My Stop Switch Problem

[Guest fernmo]

I was watching my wife driving away in our 2005 Berlingo 2.0 HDi and noticed that the brake lights were stuck on.So that was why the bloke on the motorbike was waving at us as he went past. :o

 

I bought a Haynes manual and tracked down the stop switch.It is a plunger type switch mounted on a bracket which is positioned so that the switch is operated by the brake pedal(when the plunger is out the lights are on).Well I found the mounting for the switch but there was no switch.

 

It had popped out of the bracket and become lost among the wiring in the area.Who knows how long we have had no brake lights.

 

I found it quite easily so ,of course,I squeezed the plunger ... mistake.the shaft of this switch is a ratchet and it went right in but would not come out.After messing around for ages I moved the little red plastic lock(you have to see it) a quarter turn and could then pull the shaft out.It is easy enough to the shaft back in and my first guess for operating distance from the pedal was correct.

 

Refitting to the bracket is a quarter turn and it does not feel very secure.I used a blob of silicone sealant which should prevent it from rotating out again.