Brake lights always on!

[griston64]

Originally Posted by zchael6

Right so I think I’ve figured out the problem. The bulb light was on the dash last night and in the dark I opened my bulb kit I chucked into a ska did order, noticed a tail light was out and put it what I thought was the right brake light bulbs, which has caused this mayhem as actually the bulbs I put in only had one positive terminal on the bottom. I put the old bulbs back in this afternoon after reading a similar thread on the forum from way back when and now the brake lights function I’m just missing one tail light. So presumably I just need new brake light/tail light bulbs.

Thanks for the replies sorry I’m such a moron

Result !

[aardvarkash10]

don't feel so bad. As an apprentice auto-electrician I did that a couple of times... It was going to be my suggestion when I saw the thread title but you got to the solution before I could comment.

[griston64]

Originally Posted by aardvarkash10

don't feel so bad. As an apprentice auto-electrician I did that a couple of times... It was going to be my suggestion when I saw the thread title but you got to the solution before I could comment.

Don't worry. I once spent two hours trying to undo a captive nut on a cross brace

[Laird Scooby]

Replace not only BOTH of the stop/tail lights Will but the thrid brake light as well. Many times you can get away with just the one to return to nrmal functioning but the chances are, the others will blow soon anyway. Also the resistance of older bulbs is higher than new so can cause imbalance in the BFU
If uses two coils of wire round a magnetic reed switch, one coil cancels the other out magnetically - if one bulb fails the cancelling effect doesn't happen so makes the magnetic contacts in the reed switch bringing the Bulb Failure Warning light on.

On the brake light circuit, the coil that feeds the left and centre brake lights only has half as many turns as the coil that feeds the right brake light - the magnetism produced by each coil is proportional to current x turns so twice the current and half the turns is the same as current times normal turns.

[aardvarkash10]

Originally Posted by griston64

Don't worry. I once spent two hours trying to undo a captive nut on a cross brace

Them feels. I just snapped the head off a partiularly stubborn blade retaining bolt on my skillsaw.

It was only as it went soft and spongy that the thought crossed my mind - "I wonder if this is LH threaded...?"

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by aardvarkash10

Them feels. I just snapped the head off a partiularly stubborn blade retaining bolt on my skillsaw.

It was only as it went soft and spongy that the thought crossed my mind - "I wonder if this is LH threaded...?"

Tried undoing Transit wheel nuts counterclockwise.....................

They are CCW to undo on one side, on the other they're LH thread so clockwise to undo.

In my defence, not all Transits have this feature and the only way of telling is to look closely at the wheel studs.

Most of those with this errrrrrrrrrr........................ "feature" are now baked bean cans and razor blades except those either in ethusiast or manufacturers ownership.

[aardvarkash10]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Tried undoing Transit wheel nuts counterclockwise.....................

They are CCW to undo on one side, on the other they're LH thread so clockwise to undo.

Mazda did the same on thier light commercial vehicles in the 1970s.

Ask me how I know...

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by aardvarkash10

Mazda did the same on thier light commercial vehicles in the 1970s.

Ask me how I know...

Same way as me i expect!

[Ian21401]

There was discussion some years ago about caravans and trailers having similar “bastard” threads on the wheel studs on one side after a spate of wheels parting company from the hub whilst in use.

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Same way as me i expect!

Some Alfa Romeos and FIATs also boasted this "feature". (Though another word beginning with "F" was also used in respect of this...). And many centre-lock wheels also had it though they at least had the Release/Tighten direction marked on them.