Rusty Bowtie

General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: munch on October 23, 2013, 07:44:28 PM

Title: Brake Lights
Post by: munch on October 23, 2013, 07:44:28 PM

I have a 1930 Chevy and I discovered the brake lights are not working.  Each tail light housing has a turnsignal bulb and a tail light bulb, single filament, one power source per bulb.  Looking at the setup, I can not see how I ever had brake lights but I did.

Does anyone know how this works?

Title: Re: Brake Lights
Post by: ghost28 on October 23, 2013, 07:58:04 PM

 Are you saying you have one power source for all the bulbs?  Your brake lights and turn signal should be powered by the same source and your tail lights by another source. When your turn signal are activated for either side it should work along  with your brake system. What kind of master cylinder and pedal system are you using under the floor?

Title: Re: Brake Lights
Post by: munch on October 23, 2013, 08:31:19 PM

There is one power source per bulb.  Are you saying that the turn signal bulb should act as the brake light also?  Would it not have to have two filaments?

Title: Re: Brake Lights
Post by: themoose on October 23, 2013, 08:39:48 PM

You can have just one filament style bulbs for brake/signal bulbs if you have your running lights are on a separate circuit and bulb. As ghost28 said the brake light switch feeds into the signal light switch what does the distribution of power to in order to the allow the signal lights to override the brake light when both are applied at the same time . Take a look at the diagram below it should help you get a handle on how the circuit works.

Moose

(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq7/themoose524/Rusty%20Bowtie/signal_3_3rd_light_zps167eb7c4.gif)

Title: Re: Brake Lights
Post by: munch on October 24, 2013, 11:13:19 AM

Thanks, this info helps.  I was trying to think of what might have changed and I remembered a few months age the wire for the transmission kick down came loose and dropped on the exhaust pipe.  It filled the cabin with smoke before I shut it off.  My wiring to the brake switch runs in the same group and, although it looked OK, may be damaged.

Does that sound possible?  I'm going to put it on the lift and check it out.

Title: Re: Brake Lights
Post by: munch on October 25, 2013, 07:59:49 AM

Thanks for the information, I learned a lot.  I tracked down the wiring to a loose connector in a plug that connected to the column.  Work great now, thanks...

Title: Re: Brake Lights
Post by: ghost28 on October 26, 2013, 11:32:28 PM

Glad to read that you got it figured out. Moose that was great wiring schematic.