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Brake lights/shift lever lock 1993 245

My wife's 1993 245 began having problems last month. She hardly ever drives it so it hasn't been pressing. What happened is that the shift lever locked in park and it s necessary to push the override button on the console above and to the left of the shifter (automatic tranny). A minor inconvenience so I haven't done anything about it. She drives it maybe once or twice a week, sometimes not even that often.

Tonight she discovered that she has no brake lights. Now it's a pressing concern. The brake failure light and the bulb failure lights on the dash do not come on when stepping on the brake pedal. The bulb failure light does come on with all the other dashboard lights when starting the car.

My off the cuff guess is that the brake light switch controls both the shifter lock and the brake lights and that the switch has crapped out. However, would that defeat the bulb failure light relay?

It's going to be dropped off at her mechanic's shop tonight so that he can hopefully look at it tomorrow. However, I am curious as to the likely cause. Suggestions welcome!

Thanks!

Reply to
Tim McNamara
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The failure relay only senses a difference in side-to-side flow. If both bulbs are good, both bulbs are blown, or there's no power... no light.

Online owner's manual of the fuses shows:

7 - Brake lights, Shiftlock, ABS 8A

Wiring diagram shows fuse 7 feeds the switch with incoming wire green-red, with 3 outgoing blue-reds, to the Bulb sensor, ABS unit, and Shift lock relay.

I'd start by checking the fuse, then the wiring around the switch, then the switch. A basic voltmeter or test light will show where the power stops flowing.

Reply to
Sanity Clause

Thanks! I had visually checked the fuse, took it out, put it back in. This was by flashlight, of course, since my wife got home after dark. The fuse looked fine. However, when her mechanic looked at the car today he replaced the fuse and now everything works. There must have been a fine break in the element that I did not see.

On the upside, cheap. On the downside, I apparently need new glasses!

Reply to
Tim McNamara

OXIDE WILL OFTEN STOP A FUSE from working how many times I have seen people look past the obvious . Cameras cars anything with batteries of fuses build up oxide and just a rub of the end of the fuse and a little Vaseline will fix it . On the old 264 yes I admit I had one ,the fuse number 7 controlled the fuel pump so when I saw a 264 broken down often just a turn of the fuse got it going . Re the 264 with the froggy engine NEVER trust people who eat frogs and snails .

Reply to
John Robertson

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