Ebrake backwards on BRAKE light indicator on dash (1 Viewer)

[michaelharrisco]

I haven't had an Ebrake for a while (snapped cable), but just got it back installed. I've never really paid attention to the brake / seat belt light indicator on the dash, but now that I'm actually pulling the ebrake handle now I noticed last night that the BRAKE light indicator on the dash is backwards (i.e. when I have the Ebrake pulled out / engaged the brake light indicator is OFF, but when I push in/dis-enage the E brake the brake light indicator is ON.

Easy fix is just to remove the bulb (I'm predicting a lot of people will say that), but I really like all my stuff on the truck to work as designed.

I've looked at the wiring diagram and see the switch and the brake fluid level wires going to the indicator light. I assume the switch just above the ebrake handle is causing this. That switch looks small and contained within that small box which makes it odd to me to take off and try to reverse the wires.

I also noticed a white wire harness that has the wires connected to it and a green harness with nothing going to it by the brake handle. (pic included as well).

Has anyone else experienced this or know what is causing this?

 

[Downey]

there is not an electrical bone in my body, but I'm wondering if this is like house current where you just swap the wire positions to switch the outcome/reverse the polarity????

 

[michaelharrisco]

I'm the same way (I'm more mechanical in nature)...I had the exact thought. This seems like it should be just a wire swap, but I'm just not sure where to start. What wires to swap and where so I was hoping to get someone to chime in confidently on what to go after.

 

[emac]

I think the switch has an adjustment where it mounts to the parking brake assembly. Maybe it is just out of adjustment. Or bad ground.

Also, I think my light goes out when the brake pedal is pressed with the parking brake on. So, parking brake on, light on. Press brake and the light goes out. Let go of brake light comes back on. So, the brake pedal switch may be somehow involved. How, I have no clue. Just thought i would mention it.

 

[AdamKFarmer]

I wonder if your brake switch is correct, or if you have a differnt year, or a different year bulb combo.

 

[emac]

I wonder if your brake switch is correct, or if you have a differnt year, or a different year bulb combo.

I assume you were talking about my post. 1977 FJ40. My brake light will come on if there is a brake fluid/pressure issue. I wonder if the OP brake lights/ brake master sensors are working properly.

I would check all wires before I started swapping stuff. It may be a simple ground issue.

 

[michaelharrisco]

I think the switch has an adjustment where it mounts to the parking brake assembly. Maybe it is just out of adjustment. Or bad ground.

Also, I think my light goes out when the brake pedal is pressed with the parking brake on. So, parking brake on, light on. Press brake and the light goes out. Let go of brake light comes back on. So, the brake pedal switch may be somehow involved. How, I have no clue. Just thought i would mention it.

^on this...any insight into the "adjustment" you mentioned? Feels like it is not really an adjustment thing since it is simply a polar opposite things ON/OFF...I'll look into this, but when I looked at it the other night I remember just a small metal box with wires going into it (not really any adjustment thing). Maybe I'm looking at the wrong spot though.

I was testing all this out while never pushing the brake pedal down, but I'll try that and see what type of behavior I get. At the end of the day though, if Ebrake handle is pulled out with no foot on the brake pedal, the BRAKE indicator on the dash should be on.

 

[AdamKFarmer]

I assume you were talking about my post. 1977 FJ40. My brake light will come on if there is a brake fluid/pressure issue. I wonder if the OP brake lights/ brake master sensors are working properly.

I would check all wires before I started swapping stuff. It may be a simple ground issue.

Emac, I was talking about Mike's post actually. Yours sounds correct to me. If there was a ground issue the light woudln't turn off/on right?

 

[emac]

I thought I had a couple of pictures from my build of the parking brake assembly, but I couldn't find them. IIRC, the switch is threaded into a metal mounting plate. It was kind of weird how it worked as I recall some kind of spring loaded part. The switch adjusts by rotating it in and out of the mount. It has a locknut. The whole assembly is easy to remove and put on the bench.....I know because I had mine in and out several times trying to get it to work properly.

Here is a quick picture I found:

Original FJ40 LandCruiser Emergency Parking Brake Handle Assembly

 

[emac]

One other thing....in your picture it looks like someone has really twisted the wires in between the switch and the connector. You may want to check that out, maybe a wire is broken and grounding, or the switch was bad and the PO tried to adjust it without unplugging it. Just throwing it out there.