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Brake switch....removed for a reason??


DC_

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Having found that my brake lights dont work, i discovered that the switch was missing. That was the good news.

Now i am wondering if there is a reason someone may have removed the switch on purpose.

Could it have been an ABS fault?

Trying to hide something else?

Thoughts?

DC

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Can't think of a good reason.

Does your ABS warning light come on before starting, then go off after a short drive?

Or does it stay on all the time?

Reason for asking is that there is a specific fault code realted to the switch, so I'd expect it to be on all the time with no swith fitted.

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Only light that stays on for a short while is the Brake light (same one comes on when you apply handbrake) which i think is for the fluid pressure.

There is no other light that comes on.

I have read that the light should go off after travelling about 5mph due to the sensors sending back an ok signal.

Mines doesn't light up at all.

This is why i was wondering if there was a reason why the switch would be removed.

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Yes, the ABS warning light should come on with the ignition, then extinguish after a short drive if all is well, it's a certain distance and/or a speed, could well be 5mph I can't remember.

If yours isn't coming on at all, something is not right, this is an MOT failure. I'd almost lay money on the bulb having been removed to try to hide this. Put a fresh bulb in it, replace the switch and wipe the ECUs memory of fault codes, as I said there is a specific blink code associated with the switch. The procedure for doing this is well covered in the Haynes book.

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I will try and find out if the bulb has been taken out. Switch is now here for the brake lights and they seem to be working on it.

ECU reset etc............... i may struggle with. Is there any step by step guides on here i could use?

DC

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The haynes book i have only briefly covers what to do and isn't very informative.

Would be very helpfull to get a detailed step by step guide as i do not know alot about these things. If i have a guide i will give it a go.

DC

P.S does anyone know why i dont get emails telling me there's been a reply to my posts?

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Got the switch in and fitted it. I dont think it's sitting properly in it's position. The brake pedal doesn't reach the switch.

Do i need to push it it really hard? I'm worried about breaking it.

DC

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Thanks for the reply,

Got the ABS pdf but Unfortunately it really no use to me as i'm not that clued up on these things.

Bleeding the system to fit the the switch right? i can get the pedal to press down but i don't know if the switch is fully located in it's position.

One day i'll know how to do the bleeding but at the moment i don't.

:(

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Thanks for the reply,

Got the ABS pdf but Unfortunately it really no use to me as i'm not that clued up on these things.

Bleeding the system to fit the the switch right? i can get the pedal to press down but i don't know if the switch is fully located in it's position.

One day i'll know how to do the bleeding but at the moment i don't.

:(

Just get a copy of the Haynes manual and follow the instructions :) Bleeding the ABS system isn't difficult but it is a bit of a PITA, and does really need two people, even with a pressure bleed kit (which is pretty much essential).

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Got the switch in and fitted it. I dont think it's sitting properly in it's position. The brake pedal doesn't reach the switch.

Do i need to push it it really hard? I'm worried about breaking it.

DC

Have faith, your Rangy is fine and the problem is not that your brakes are bad. I had to find a mechanic who used to work at the factory to show me how this is done. The Brake/ABS switch on the RRC sucks. It sucks so badly that Land Rover redesigned it about 8 years after they stopped making the RRC. Unfortunately, the new Brake/ABS switch sucks almost as badly as the original.

The switch was probably removed because the old owner either went through a few of them and got tired of replacing it, or did not know how to install it. The dash lights are not lighting up because they have been removed. You should get new ones and put them back in, I'd want to know if my braking system was failing before I tried to slam on my brakes and discovered they had failed... Then again, I like to have all my warning lights working, even when my mechanic recommends just pulling the light.

To install the switch, you have to pull hard on the plunger of the switch. Harder then you would think is prudent, it will ratchet out quite a bit. After it is fully extended, pull out the collar to match and while pushing the brake pedal down as far as you can, seat the switch back into its hole. When it seems to be in and firm (it's a tricky one and likes to fall out) let go of the brake pedal. The pedal will fully depress the plunger and partially ratchet it back in setting the point the brake pedal is fully released. When you have a brake job, you might have to reach under and pull the plunger back out to reset the at rest point for the brake pedal.

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