Brake lights have stopped working

[Darkchild101]

Hello chaps. Took my 406 HDi to the garage for a routine service and i know for a fact the brake lights were working. The fella phones me telling me work that needs done after checking it over and one of the things was brake lights are not working at all . He adjusted the handbrake as well as the service and i sure he must have done something that disturbed the brake lights. He insists they weren't when i dropped it off though my wife was behind me earlier today and remembers them working as we drove to the bank


He says its some switch and brake pedal, couldn't understand as i was understandably angry. In addition to this one of the wiper blades was ripped and he wanted put new wipers when the ones on there were put on like 3 months ago


Pointless arguing with the garage guy so just gonna get it fixed, any ideas what it could be that's caused the brae lights to stop working like that. Even the big light above back screen won't go on when you press the brake pedal. Everything else is working, e.g headlights, indicators, rear lights etc. Too it to Kwik Fit and they couldn't ascertain whats wrong with it though it was almost closing time so maybe they wanted go home


Thanks for any suggestions in advance

[Doggy]

Check fuse F3, passenger fusebox, (10A) - this supplies the switch on the brake pedal. this fuse also feeds cruise control, pad wear warning light & passenger airbag disable, so you might not notice the lack of these if you don't use cruise....
Fuses F11 & F12 are also implicated, but they protect one side each, so unlikely.
Next, look at the switch on the brake pedal, it's up near the pivot point, IIRC

[mjb]

Too it to Kwik Fit and they couldn't ascertain whats wrong with it

Those muppets couldn't ascertain what would be wrong with a car that's been through a crusher, although they'd happily sell you a new pair of brake pads for it...

Chances are your garage has managed to knock the switch at the top of the brake pedal, but the fuse is a lot easier to check.

[Darkchild101]

Was the fuse and thanks for the advice. Now the brake lights have stopped working again and so too the blower/fan for airflow control. Could it be fuse again


Also noticed every so often when i stop car and get out the driver side door gives me an electric shock. Happens maybe 1 in 20 times when open the door after driving. Very unpleasant

[steve_earwig]

I had a car that was doing that to me, I can't remember which car it was but not long after the alternator failed

[Darkchild101]

Yeah again was the fuse as regardsthe brake lights but after going through all the fuses never found any to indicate problem with fan/blower and its still not working. Any ideas guys as am at my wits end. Very bad as its very hot these days and you need fan/blower/air con and cant drive with window open on rainy days

[Captain Jack]

Sounds like a live connection is touching the body somewhere. I'd start examining the wiring for the brake lights as that's where it seems to have come from. For the blower, check on the glove box that the wiring is still connected. They have a habit of working loose.

[Darkchild101]

Where in the glove compartment as cant see any wiring or fuses there

[jasper5]

There is loads of info about the fan blower problem on here, but depending on the year D8/D9, there are a couple of basic problems and solutions.

On my 2001 D9 the problem was the heater control module failure.This is located underneath the heater, behind the centre console.There are 2 wiring connectors, the one to the right is the feed and the left one is the feed to the motor....you will find 2 thick wires (red and black) going to the module, and from the module to the motor.
Get yourself a test lamp, start up the engine and switch on the heater, check for live to the right side red and black wires, if you have live here then check for live at the motor side red and black wires, no live here means the module is faulty (50 odd quid at the dealers).Unscrew the screw at the bottom of the module and pull it downward to remove it (it's about 3 or 4 inches long).
If there is no live at the right side red and black wires, then you may have an ignition switch fault.

The older models suffer from burnt out wiring connectors at the motor, the motor is under the glove box behind the felt cover underneath.There are only 3 screws holding the motor in.Take the motor out and put wires from a battery to test it.....be careful not to hurt your fingers/hand if the motor starts up...it's very powerful.

As I said, do a search and you will find lots of info about heater fan problems.

[Darkchild101]

I had a car that was doing that to me, I can't remember which car it was but not long after the alternator failed

Not been using the car since and its booked for an auto electrician but drove it today and the lights on the dashboard were going crazy, engine warning light, battery light, brake light etc were going on and off for about 15 miles Even the lights came on dash as when you switch on lights it lights up dash and centreconsole. This was on and off intermittently and then it just stopped. On way back drive of about 40 miles, the only only warning light that kept coming up was the battery warning light maybe every 10/15 minutes or so with that buzz warning sound the 406s make


And prior to this the airbag warning light would flash every so often but now flashes constantly

[steve_earwig]

Check the output, if it's the regulator the over voltage will fry your electronics!

[Darkchild101]

Guy has been and picked up the car and returned it (he picks up and returns) and he says the fan is lighting up and thinks might be motor and says take it to an auto elec. He is stated in yellow pages as being one but now says he just does some auto electrics work but is actually a mechanic.


How do i get to the wiring to test as the centre console, dashboard looks solid and looks like has to be removed to get to the wires/motor. Even he says he doesn't know how much will cost as the auto elec has to remove part of dash, didn't really understand that bit as he spoke to the wife when i wasnt it

At my wits end now and getting more and more desperate

[jasper5]

You get to the motor and wiring by pulling out the plastic clips in the black felt cover underneath the glove box in the footwell and removing the felt cover.

On my 2001 HDi the connector block under the heater and behind the centre console is a green block with two connectors plugged in, look to your right, the thick red and black wires are taped together under the felt cover, you can't miss them.

The motor comes out underneath after undoing 3 screws.Read my post again from above.

The heater module is held in by one screw, you have to pull down on the module to remove it, it's about 3 or 4 inches long.

Don't forget, the engine has to be running to test the wiring and connections.

[Darkchild101]

Finally got the car fixed and cost me £57.50.


The auto electrician said it was the grey cable not feeding into the motor. According to him trying to trace the cable to see whats wrong and at what point would be the expensive option as takes couple of hours so i settled for him getting a live feed and soldering at the fuse box bit under the steering column. Itsworking fine now though he did say it might create a new problem eventually as it will overload the system


Thanks for your help chaps.


Now so what could be causing the airbag light to keep flashing non stop as soon as i start the car

[Coops]

"Now so what could be causing the airbag light to keep flashing non stop as soon as i start the car"
if it's the side airbag warning light, the problem is usually the plugs under the front lip of the seats mate.

Cheers Tim