joseph Lucas hate me?
--
Bob and Nancy
/// triumphs@autox.team.net mailing list
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|