Date:         Mon, 6 Mar 2006 09:49:45 -0800
Reply-To:     mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: when making a left turn,
              parking brake light comes on???  ideas?
Comments: cc: Keith Walker <vze3sngp@verizon.net>
In-Reply-To:  <29945303.1141665369978.JavaMail.root@vms063.mailsrvcs.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Yes, the wiring at the parking brake lever as well as the flimsy switch
there are the more likely cause. It is just a single "ground" wire,
grounded to the chassis through the switch. The switch is just a cheesy
thing identical to the front door interior light switchs in the door
frame. If the flimsy switch is bent, just leaning your hand on one side
or the other of the parking brake handle may make the light flash on/off

The fluid level circuit and wiring is part of the dash wiring harness
and switching instrument clusters does not affect it. You can tell if
your vehicle has the brake fluid level sensor quite easily. In the top
side of the fluid reservoir cap is a 2 pin connector and 2 wires plug in
there. The level float switch is part of the newer type cap. There is a
round plastic float/rod sticking down into the fluid from the newer caps
When there is enough fluid, the float pushes up and opens a switch
inside the cap. The older cap is just a plain cap, nothing sticking down
and no connector out the top.

The parts data shows Canadian models changing over to the newer circuit
at the same time as US models, 1985 model year.

Mark

Keith Walker wrote:

>Mark
>
>I will have to check the wiring diagram, mine is an 83.5 Canadian doka, to see if the wiring is the same.
>
>I will top up the brake fluid, but last time I checked it was ok.   Brakes also feel fine to me, I think that the error occurs when the brakes are NOT on - when I turn, I am usually going slow enough so that I just downshift into 2nd and let the engine braking slow the doka down.
>
>Will have to drive it more to isolate the problem.
>Will also pull the parking brake boot to check the mechanical condition of the switch.
>
>Keith
>
>=====================
>From: Keith Walker <vze3sngp@verizon.net>
>Date: Mon Mar 06 07:19:59 CST 2006
>To: mark drillock <drillock@earthlink.net>
>Subject: Re: Re: when making a left turn, parking brake light comes on???  ideas?
>
>
>=====================
>From: mark drillock <drillock@earthlink.net>
>Date: Mon Mar 06 07:19:59 CST 2006
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Cc: vze3sngp@verizon.net
>Subject: Re: when making a left turn, parking brake light comes on???  ideas?
>
>That's right but not for 83.5 as the brake fluid level switch was added
>to the fluid reservoir starting in 1985 models. Before that the light
>was connected to the dual pressure switches on the master cylinder and
>was meant to detect when one side of the cylinder had lost pressure
>compared to the other. That pressure feature was removed when the fluid
>level switch was added but he has it in his 83.5.
>
>Mark
>
>Ken Lewis wrote:
>
>
>
>>I blieve that light  also doubles as a "low brake fluid indicator".
>>
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