Early Bus Brake Warning Light On

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Sylvester
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Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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Early Bus Brake Warning Light On

Post by Sylvester » Thu Apr 01, 2010 6:55 pm

Only when I turn left. Freaky huh? I turn left and hit the turn signal, and the light comes on. This just started last week. I thought it was something else, but there it is on when I turn left. No, it does not come on when I turn right. What the heck is it? Is my Bus haunted, hexed or cursed?

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Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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dtrumbo
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Post by dtrumbo » Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:45 pm

Clarification, please. Does the brake warning light come on when you turn the steering wheel to the left, but not the right, or does it come on when you turn on your left turn signal, but not the right. Is it electro-mechanical or electro-electrical?
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Sylvester
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Post by Sylvester » Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:13 pm

dtrumbo wrote:Clarification, please. Does the brake warning light come on when you turn the steering wheel to the left, but not the right, or does it come on when you turn on your left turn signal, but not the right. Is it electro-mechanical or electro-electrical?
Only left turn signal, does not matter if I am turning. Somehow, and I don't know why, these must be connected? According to the wiring diagram, they are not even close. I smell a hack.

Image
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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midatlanticys
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Re: Brake Warning Light on

Post by midatlanticys » Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:56 am

Sylvester wrote: This just started last week
Can you associate the first occurrence of the brake light glitch with anything else that happened to the bus *last week?* . . . what has changed? What have you been working on lately?
"The sad thing about governments is that in every single case, government formed by the people eventually becomes so large it begins to prey upon the people who created it.” -- B. Hoover

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Sylvester
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Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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Re: Brake Warning Light on

Post by Sylvester » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:07 am

midatlanticys wrote:
Sylvester wrote: This just started last week
Can you associate the first occurrence of the brake light glitch with anything else that happened to the bus *last week?* . . . what has changed? What have you been working on lately?
No, nothing on the dash. No electrical. Really no work since my head gasket leak, now isn't that weird?
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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dtrumbo
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Location: Mill Creek, WA
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Post by dtrumbo » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:11 am

Sylvester wrote:Only left turn signal, does not matter if I am turning. Somehow, and I don't know why, these must be connected? According to the wiring diagram, they are not even close.
Oh, but they are. The brake light power passes through your turn signal switch on its way to the back of the bus where it illuminates the exact same filament of the exact same bulb. I haven't figured out exactly what could cause this phenom, but I bet it has to do with something hinky in your turn signal switch. I say so because this is where the circuit separates into left and right as opposed to both. My first thought is to open up your signal switch (easy to do, don't loose the two small screws that hold the housing together) and see if dirt/loose/broken wires are present.

More questions, does the brake warning light flash with the turn signal indicator? Is this a new issue or has it always done this? This is a weird one, but you'll find and fix it.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Sylvester
Bad Old Puddy Tat.
Location: Sylvester, Georgia
Contact:
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Post by Sylvester » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:26 am

dtrumbo wrote:More questions, does the brake warning light flash with the turn signal indicator? Is this a new issue or has it always done this? This is a weird one, but you'll find and fix it.
No it does not. I will go and open the mysterious turn signal switch box. Sounds like a mystery, Jeenkies what would Scooby Doo, do?

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How come you never see Fred working on the Mystery Machine?
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

User avatar
dtrumbo
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Location: Mill Creek, WA
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Post by dtrumbo » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:19 am

Sylvester wrote:How come you never see Fred working on the Mystery Machine?
His ascot would get dirty.

To keep myself from having to delete my own comment, while you're in the signal switch box, look specifically for anything weird with the black/purple wire connected to terminal 54S1 and the black/white wire connected to terminal HL. I don't know if the switch connections will be labeled, but hopefully the colors are still perceivable.

If all looks good and clean in the turn signal switch, move on to the emergency flasher switch. There are commonalities there also.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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