1993 Ford Ranger (Brake light switch)

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew exactly where the brake light switch is on a 1993 Ford Ranger and is it hard to change on my own without buying the mechanic a new house? I have no brake lights and changing bulbs doesn't work so we know it is the switch. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
sable024
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I wont comment on the switch... I gotta wonder where "the new house" comes from.

You can visit a tech that will diagnose your concern and repair it for "fair value". You can visit a charlatan that can bleed you dry through inexperience and/or lack of morals.

It is a subject far too complicate to cover in this venue....

As for your concern... you have changed the bulbs (apparently) and have done no diagnosis. Bluntly, you are stumped and are about to "throw" a brake light switch at it with no further diagnosis. Could it be the switch? Perhaps.... Could it be something else?....

Come to think of it... us techs are so grossly overpaid, it might be time for someone to buy the partsmonger a new house....

Sign me "a happy old fart having a few 'teas' while watching techs add folks to their kill file".

FWIW, I don't know what you do for a living but I'll bet there are those that don't like you "buying a house"....

Reply to
Jim Warman

Bitter, bitter Jim!

;)

But I wonder if the guy complaining is in the Heating/Cooling biz...

Sidenote.. it's so bad out there in that racket that some advertisers are pointing out their competition has obstructed furnace flues to justify furnace replacement... and I had a couple A/C condensers razor-knifed on my properties this last summer, so you CANT really blame him.

Back to topic. Follow the brake pedal swing arm, at pin to the brake actuator rod, you'll see the switch... tug test the wires into it. As likely a wire broken at terminal as a bad brake switch.

"Jim Warman" wrote in news:TyD8f.52287$yS6.28484@clgrps12:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

To be honest, some of my most satisfying moments have been after listening to some poor slob that has dumped a grand worth of unecessary parts into something and I find something simple to fix for under a C-note. This, I know, is mean.

Meaner still.... a customer insists I replace a part that I can see is quite serviceable.... I will replace it, even while I'm wondering why he doesn't want the obviously faulty part two feet away replaced... but WTF - he's the expert...

Things I've had happen....

Customer - "How much to fix XXXX on my car?". Me - "About $300 but I'll need to look to be sure...". C - "The shop down the street will do it for $200". M - "Well make sure he stands behind his warranty and uses quality parts". C - "You misunderstand... I want you to fix it....". M - "Well it's about $300, but I need to check to be sure". C - "But the shop down the street...."....

You get the picture.

The cab driver that didn't like my price on front brakes.... this IS a cab and his brakes are metal on metal... He was back the next day with the same noise. He'd gone to Canadian tire and bought the cheapest pads they had..... and installed them with the friction material against the calipers... YES - BOTH SIDES!!.

Customer - "You have to help me... the big box store fixed my XXX and now my car wont YYYY". Me - "shoulda brought it too me first...". C - "they were cheaper... But, you HAVE to help me". M - "OK... bring it in a week from next Thursday...". C - "You gotta help me sooner than that, *sshole". M - "OK... leave it now.... it'll be ready a week from next Thursday".

Customer - "Can't you do it for cheaper?" Me - "Yep... what parts do you want me to leave out?"

Me - "While I was under your car, I noticed your brake pads are getting thin.... They're OK for now but I'd plan on having the expense of a repair in the near future if I were you". Customer - "You *sshole... what'd you do to my brakes... they were OK this morning... You're trying to rip me off...". M - "SIGH!!".

The really sad part is that there are many that just plain shouldn't be in this trade... they have no knowledge, they have no scruples and they have no experience.... and they're making about the same money as I am.

As an entrepreneur, I would often "carry" part of the cost for customers that couldn't afford to pay all at once.... I can't tell you how many times I've gone into taverns just to see if my money was having fun... I've been called names because I saw an oil leak... been threatened for finding rusted fasteners...

If a tech had as much money as some seem to think, we wouldn't have to be techs....

