Brake Light Switch on FIRE!

[Disco Dan]

Yep, my brake light switch was on fire...

The switch stopped working last week, and finally had time to pull it open and have a look. ...it had been open before as it was tapped shut with tape. All these little bits of metal and springs fell out... After working out how it went back together again, I cleaned up the contacts etc and connected it up.

Well it works but heres the strange part... the contacts spark and the whole thing gets very hot very quickly! As soon as I press the button it cools down again.

What should I check?

It cannot be a short as it would be heating up all the time the ignition is on. Plus it is still making the brake light come on when released (like it should).

So why is it getting too much voltage?

[Bren]

one word.....BUGGER!

[Edbear]

Mmmmm! Hate to say it Dan, but you've been having a few problems with your "new" Kwaka, eh? Noticed a few threads about various issues.

[Drum]

New Kwaka brake light switch approx $30.

[johnnyflash]

As the old saying goes, it aint the voltage that kills your its the amps, so it has to be a short (or you have a 1000 watt light bulb fitted ) so check with a multi meter to see if there is a leak to earth through the switch or associated wiring..( not a short where it attached to frame.. too tight?? )

[surfer]

Compare the thickness of the wire with the other side. You never know a previous owner may have a problem with the wiring and replaced the wiring with thinner wire. Otherwise as johnnyflash says, check your bulb.

[Conquiztador]

Yep, my brake light switch was on fire...

The switch stopped working last week, and finally had time to pull it open and have a look. ...it had been open before as it was tapped shut with tape. All these little bits of metal and springs fell out... After working out how it went back together again, I cleaned up the contacts etc and connected it up.

Well it works but heres the strange part... the contacts spark and the whole thing gets very hot very quickly! As soon as I press the button it cools down again.

What should I check?

It cannot be a short as it would be heating up all the time the ignition is on. Plus it is still making the brake light come on when released (like it should).

So why is it getting too much voltage?

If the switch is getting hot there is too much current going through the switch when it is in "on" position (light is on). Sounds like that switch is feeding it's current to something else apart from the brake light. Has someone added a bunch of extra lights? Is the bulb of the right type? (Too high Wattage perhaps?) Take out the brake light bulb and try again. Now you should have no current going through the switch (not getting hot, no spark).

[imdying]

JohnnyFlash is on to it... you've a dead short somewhere... That's the only thing that'll draw enough current to actually set it on fire. Question is of course... why isn't that much current draw blowing a fuse? You may have some 'interesting' wiring faults.

[Disco Dan]

If the switch is getting hot there is too much current going through the switch when it is in "on" position (light is on). Sounds like that switch is feeding it's current to something else apart from the brake light. Has someone added a bunch of extra lights? Is the bulb of the right type? (Too high Wattage perhaps?) Take out the brake light bulb and try again. Now you should have no current going through the switch (not getting hot, no spark).

Cheers, have solved the problem... I have a tendency to cover everything will crc/oil/petroleum jelly etc etc ....when I removed everything and made it perfectly dry (via blowtorch hehe) it all worked fine. Must have been conductive enough to short it all out!

JohnnyFlash is on to it... you've a dead short somewhere... That's the only thing that'll draw enough current to actually set it on fire. Question is of course... why isn't that much current draw blowing a fuse? You may have some 'interesting' wiring faults.

I was wondering about that, when my headlight bulb blew both filimants and there was a weird smell last week or so... ...and then me finding out one indicator is a three wire bulb and the the other is two... explains why only one running light worked!

I am surprised no fuses blew. I did check, they are all 10amp fuses which I thought was interesting. Will have to double check that, as im sure there should be a 30amp in one of them.