Skoda Fabia brake lights staying on

Standard Toaster

My mother's car is acting up again.
Her brake lights staying on all the time. She'll have a flat battary ion no time.

Any ideas?

colm_mcm

most likely faulty brake pedal switch

AMurphy

I'd suspect a faulty or badly adjusted brake switch.

However, I do not know exactly where that switch is, but it's in one of two places.
It's a pressure sensing switch screwed into the side of the Brake master Cylinder. If so plug it out and see if the lights go out. If so, it needs to be replaced.

It's located at the top of the footpedal brackets, out of the way of your foot.
It is either broken or badly adjusted.
Agian, if it is adjustable, just loosen it and move it away from the contact point on the pedal, until the light goes out. Tighten in that position and then retest to insure it comes on when pressed.
If backing it away from the pedal does not correct the situation, unplug the wires and see if that works, if so, you have a faulty switch. Replace it and adjust as above again.

Meanwhile to save the battery, you could find and pull the appropriate fuse while the car is not in use.

colm_mcm

i thought VW cars' brake lights didnt work when the ignition was off

AMurphy

colm_mcm wrote:

i thought VW cars' brake lights didnt work when the ignition was off

Don't know about that. I assume all car brake lights work with the key off.
Mine do,

Standard Toaster

That's directly under the brake pedal in the Skoda.
Can't see any obvious pressure sensing switch under there. (Nitemare to get at)
Where else could I check for it AMurphy?

Standard Toaster

Managed to sort it out.
Had to remove the plastics under the dash and was able to reach in a play around with the pressure sensing switch. Seems it was just kinda loose as it didn't need any adjustment.
If it acts up again I'll do a proper fix on it.

Cheers for the input lads....saved the mother a few quid.

AMurphy

The_Edge wrote:

That's directly under the brake pedal in the Skoda.
Can't see any obvious pressure sensing switch under there. (Nitemare to get at)
Where else could I check for it AMurphy?

True, no pressure sensing switch on the inside of the bulkhead. and any switch there is would be above the pedal, not below, where your foot would hit it.
The switch on the inside that you found is a fairly simple contact switch.
some are adjustalbe, some are not.

However, some cars (VW's), did have oil pressure sensing switches tapped into the high pressure break fluid lines. and the pressure lines and master cylinder are at the other side of the bulkhead in the engine compartment.

colm_mcm

AMurphy wrote:

Don't know about that. I assume all car brake lights work with the key off.
Mine do,

All Toyotas work with ignition off. Most Eupopean cars don't though. makes sense i suppose, won't be doing much braking while the ignition's off!

AMurphy

colm_mcm wrote:

All Toyotas work with ignition off. Most Eupopean cars don't though. !

So does my Chrysler van. Never though about it too much.
Must check some other models, see if there is any that do not, cause my recollection is that everything I have stepped in recently does.