Seat belt, handbrake and brake warning light

[RichardHyde]

Hi everyone,

Got a few questions for you…

1. Will my car pass the MOT / be road legal without seat belt warning lights ?

2. Where does the handbrake wire go ? Can’t find the black / white wire in the loom. Which dash connector should it be in ?

3. I’m wiring a brake fluid level sensor fitted into my master cylinder. Guess I need power to the sensor and from the sensor handbrake warning light switch ? It’ll earth via the warning light ?

Thanks, Richard

[RichardHyde]

I think what has confused me is - dash loom black / white handbrake warning light wire connects to black / purple tandem brake warning light !!

[yorkshire_spam]

ref #1, not sure of the rules, but I disconnected the seatbelt warning light in the Spitfire about 5 or 6 years ago and it hasn't failed a test since.

[Carledo]

The seat belt warning light is an irrelevance as far as the MOT is concerned.

I remove the warning light from the dash and use the hole for something more useful, like a rear foglight illuminated switch. Just be careful not to put TOO deep a switch in the hole cos the temp control rod for the heater is right behind it! (curved dash models)

The "BRAKE" warning light on the "Pie chart" cluster (Again, curved dash models) is ignition fed internally and earthed through the handbrake switch, and (on dual circuit brakes cars) the switch on the PDWA valve. So will light the light on the dash if either of these switches are closed. If you have a late plank dash car, this will have a single oblong "Brake" warning light similar to the "seatbelt" light. In cars fitted thus, there is, AFAIK, no handbrake light and only a single lead to the PDWA. You can suborn this lead and extend it to go to your M/cyl cap switch and just add an earth to the other cap/switch terminal. You can also, if you wish, tee into this lead and take another lead to the handbrake lever, but you might need to find a switch for it, i'm not sure if plank dash cars had the switch fitted or not

Steve

[RichardHyde]

Think I’ve got it now thanks Steve.

I’ve got 2 black / purple wires plugged into the dash 9 pin connector. These are both live with ignition on.

One goes to the handbrake and when applied, the switch earths the circuit and the brake light comes on.

If I connect the other black / purple wire to the brake m/c cap, this will supply power to the cap. If I connect the other M/c lead to an earth, then if I lose fluid, the switch will cause the light to come on ?

[Carledo]

Think I’ve got it now thanks Steve.

I’ve got 2 black / purple wires plugged into the dash 9 pin connector. These are both live with ignition on.

One goes to the handbrake and when applied, the switch earths the circuit and the brake light comes on.

If I connect the other black / purple wire to the brake m/c cap, this will supply power to the cap. If I connect the other M/c lead to an earth, then if I lose fluid, the switch will cause the light to come on ?

You've got it!

Steve

[RichardHyde]

Finally got round to testing everything. Handbrake light works and swapped my seat belt warning light for a brake fluid level warning light.