Handbrake warning light?

[DaveyP]

Hi all,

just a quick one,

where is the switch for the handbrake warning light?

Thanks

[mahony]

It's right by the handle and under the carpet, my carpet is held by Velcro near the switch ( it splits )

[DoloWIGHTY]

Mine too (velcro) but it is on the gaitor of the handbrake. Handy that.

[DaveyP]

I thought that's where it should be. Can't see it. I'll look again.

Thanks.

[DoloWIGHTY]

It's there mate, you can feel it through the side of the gaitor when sitting in the Driver's seat.

[Magenta Auto Sprint]

it is a very cheap switch, you may not even recognise it as such, only has one wire going to it as it earths out on the handbrake ratchet quadrant, so check that the contact area is clean.
malc

[DaveyP]

Right,

Finally got 'round to this today. There's no velcro.
So I removed the gaitor.
No switch.
So I pulled the carpet aside.
No wire.
So I took both the front seats out, removed the carpet completely (which revealed a floor in great nick) but no evidence of there ever having been a switch or wire to it for that matter.
I traced the 'fasten belts' wires back to chocolate block, so someone's had that in bits in the past. There are no other wires in this part of the loom, though. Should it be, or is it separate? What colour should it be? The bulb works. I removed the carpet around the gear lever too, in case it had been tucked up there, but no joy.
Neither of the manuals I have mention it in the wiring diagrams.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Carledo]

Right, on cars fitted this way there is a little independant harness that feeds this switch and the seatbelt warning thingies. IIRC it connects into the main loom somewhere near the OS of the heater box. I did remove and save this bit from the 1980 Sprint I broke for the Carledo, then never could be bothered to fit it (anyway it was another 50 grams or so of unnecessary weight. ME? ANAL?) If I can find it its yours for the cost of the postage, should have the switch too! Let me know and i'll start a search! Steve

[Magenta Auto Sprint]

from memory, it is a sinle black and white wire with a female insulated spade connection. In the Haynes manual, the switch is item number 66 and the warning light is number 65.

malc

[DaveyP]

The car just passed an MOT without this. Should it have?
If I don't need it, I reckon I can live without it until I 'come across' one.

Carledo, thank you very much for the offer. If you 'come across' yours, I'll take it off your hands assuming it still works? Don't go hunting for it on my behalf, though.

Anyway, like I said- the sun's shining so I'm off.

Cheers.

[TomSprint]

Hi,
your car is probably a late dual circuit brakes car, the brake indicator is for a brake circuit failure, not the handbrake.
Only the curved dash cars have a handbrake light.....


Cheers
Tom

[Richard the old one]

On the both the late cars with the tandem brake system that I have the brake warning light serves both the handbrake and the tandem brake failure function.

[TomSprint]

Hi Richard,

are your cars HLs?

I've only had one tandem brake car and this was an 81 1500 (nonHL).
It had sundym glass and o/drive but no handbrake light. The brake warning light was the same as the fasten belts light but was inbetween the speedo and the combined fuel/temp gauge. I did have the seats and carpet out and eventually converted it to a HL dash with the extra instruments but it didn't have the handbrake switch or wiring. I made an extra loom for the other indicators (pie chart) and had to get a HL fuel sender as mine only had two terminals.....

Regards
Tom

[DaveyP]

Hello again,

Yes TomSprint, mine is a late car (1980) and has the flat dash, so I'll take that as an explanation. Thank you.

Carledo, thanks again, but I won't be needing that switch.

Case closed. Thanks to all who answered.

[Richard the old one]

Hi Tom.

You are correct all my cars are 1500Hls hence as you correctly point out the difference.

Richard