Hand Brake switch / Cruise Control Problem

[TLC98]

A new comer to the TLC community.

I have a TLC 98 for two months now and love it - strong as a tank and smooth as cruiser . The TLC drive great with few problems:

1. CD doesn't work. Looks like a common problem after a search. I am using my portable CD player through cassette adapter and has better sound. Problem fixed.

2. Hand brake seized on drive side rear wheel (rusted). Opened the wheel and lube the moving part. problem fixed.

3. These are the problems haven't fixed:

No brake light in dashboard, even I engage the hand brake (the hand brake is working after fixed). It looks like the "hand brake switch" was went out and can not realize the hand brake level. The other evidence for the broken "hand brake switch" is that my DRL doesn't turn off after I engage the hand brake.

"No brake light, no cruise control", find this comment after search. Yes, my cruise control doesn't work at all - No light comes out after pressing the button. No cruise control after pushed up and down.

I assume these two problems are related and will works on the brake light first.

Is there a fuse for the Cruise Control?

How to open and check the "hand brake switch"? It is located under the hand brake but I don't know how to reach there? Do I have to take out front seat and deassembly the centrol storage box (between front seat)?

Thanks

 

[hrc0105]

The DRL's will not turn off when the parking brake is engaged. Do a search on DRL's and you will see methods of manually disabling DRL.
One thing I have noticed that my you may be talking about is this: When I turn my car on and the parking brake is engaged, my DRLs do not come on. As soon as I release the parking brake, though, DRL are activated. This is a little strange. It does make me think that DRLs should turn off when parking brake is engaged at any time, but I guess that's just how they are....

 

[TLC98]

Thanks for reply!

You said: "One thing I have noticed that my you may be talking about is this: When I turn my car on and the parking brake is engaged, my DRLs do not come on. As soon as I release the parking brake, though, DRL are activated."

No. My DRL is always on when I turn on the car. Does not matter I engaged the hand brake or not.

"When the car is turned on, the DRL is on as designed. Hold hand brake for one click will cancel it". - Remember saw this in the search. But my DRL is always on, even I engage hand brake after engine is on.

 

[hrc0105]

No. My DRL is always on when I turn on the car. Does not matter I engaged the hand brake or not.

"When the car is turned on, the DRL is on as designed. Hold hand brake for one click will cancel it". - Remember saw this in the search. But my DRL is always on, even I engage hand brake after engine is on.

Strange! I would have thought your vehicle would start with the DRL off when the car is started, like mine. But it could be that yours is a '98 or the fact that you're having hand brake problems.
I, too, read about the "one click" cancel, but I believe the general consensus among '00 models and older was that it did not work. It doesn't for me, at least, and my hand brake is fine. Unless you're willing disable the wire itself manually, you might just have to live with it. Hope this helps...

 

[cruiserheadrat]

A side note on cruise control, its cross connected to the brake light/ABS circuit. If the brake light fuse is blow, your cruise will shut off when you hit the brakes not just go passive. I found this out after installing my Kaymar rear bumper and accidentally blowing the fuse while hooking up the new bumper lights into the wiring harness. No I didn't check my lights before taking off for work the next day. The cruise which I use a lot was not right, a couple of days later after a State Trooper gave me a warning for no brake lights I found the problem in the blown fuse.