Here's why I love this forum. Stopped for baklava on the way home last night, and when I came out I thought I'd left my lights on. Turns out, I hadn't, but instead my brake lights were on. As I hopped in to drive home I googled "FJ80 brake lights won't turn off" and was served this thread.
Based on the "simplest explanation first" principle (Occam's razor, call it what you will) I assumed the 80 also had a switch that engaged with the brake pedal. First I yanked the floor mat back, in case that was interfering, but that didn't work. Pulled into a gas station near home (so I could back up to the building and see my brake lights clearly), got out my flashlight, and immediately saw this thing on the floor mat...
It's the soft plastic pad that's supposed to contact the brake light switch - at least I assumed. I Looked up under and saw where it goes - between the brake pedal and the refrigerator-door-style intermittent switch that closes the circuit when physically released. Upper right in the image, silver switch body, gold threads & nuts holding the switch to the switch bracket, and the black plastic switch button that's supposed to make contact with the round tab on the brake pedal. A quick test confirmed that putting this thing back in place
When I got home, since the tab was broken off the wee plastic disk, I used some thick, strong, flexible glue (E9000 from the Missus craft drawer, if you're curious) on the back of the disk, placed it with some tweezers, and let pressure from the brake pedal hold it in place. This morning it works fine, and will hold long enough for me to buy or make a new plastic pad.
Thanks all!
Based on the "simplest explanation first" principle (Occam's razor, call it what you will) I assumed the 80 also had a switch that engaged with the brake pedal. First I yanked the floor mat back, in case that was interfering, but that didn't work. Pulled into a gas station near home (so I could back up to the building and see my brake lights clearly), got out my flashlight, and immediately saw this thing on the floor mat...
It's the soft plastic pad that's supposed to contact the brake light switch - at least I assumed. I Looked up under and saw where it goes - between the brake pedal and the refrigerator-door-style intermittent switch that closes the circuit when physically released. Upper right in the image, silver switch body, gold threads & nuts holding the switch to the switch bracket, and the black plastic switch button that's supposed to make contact with the round tab on the brake pedal. A quick test confirmed that putting this thing back in place
When I got home, since the tab was broken off the wee plastic disk, I used some thick, strong, flexible glue (E9000 from the Missus craft drawer, if you're curious) on the back of the disk, placed it with some tweezers, and let pressure from the brake pedal hold it in place. This morning it works fine, and will hold long enough for me to buy or make a new plastic pad.
Thanks all!