brake lights

stuckinarut

this morning i found out that my brake lights dont work..
im driving an a3 and have tried changing the fuse and bulbs,tihs has not rectified the problem and now im out of ideas.
anyone have any idea what the problem may be?

Max_Damage

The contacts on where the bulb goes into the holder maybe rusted or corroded. The same happened to my car. If they are, get a bit of sandpaper or a screwdriver or something & try and scrape out the corrosion if possible

stuckinarut

i can try that but im not sure its the actual bulbs as all 3 lights went out at the same time, could it be somethinig to do with switches?and if so is it a diy job or one for the garage?

antodeco

Did you check the cable that goes into the lights? There should be a main unit (white in colour) that slots into a holder. There will be a connector in them that brings the power. May have simply come slightly loose..

Alun

What about the switch that's activated by the brake pedal? If all 3 went at once, and the fuse is OK that's where I'd look.

daithihalton

90 % sure its the brake light switch very common on these

Ferris

Make sure that you have the right fuse. On my golf (same car underneath) I the fuse box layout is the mirror image of what it says in the manual. The manual seems laid out for a LHD car. Took me ages to figure this out.:(

stuckinarut

ye this switch seems common...where is it??

crosstownk

stuckinarut wrote: »

ye this switch seems common...where is it??

I'd be inclined to suspect the switch. But, before you go digging for it, be sure that the replacement bulb was correct. What's more common than brake light switches failing is the fitting of incorrect bulbs. Most bulbs look similar, but on close inspection you'll note that the locating lugs on some are offset and not on others. If the wrong bulb is fitted it can cause all sorts of problems including a short circuit which will blow the fuse.......

AFAIK, the brake light switch is located above the brake pedal.

stuckinarut

tbh, i only changed one of the bulbs as i think it would be some coincidence for all 3 bulbs to stop working at same time...

can i fix the brake switch or is it too risky??

crosstownk

What year and model is the A3?

stuckinarut

2000 1.6

Mr.Diagnostic

I am pretty sure this is the same setup as the Golf and if so as others have said the brake light switch is a common failure.

There is a procedure for fitting the switch which is not very easy to describe. If the switch is fitted incorrectly it is usually damaged and you are left with the brake lights on all the time. If the switch is faulty I would suggest you get someone who is used to fitting them to do it for you.

crosstownk

Your brake light switch is either item no.1 or item no. 2 in the attached illustration. The best thing to do is to remove the brake switch and read the part number from it. It will either be 191 945 515 B or 1J0 945 511 C. But test the switch before buying another. You can use a multimeter and test the switch by checking the resistance in the on and off positions. You will have to drop the lower dash panel to access the switch.

crosstownk

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

I am pretty sure this is the same setup as the Golf and if so as others have said the brake light switch is a common failure.

Yep, both part numbers a Golf part numbers - the first indicates a MkII Golf and the second relates to a MkIV.

Mr.Diagnostic wrote:

There is a procedure for fitting the switch which is not very easy to describe. If the switch is fitted incorrectly it is usually damaged and you are left with the brake lights on all the time. If the switch is faulty I would suggest you get someone who is used to fitting them to do it for you.

I'd have to agree with Mr.D on this. But if you're careful and pay close attention to what you are doing then I really don't see any reason why it can't be a DIY job.

stuckinarut

and if i was to go down the garage route,how much would we be looking at??

crosstownk

Mr.D could probably advise better as to the cost, but it's a simple enough job which does not involve a lot of labour (less than an hour) and the part isn't too expensive either.

daithihalton

the switch is above the brake pedal it should be a 2 pin audi p/n 191-945-515-b or 4 pin 1JO-945-511-E
its not repairable best to replace it
remove the wire connector then depress the brake pedal and twist the switch to the left about 90 degrees and it will come out
when you are fitting the new one make sure the brake pedal is depressed away from the switch as it self adjusts, so install it pedal down and when it is locked in position release the pedal

Mr.Diagnostic

actually, when i posted that it is not easy to describe the procedure i was being lazy

Google to the rescue, the first result is this http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1158315

Someone not as lazy as me has done a guide to this. Probably the best thing to do is read the guide then decide if its a DIY job or not.

Mr.Diagnostic

daithihalton wrote: »

the switch is above the brake pedal it should be a 2 pin audi p/n 191-945-515-b or 4 pin 1JO-945-511-E
its not repairable best to replace it
remove the wire connector then depress the brake pedal and twist the switch to the left about 90 degrees and it will come out
when you are fitting the new one make sure the brake pedal is depressed away from the switch as it self adjusts, so install it pedal down and when it is locked in position release the pedal

If you follow this you will damage the switch. The design of these switches is a joke. It is very common to find cars with 3 or more damaged switches, even from the trade.

Mr.Diagnostic

stuckinarut wrote: »

and if i was to go down the garage route,how much would we be looking at??

If you go down the garage route make sure to ask (in a subtle manner) if they know how to fit them, many do not.

I would never comment on what other garages may charge but it could not be much.
it may be better to check if the switch is faulty first though. if you remove it to check it is likely you will damage it. It can be checked in place easily enough.

stuckinarut

thanks for all the help, think im gona need all i can get!!