Wanted: dummies guide to wiring

[ginge191]

Hi; many know i suck at electrics, bane of my life, HATE touching them... I've done it in the past and never had issues but it's something i'm not too fond of

So i'm wanting to wire in the brake lights. After having no idea what's causing the failure for illumination, Krisb recommended i just chuck a new wire in..

So what i DO have - a switch behind the pedal that works, a battery, a fusebox, and the plug on the cluster behind the brake lights themselves.

Soooooo..... Anyone want to do a dummies guide to chucking these wires in?

I've got basic crimps, snips, solder and tape.

Rep will be given ofcourse

[vincent1]

your switch should have 2 wires on it check that with ignition on that when you hold the brake pedal down you have 12 volts on both wires as one should be coming from fuse box to switch then one goes to rear brake lights. (the other wire will omly have 12 volts when the pedal is held down)

[ginge191]

There's 2 I believe; going into one plug. Thanks!

[vincent1]

that makes sence then one will come from the fuse box and should have 12 volts to it with ignition on then as you press the barake pedal down this links the switch contacts to allow 12 volts to the rear light clusters can you check you have the 12 volts to both wires with pedal down and ignition on?

[Niall]

shame your not coming tomorrow ginge. Im sure its pretty easy to fix!

[ginge191]

that makes sence then one will come from the fuse box and should have 12 volts to it with ignition on then as you press the barake pedal down this links the switch contacts to allow 12 volts to the rear light clusters can you check you have the 12 volts to both wires with pedal down and ignition on?

I'll check these on saturday..

shame your not coming tomorrow ginge. Im sure its pretty easy to fix!

I am in portsmouth tomorow but only until midday - i can't really see what else could be the issue - everything has been checked, i'll multimeter everything on saturday to double check, but if this fails, i'll have to rewire a new wire..

[Niall]

well its probably a damaged cable isnt it. Locating it should be very easy in a 205!
im assuming youve checked all plugs for corrosion?

[vincent1]

once you have checked the voltages it can realy only be the 1 wire from the switch to the light cluster plug
although you have tested the switch with a multimeter maybe remove the plug on the switch link the 2 wires with a bit of spare wire turn ignition on see if brake lights are on? switch maybe dodgey under load?

[ginge191]

well its probably a damaged cable isnt it. Locating it should be very easy in a 205!
im assuming youve checked all plugs for corrosion?

plugs all checked - immaculate, and a split wire could well possibly the answer.

once you have checked the voltages it can realy only be the 1 wire from the switch to the light cluster plug
although you have tested the switch with a multimeter maybe remove the plug on the switch link the 2 wires with a bit of spare wire turn ignition on see if brake lights are on? switch maybe dodgey under load?

and the switch works fine - tested that and it interferes with the radio (As do the wipers, fans, fuel gauge etc. etc.)

[ginge191]

A small update - spent SO long today testing EVERYTHING round the car - cutting a long story short, we put fuses into the empty slots (for central locking and A/C) which then sparked the lights into life?

Thinking it was working, pulled away in the evening and again dead, GAHHGHHGGH!!

So, pedal down, nothing... fiddle with the rear brake light fuse and very temporamental, theres no way in particular to wiggle the fuse, it's just very crap it seems..
Changed the fuse, again, shitty... so i think the issue is between the fuse and the switch.

Question; How can i re-wire this without ripping out the entire wiring setup behind the dash??

[cwspellowe]

Guide:

You will need:

Wires
Some glue
More glue
More wires
Glue

Method:

Tie wires together and add glue. Once glue has dried, add more glue.

[vincent1]

this is how i would do it i would find a ignition live from the back of your ignition switch then a piece of wire and add a inline fuse holder into it and put a fuse the same rating as what the original brake light fuse should be then the other end crimp on a spade connector and put on to the ignition live side of the brake light switch. (you have to cut the plug of the exiting brake light switch wiring plug just add a spade connector to the wire that runs to the brake lights)
remove the proper brake light fuse out the fuse box completely as its not being used.

[ginge191]

Hm i think i follow you vincent.

