Electrics: 70: Brake light switch

[capt jack]

Another week another issue with the S70.

This time the brake lights were noticeably lacking in illumination, so on Sunday morning it was time to have a closer look.

For those who've never looked, the brake light switch is quite a clever little self-adjusting device, hidden at the top of the pedal bracket, just behind the cruise control brake switch - which has to be removed in order to access the brake light switch.

It's not that easy to remove - Haynes covers it, and once you get the orientation it does come away - but it's a challenge.

The beauty of Volvo switches of the 1990s is that they are extremely well made, and it's perfectly possible to take them to bits, clean up the contacts and put it all back together again. And that's exactly what I managed to do.

Partsforvolvo online don't list a switch for the S70, and the only one that looked a possibility was up for £40 on Ebay, or £100 from the US.

Fingers crossed that the rejuvenated switch will do another 26 years now, but if not, at least I know how to remove it from the car!

Jack