I hit the brakes and headlight, stereo go out FIXED

[Armond]

ok guys. I thought I solved the problem after discovering a pinched power line leading to the rear fog light. Re routed and all was good but now it's back again. I disconnected the power to rear fog light and it's still happening. The lights and radio go out for a few seconds and Headlights starts out dim but goes full blast as soon as I step on the gas pedal. I also notice a negative spike on the volt gauge each time I step on the brakes.

I checked the main cable to the battery and ground points and they seem secured and in place. What am I missing?

Thanks guys

[Mike Self]

brake light bulb socket(s), the brake light switch itself or the wiring.

You can eliminate the switch by disconnecting the two wires at the switch and touching them together. If the brake lights come on normally with no stereo problems, then the switch is bad.

Next, try removing one brake light bulb at a time and testing. If that all tests OK, then it's the wiring.

Check the brake light bulb housings carefully. The positive terminal on the bulb socket (the brass springy thing that touches the back of the bulb's center) can be displaced sideways until it touches the grounded side of the socket just enough to cause the problem you describe but not to blow the fuse...

cheers, and happy hunting.

mike

[c.d.iesel]

look at that pesky 3-wire plug on the back of the alternator

[Napes]

Or, just don't use the brakes.

Bob Napier

[SteveJ]

I picture Armond getting pulled over by the police after skidding sideways through a corner some night.

"But officer, it was a ~really~ good part of the song. Besides, I had to be able to see where I was going."

Sumpin' is shorting to ground pulling all the juice to the path of least resistance. Half-split things. If you pull the lamps out for the brakelights, does the same thing happen when you press on the brake pedal?

Isolate the entire brake light circuit by running some loose zip-cord from the battery, to the brake switch, to the taillights assy's.

You have looked under the dash to see if there are any other wires getting pinched by the lever assy?

[nbristow01]

Maybe your car was rewired by Lucas at some point

[Guest Anonymous]

Maybe your car was rewired by Lucas at some point

Not sure what u mean?

[TTyMiller]

My Man, I'm with CD check the alternator.

[Guest Anonymous]

My Man, I'm with CD check the alternator.

I did and the wires and connector looked normal. I'll check the brake light switch and others as suggested tomorrow. Hopefully before the playoff game when I'm still sober.

[nbristow01]

Maybe your car was rewired by Lucas at some point

Not sure what u mean?

Sorry, Lucas did the wiring on British cars and the wiring is constant trouble so just a joke. A lot of those instant off and back on electrical issues can be a bad ground. The guys here no more than me about this stuff but I had a similar issue with my car and it ended up being a bad ground. By that I mean the grounding strap to the body. It appeared fine but if even touched or hitting a bump it would have all my stuff turn off and back on. I guess it was not maknig good contact in the mount itself

[Chris_B]

Further to this, check the ground wire to the alternator, in particular, and the ground wire between the battery and the motor. But, maybe this is a different kind of problem. If your battery is weak your overall system voltage will drop when you hit the brakes, particularly if you engage the clutch at the same time (thereby dropping revs). Have you checked out the overall health of your charging system? Take a voltmeter to your battery while the motor is at rest and while the motor is running. S/b high+12 volts at rest and not lower than about +13.5V when motor is running above about 1K RPMs.

[02Les]

Maybe your car was rewired by Lucas at some point

Not sure what u mean?

[Guest Anonymous]

The guys here no more than me about this stuff

I guess it was not maknig good contact in the mount itself

[BillWilliams]

I had no idea you could get replacement smoke. I always told the boys once the smoke is out you can not put it back in. You know smoke is what makes electric work Les. If you let it out, it rarely works again.

[jgerock]

Long shot here: Check the two screws holding the voltage regulator to the fenderwell.

Or is there something massively wrong with the little brake light switch?

Bill/Les/Nick: I tried getting the electrics sorted out on a Triumph GT6 once. That was about as fun as getting the power windows figured out on a Jaguar XJ6.