Reply to
Jim Warman

I can relate to that 100% Jim, a couple of years ago I had a woman standing in front of me crying because the front brakes in her car were totally gone. She had driven the thing until the pads were gone, the rotor was worn down to the cooling fins and the piston finally fell out of the caliper. Long story short, she just started a new job and needed the car but didn't have any money. Since she was the mother of my sons best friend I decided to go out on a limb and help her out. Dou you think I ever saw a fricking nickel from her? Hell no!

Then there is the car lots that go bankrupt leaving you holding the bag for all the repairs you made on there cars. And hey, I even had a minister screw me out of over $600. Thy sack of shit made one promise after another for a year, then the bankruptcy papers came. During that year he didn't spend any less time on the golf coarse though.

I had another woman with an S-10 complaining of a shake at speed. I took it out on the highway and got it up to 55 when the thing started shaking something terrible, I looked in the rear view just in time to see the topper fly off. Problem solved! No more shake. Luckily no one was hurt but did I ever have fun trying to get the damn thing back on by myself with the wind howling. When I told the customer what happened she just laughed and said "you should have left it in the ditch, I didn't like it anyway."

I have came to the conclusion that about 1% of the customers cause about 90% of the headaches. I consider keeping that 1% out of the shop as part of my job. It would just be nice if they were easier to spot. Most times they burn you once before you figure it out.

Don't get me wrong, I like what I do and make a decent living at it but yea, when some dumb shit says "he'd like to get his brake lights working without buying some mechanic a house" it rubs me the wrong way as well. We earn every nickel we get. Bob

Reply to
Bob

If I had to sum up the last almost 40 years in one sentence, it would be "Every time I set out to save someone one dollar... it would backfire and cost me ten".

Though it may not seem like it, I do feel for my customers.... in our jobs, we rarely get to tell people any good news. I'm often asked for advice.... about repairs - about purchases...

The cheapest thing we can ever do with a car is buy it.... If you can't afford to repair it properly, you can't afford to drive. These are basic automotive truths. This may sound harsh to some but I wonder how many traffic fatalities and injuries could be avoided each year if people kept their cars safe. Perhaps a less than ideal car might not cause an accident, how many folks get themselves into a bind that a properly functioning car would have got them out of?

How many times in this NG and other forums do we see "For about six months my cars be acting/sounding strange and now it wont move...."?

I just reread the original post for some strange reason and the one thing that sticks out is "....changing bulbs doesn't work so we know it is the switch." He's going to buy the partsmonger a new house with that kind of diagnostic assumption....

I love what I do as well... I feel I'm underpaid for my knowledge and abilities.... like others, I give my time and experience freely to various internet venues... This is out of the goodness of our hearts and I don't feel we should be belittled in this manner.

I'll agree that there are many charlatans in this business but you can't paint us all with the same brush. After all.... 50% of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class. Anyone consider calling the pioneers of modern medicine "pill pushers"?

Reply to
Jim Warman

_______________________________________________

LOL. Don't dwell on the bad ones - think of those who appreciate the quality service you have provided, and be satisfied in knowing you have done your best.

Here is a story I enjoyed:

CUSTOMER: $90? ABC Automotive's price is $70. MECHANIC: Why don't you take it to ABC's then? CUSTOMER: They are booked solid for 7 months. MECHANIC: When I am booked solid for 7 months my price will be $70 too.

Best regards to all mechanics, beginner to expert.

Rodan. _____________________________________________

Reply to
Rodan

Okay, I owe you an apology Jim. I know there are honest mechanics out there. I am actually friends with one that told me that it was the brake light switch but his health isn't the greatest so I do not want to bother him with this. The comment was meant as a joke and I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. It is just the luck my husband and I have had in the past with some of the mechanics we have chosen. Like, 500.00 for a 10 minute job. But, like I said before, we have also dealt with alot of great and honest mechanics and I do realize that mechanics don't all live in mansions. I really really do apologize for my comment. And thanks for everyone's help about the brake light switch.

