I made a simple modification to my "brake failure" warning lamp circuit in my '72 so that it will let me know when I leave my damn parking brake engaged!..Gettin' old is a drag
..I forget too many things. Well, what I did was get a simple roller lever "Micro" switch and install it to the framework of the parking brake pedal assy' so that the roller makes contact to the pedal arm when the brake is applied. I wired one wire (COM contact) to one of the two attaching screws that secures the switch to the framework itself for a good ground connection and the other wire (NC normally closed contact) with about a 7 inch piece of wire and attach that to the tan wire (the one coming from the switch on the proportioning valve below the master cylinder) going to the dash connector that is accessable from right out of the loom coming out of the bulkhead connector on the firewall. Attach that wire with a "Scotchlok" crimp on splice connector and, Viola! my warning light now illuminates when the pedal is depressed and still retains the original intended function as a brake failure indicator when driving.
I don't know why the bowtie boys had'nt thought about this. There are many vehicles made even before 1972 that had a brake light when the parking brake was applied. Even when the government mandated the dual master cylinder for safety and incorporated the "warning" light they still had a parking brake "on" light as well. What is nice about this mod is that it wont affect the original operation of the failure switch because my parking brake switch is wired in "parrallel" meaning that it is "tapped into" the existing circuit instead of it going through the parking brake switch so even if my new switch should fail the original one still works.
Now I have one less thing I need to remember. It is kinda like having my wife inside the instrument cluster and when she "flashes" on telling me to pull the damn handle before I set off on my way!
This mod cost all of about 5 bucks and ten minutes of your time.
12-05-2002, 12:39 PM
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