Brake light switch wiring
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: San Jose
Brake light switch wiring
need some help, have a 1948 f-1. the tail lights work but, there were no wires hooked up to the connectors at the back of the master cyl. what to wires should be connected there to get the brake lights working??? thanks RC
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Orange County, CA
Brake light switch wiring
Okay, I pulled this out of the Ford shop manual. If you have the origianl wiring you should have a green wire coming from the driver's side tailight. That green wire goes to one of the contacts on the switch. Then from the switch going into the cab is another green wire that goes to the circuit breakers under the dash. It goes to the same post as the yellow w/red wire from the headlight switch and the black w/blue wire that goes to the dome lamp switch. If you don't have the wires for the stop light it should be fairly easy to make some yourself with some wire and connectors. Hope this helps you out.
Gary M.
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.
Gary M.
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: San Jose
Brake light switch wiring
THANKS BUT I FORGOT TO SAY THAT ITS NOT THE ORIGINAL WIRING....IS THE GREEN WIRE FROM THE TAILIGHT "HOT" OR THE GROUND? IF I KNOW THIS I THINK I CAN FIGURE IT OUT NOW THAT I KNOW WHERE THE WIRES CONNECT TO.
THANKS A LOT FOR THE INFO, I SPENT ALL SATURDAY TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT WITHOUT ANY LUCK. RC
THANKS A LOT FOR THE INFO, I SPENT ALL SATURDAY TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT WITHOUT ANY LUCK. RC
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,643
Likes: 35
From: Orange County, CA
Brake light switch wiring
I believe it's a 'hot' wire as the taillights themselves act as the ground. I would think even without the original wires you should be able to get it to work if you know where the wires are supposed to go.
Gary M.
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.
Gary M.
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 331
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From: Michigan
Brake light switch wiring
If you have two wires on the tailights one is for the brake light and one is for the tailight . the light is grounded through the tailight housing and mounting bracket. If you have turn signals your wiring will be a little more complicated. The wiring then would be something like this
hot wire from circut breaker under dash to brake switch. wire from brake switch to flasher and flasher to turn signal control. The turn signal then would send the juce to the tailights... The turn signal switch would have three wires going to it, One wire from stoplight switch (hot when you step on brake pedal. the other two wires take juce out to left and right tailight, one wire to each light (left and right).
Hope this helps and dosen't confuse you, nothing like an electrical problem to get the blood pressure up..
51-F1
55-T-Bird
68 vette
2000 F150
hot wire from circut breaker under dash to brake switch. wire from brake switch to flasher and flasher to turn signal control. The turn signal then would send the juce to the tailights... The turn signal switch would have three wires going to it, One wire from stoplight switch (hot when you step on brake pedal. the other two wires take juce out to left and right tailight, one wire to each light (left and right).
Hope this helps and dosen't confuse you, nothing like an electrical problem to get the blood pressure up..
51-F1
55-T-Bird
68 vette
2000 F150
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 88
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From: San Jose
Brake light switch wiring
ok, i dont have turn signals. so, do i connect the two brakelight wires together and run the one wire to the switch. then run another wire from the other side of the switch to where????? the circut breaker?? does it matter what side of the switch these wires connect to? RC
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Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,643
Likes: 35
From: Orange County, CA
Brake light switch wiring
Here's how Ford did it: At the driver's side taillight connect the "green" wire from the passenger side lamp to the "green" wire on at the driver's side lamp. Then run one wire to the stoplight switch. Basically you'll have the passenger side light tapping into the driver's side wire and it'll run to the switch as one wire. It does not matter which post you put the wire on. Then put a wire on the other post of the switch and run it to the circuit breaker under the dash. Run it to the breaker that has the headlight switch and dome lamp switch wire on it. When I say "green" I mean whatever wire ou have running to the brake light switch from the taillights. Sounds kind of confusing, let me know if you need anymore clarification on any of this.
Gary M.
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.
Gary M.
==============================
46 truck-6cyl now, 302/C4 soon
46 truck-flathead 8, 4spd
47 truck-getting a 429/C6
57 Ford FL 500-4 dr-312/AT
70 Mustang fastback-351W/FMX
72 Olds Vista Cruiser-350/AT
88 Bronco II, 500,000+ mi.
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