Working brake lights!

The easiest way to get my brake lights working again would have been to buy the OEM brake light switch. However, the plastic of the original one seemed pretty cheesy and I wanted one that wouldn't melt quite as easily. I don't know if it's any better, but I found one made by Painless Performance. These guys make wiring harnesses and components for mostly old American muscle cars, but it seemed like this switch would work. It's rated 20 amp and besides, I really like the name of their company. As if wiring is painless...



Anyhow, you can see the new switch is quite a bit shorter than the original. Also, the threads on the body are not the same so I had to make a few modifications. First, I used a 12mm x 1.75 die to cut new threads so it matched the original. No big deal because it's plastic and the die cut pretty easily. The second is I needed to extend the plunger so the length is correct. Strangely, the white plastic of the old switch is the same as white plastic plunger in the new switch. I simply drilled a hole in the new plunger tip, and stuck the old plunger in it. A little heat from my micro-torch to fuse the plastic together and voila! The new switch is now a perfect replacement for the old one.



With a little more contorting to get back under the dash and some adjustment of the switch position, I now have working brake lights!