Reply to
sable024

Don't get me wrong, I like what I do and make a decent living at it but yea, when some dumb shit says "he'd like to get his brake lights working without buying some mechanic a house" it rubs me the wrong way as well. We earn every nickel we get. Bob

I said I was sorry and I really did mean it to offend anyone. I never would have said it, if I knew it was going o be taken the way it was and I do realize mechanics earn every nickel they get. The work they do is hard especially when I look under the hood and everything is foreign to me. My friend (who is a mechanic) owned his own shop down south and he said that when he moved back up here he noticed the high cost at some shops compared to down there. But, I do realize that not all are like that. Again, I am sorry and I am not a dumb sh** and I don't really like to be called one.

Reply to
sable024

Your apology is much appreciated, now I hope you will accept mine. Sorry I called you a dumb shit, I can see now that it's not who you are.

So did you get your brake lights fixed? If not I'd be more than happy to help you out. Bob

Reply to
Bob

Hey Bob, Thanks for accepting my apology! My upsetting people really was stressing me. I don't like to hurt people and I feel that I did here and it was really bothering me. So, I am glad you forgave me and now I hope Jim will.

As for getting my brake lights fixed, no I haven't. It is actually my husband's truck. He doesn't know much about vehicles, I wish he did. My mechanic friend fixed something else on it and checked the brake lights while he had it and told us the brake light switch was going out and would need to be changed. He had it working but said it won't last long. That is how I know it is the brake light switch. I just don't want to bother him since he is in poor health. Someone told us it was under or by the brake pedal? I don't know much about vehicles but I have learned some over the years...;) I don't want my husband to put off fixing it so I would like to know where to locate it so I can fix it myself or coax him into doing it, or I will take it to a mechanic. He drives it alot for work and it scares me with him driving it like that.

Reply to
sable024

Hey Bob, Thanks for accepting my apology! My upsetting people really was stressing me. I don't like to hurt people and I feel that I did here and it was really bothering me. So, I am glad you forgave me and now I hope Jim will.

As for getting my brake lights fixed, no I haven't. It is actually my husband's truck. He doesn't know much about vehicles, I wish he did. My mechanic friend fixed something else on it and checked the brake lights while he had it and told us the brake light switch was going out and would need to be changed. He had it working but said it won't last long. That is how I know it is the brake light switch. I just don't want to bother him since he is in poor health. Someone told us it was under or by the brake pedal? I don't know much about vehicles but I have learned some over the years...;) I don't want my husband to put off fixing it so I would like to know where to locate it so I can fix it myself or coax him into doing it, or I will take it to a mechanic. He drives it alot for work and it scares me with him driving it like that.

Reply to
sable024

Unfortunately, Sable.. your experiences are too common. The only mech I know personally, I dont trust beyond repairing a flat... he has screwed me and I witnessed him screwing another aquaintance, as well. Guess we werent 'good enough' friends...

My brother, though, has a personal friend that I would trust with anything on my car... but he has a 2 week waiting list.

"sable024" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@localhost.talkaboutautos.com:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

its under the dash on the brake pedal. If that doesn't fix it I'll give you a discount and I'll fix it if you buy me a new car :) But seriously, look at the fuses and the wires at the switch first. It could also be the turn signal switch or any wiring from the power sounce all the way to the bulbs in the back.

Reply to
Shoe Salesman

If you follow up from the brake pedal you'll find a switch where the pedal attaches to the booster rod. That switch will have 2 wires on it and Like Backyard says they sometimes break. If the wires are okay check to see if the light green and red wire is hot. If it is check the light green wire, it should be hot only when applying the brakes. If it is your switch is fine and the problem is downstream further. That's the lowdown on testing it, to remove it just pull the pin that goes through the shaft that the switch is mounted on. Slide the switch off, note the orientation of a plastic sleeve and washer as it comes off.

If you or your husband are mechanically inclined at all you should be able to do it pretty easily, if not it shouldn't cost a whole lot to just have a shop do it. Either way, driving around without brake lights is not worth the risk. If you have any questions at all, just ask... Good luck Bob

Reply to
Bob

Thanks everyone.........I will check it out. I appreciate everyone's help.

Reply to
sable024

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