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MG MGA - Parking/Brake light Problem

I recently had some right front damage repaired ( love those parking lots ! ). Since then I have no brake lights. The repair shop removed the lights on the right side ( main and parking ) to repair the fender. They assured me that they had "marked" everything and put it back as it was. Now I have headlights, turn signals, parking lights and tail lights but no brake lights. The RF parking light is much brighter than the LF parking light and the LF signal light is much brighter than the RF signal light. I ran a wire directly to the connector for the brake lights from the hot wire to the brake switch and they work. I realize that perhaps the hydraulic brake switch may need to be replaced, but before I go through that, is there any possibility that the previously described condition could contribute to the brake light problem ? Seems like a weird coincidence.
I've searched the archives and have a few clues but any help would be appreciated. We finally have some nice weather and I'd like to get out there - safely !

Thanks,
DA MacFarlane

Re: difference in brightness of the front lights. Two (non-black wires) connections to the RF lamp have been switched, so the parking light is bright and the turn signal light is dimmer. It is not necessarily the wires being switched. If you remove the bulb and push the wires forward to being the contact plate out of the socket, you can rotate the contact plate 1980 degrees to reverse the contacts.

Re: brake lights. Use a paper clip or key to short across the terminals on the brake switch (with ignition on). If the brake lights work, then the lamps and wiring are good. If the brake lights so not work with pedal pressure, then the switch is bad.

Common failure mode for recent replacement switches is progressively higher pedal pressure required to activate the switch. This is due to bad (cheap) contact construction in the switch (just poor quality).
Barney Gaylord

Thanks a lot. That makes sense regarding the parking lights. Just weird coincidence that the brake switch failed, I guess. I have one from Ron Francis. Hopefully that will work. By the way your site is really terrific and has helped me in the past. The fault diagnosis section is very methodical.

DA MacFarlane

This thread was discussed on 03/07/2012

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.