Would be possible to use the existing wiring from the switch to the brake light, as this actually works - its the wiring from the fuse which is crap.

Am i right in thinking the route goes

12V - fuse - switch - brakelight - earth?

[vincent1]

Hm i think i follow you vincent.

Would be possible to use the existing wiring from the switch to the brake light, as this actually works - its the wiring from the fuse which is crap.

Am i right in thinking the route goes

12V - fuse - switch - brakelight - earth?

on the brake switch theres 2 wires in one connector? i would cut this connetor block of and crimp spade connectors on the one wire that runs to your rear brake lights.
then i would find a ignition live from your ignition switch solder a wire on to this add a inline fuse holder and then a short lengh of wire with a crimped on spade connector which then goes on to the other connector on the brake light switch.so now on the brake light switch you have the 12v ignition fed live and the wire that runs down the loom to the rear brake lights no earth as bulbs use the rear light cluster earths. remove the old brake light fuse from the exiting fuse box.
i would run the wire down the steering column area its a short run your route is right dont worry about the earth.

[ginge191]

Hm i think i follow you vincent.

Would be possible to use the existing wiring from the switch to the brake light, as this actually works - its the wiring from the fuse which is crap.

Am i right in thinking the route goes

12V - fuse - switch - brakelight - earth?

on the brake switch theres 2 wires in one connector?

Nope, theres 2 wires which have there own connection on the switch..

i would cut this connetor block of and crimp spade connectors on the one wire that runs to your rear brake lights.
then i would find a ignition live from your ignition switch solder a wire on to this add a inline fuse holder and then a short lengh of wire with a crimped on spade connector which then goes on to the other connector on the brake light switch.so now on the brake light switch you have the 12v ignition fed live and the wire that runs down the loom to the rear brake lights no earth as bulbs use the rear light cluster earths. remove the old brake light fuse from the exiting fuse box.
i would run the wire down the steering column area its a short run your route is right dont worry about the earth.

[vincent1]

so going to the switch 2 spade connectors 1 from fuse box 1 to rear of car ie brake lights?

[ginge191]

so going to the switch 2 spade connectors 1 from fuse box 1 to rear of car ie brake lights?

erm they're not spades, just rectangular slide connections.. and i think so. I assume so? i couldn't find a wiring diagram of it which made any sense? I assum it's wired in the same as the 306?

Sorry if it's a useless explanation

[vincent1]

one of these?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAKE-LIGHT-SW...2ebf0738d3
spade crimp on connectors should go on ok
this is the type of connector i mean to use if they fit
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CRIMP-TERMINAL...0856592902

[ginge191]

Yes and yes... thats the ones!

So i need to rewire from an ignition live with an inline fuse to the switch, and keep the existing outlet wire to the brakelight? correct?

[vincent1]

correct with something made up like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INLINE-BLADE-F...06d&_uhb=1
i am crap at explaining things but could do the job in minutes lol

[ginge191]

lol

what sort of inline fuse to use? another 5A one?

[vincent1]

if thats what your original brake light fuse was

[ginge191]

yep; awesome, thanks so much for your help - if i need any more 'dummy guidance' i'll be sure to post again!
Thanks a lot!

Rep given!

[vincent1]

did you manage to sort this out?

[ginge191]

Funny you should ask - ordered the part, but last night, was in a dark lane parked up in front of a stationary car - rear lights were working with the headlights, which is fine, brake pedal nothing ... fiddle with fuses, nothing, THEN fiddle with the 2 spades on the switch, i get a bit of life now and again, so i seperate the connections as wide as possible without snapping anything and the brakes have now been illuminated for the past day or two... so seems not to be a fuse issue, but a potential spade connection shortening out??

[vincent1]

so that indicates a bad switch to me maybe worth getting a replacement only a few £ sounds like when your bending the switch spade connections its moving the parts inside the switch it self making the contacts line up/work

[ginge191]

so that indicates a bad switch to me maybe worth getting a replacement only a few £

hmm i guess.. i'll order one now - fairly cheap and easy to replace - could make a lot of difference