Brake lights on, nobody in car.

Chuck_Norris

Evening all,

Quick question for you. The wife has just text me to say the brake lights on the car are coming on intermittently. They go from off, to both on, to either side being on, with no discerable pattern. All of this happening with nobody in the car.

Car is a 2006 Octavia.

Anybody seen this before?


All help appreciated.

Foxhole Norman

Faulty brake light switch maybe?

karlmarker

copy and paste forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1158315[/url]

Kevin McCloud

If its got a hitch and trailer socket problem could be in socket.

Fatswaldo

Other possible causes

• Loose wire shorting out somewhere
• Damp causing a short

Chuck_Norris

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Faulty brake light switch maybe?

Thinking that myself alright. May try to have a look this evening when I Get home.

Chuck_Norris

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

If its got a hitch and trailer socket problem could be in socket.

No hitch. I'm thinking it may be what Foxhole Norman has said.

Chuck_Norris

karlmarker wrote: »

copy and paste forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1158315[/url]

Thanks for that. Will be handy should I need to replace the switch.

Chuck_Norris

Quick update, though still not home.

Wife text to say the DRL's on the front started flashing. Aftermarket LED DRL's, no issue prior to this. Central locking wouldn't open doors, and no dash lights when key in ignition. I'm thinking the battery's fooled, but would a faulty brake light switch have caused the battery to drain in 1 day?

Foxhole Norman

Chuck_Norris wrote: »

Quick update, though still not home.

Wife text to say the DRL's on the front started flashing. Aftermarket LED DRL's, no issue prior to this. Central locking wouldn't open doors, and no dash lights when key in ignition. I'm thinking the battery's fooled, but would a faulty brake light switch have caused the battery to drain in 1 day?

If it was faulty for a few nights and putting on the lights consistently enough it could well have I'd say.

Chuck_Norris

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

If it was faulty for a few nights and putting on the lights consistently enough it could well have I'd say.

This is true. Oh well, I'll know more when I get home.

KNS

Had the same problem myself before. When I got out of the car and locked it the brake lights were still on. Turned out to be a faulty brake light switch. It was somewhere behind the brake pedal.

Needed the car fixed asap so had to bring it to a main dealer. Was the saturday of a bank holiday. Think it cost me €60 to €80 euros to get sorted. Can't remember.

Biglad

My wife's '08 Octavia Scout does the flashing of the brake lights intermittently as well. Must check that switch myself.

Foxhole Norman

The brake light switch for mine cost me €30 or so which I still haven't installed yet as my Cruise seems to be back after clearing the error code, will see how mine stays for the next few weeks.

Chuck_Norris

Just in the door. Battery's drained because I forgot to turn off the lights after a quick trip to the shop before work this morning. Cold weather obviously didn't help. I'll charge it up, and see what happens from there. Thanks for all the replies folks.

TheChizler

If it were a VW I'd be suggesting something about the comfort control module, with random lights and locking going. Do Octavia's have something similar?

Chuck_Norris

TheChizler wrote: »

If it were a VW I'd be suggesting something about the comfort control module, with random lights and locking going. Do Octavia's have something similar?

I think they do alright.

I'm thinking the issue was just related to the battery draining, and the DRL's coming on. But I'll swap the brake light switch as well, just in case.

corktina

Rats eating there way through the wiring loom.....or spooks maybe. Just ignore it...

Chuck_Norris

corktina wrote: »

Rats eating there way through the wiring loom.....or spooks maybe. Just ignore it...

Good thinkin alright. May set a few mouse traps, what ya think?

Spook_ie

Chuck_Norris wrote: »

Evening all,

Quick question for you. The wife has just text me to say the brake lights on the car are coming on intermittently. They go from off, to both on, to either side being on, with no discerable pattern. All of this happening with nobody in the car.

Car is a 2006 Octavia.

Anybody seen this before?


All help appreciated.

Given this statement I think more likely a wiring problem rather than the switch as the switch would affect both not one side or the other. Does it light up the high level brake light as well?

AnotherYear

Ghost

ardle1

Brake switch for sure....
And probably not faulty,someone may have caught their foot in behind pedal and pulled out, this will push the pedal back and at the same time(because the switch is a reverse 'on' switch)will push the switch back,, hence when brake pedal sits in normal position it wont activate the switch, the switch itself is always closed when brake pedal is not activated,because the opposite end of pedal sits against switch holding it 'closed'.. but when you push brake pedal you take other end of pedal away from switch, which then activates the brake lights. If you know what I mean!? Although when brake switch is active and car is being accelerated you should find some other issues with car! as in no power and low RPM's! Well?

P.s: If you need to know how to push switch back into normal position,well let us know, I will guide you...

iamtony

If it were the brake light switch the problem would t happen when the keys weren't in the car and the Reds turned on so if it's happening while no one is in the car it's probably not the switch.

Joe 90

iamtony wrote: »

If it were the brake light switch the problem would t happen when the keys weren't in the car and the Reds turned on so if it's happening while no one is in the car it's probably not the switch.

Not so. It happens on mine, a matter of adjusting the switch, and the ligts DO come on when the ignition is off.

Spook_ie

ardle1 wrote: »

Brake switch for sure....
And probably not faulty,someone may have caught their foot in behind pedal and pulled out, this will push the pedal back and at the same time(because the switch is a reverse 'on' switch)will push the switch back,, hence when brake pedal sits in normal position it wont activate the switch, the switch itself is always closed when brake pedal is not activated,because the opposite end of pedal sits against switch holding it 'closed'.. but when you push brake pedal you take other end of pedal away from switch, which then activates the brake lights. If you know what I mean!? Although when brake switch is active and car is being accelerated you should find some other issues with car! as in no power and low RPM's! Well?

P.s: If you need to know how to push switch back into normal position,well let us know, I will guide you...

Just out of interest, how do you account for

Originally Posted by Chuck_Norris View Post
Evening all,

Quick question for you. The wife has just text me to say the brake lights on the car are coming on intermittently. They go from off, to both on, to either side being on, with no discerable pattern. All of this happening with nobody in the car.

Car is a 2006 Octavia.

Anybody seen this before?


All help appreciated.

I can't see how a switch would allow just one side to light! and then the other side! and then off or on!

sunnysoutheast

Spook_ie wrote: »

Just out of interest, how do you account for


I can't see how a switch would allow just one side to light! and then the other side! and then off or on!

I had the brake light switch problem (on a 2003 Audi) and occasionally only the 3rd high-level brake light would come on although more usually it was all three brake lights. I can't explain why, however, might have been something to do with the battery level being low.

It's not expensive to replace the switch so it's probably worth doing that first before trying to trace other faults.

ardle1

Spook_ie wrote: »

Just out of interest, how do you account for


I can't see how a switch would allow just one side to light! and then the other side! and then off or on!

Yeah agreed, didn't see that post. It should be either all on or all off,. There is a possibility that the switch was activated during the night before it was noticed. And there may now be an issue with wiring/electrical fault!?