Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi guys. My rear LH brake light won't fully work. I have two bulb holders one old one new and same with the bulbs.

Wired up but not fitted to the wooden frame of my traveller or even inserted and both filaments light up as they should when activated. When you fit the rubber holder into the frame with metal bulb holder regardless of screws and the brake won't work. Tail light is good whatever I do.

With a continuity meter on the green and purple wire it peeps with ignition off and no brake pedal pressed when earthed and gives a digital reading of 3 whatever that means. Turn on ignition and activate the brakes the wife reports not hearing the beep and the reading was -1.

No idea what the meter readings mean. Can anyone help? No matter which bulb or holder I use I have no rear brake unless the holder is dangling outside the wooded chassis. Have tried gently pulling the wires back from inside the car as I insert the rubber holder but no joy. Same result. Can't be bad earth as rear light works whatever?

Set the meter to 20v dc and test the two contacts inside the fitting. Black lead to good earth and red to the contacts. With the side lights on you should get at least 12v on one contact and with the brakes on you should get 12v on the other contact. Then put the meter on ohms and put one lead to a known good earth and the other lead to the body of the light fitting and the meter should beep. If all that is okay then perhaps the spring is weak,(that is the spring that pushes the contacts out to hold them against the bulb)
Perhaps the wires are being held back from the fitting by the rubber shroud? Try pushing the wires into the rubber rather than pulling them from behind.
Let us know how you get on.

bad conection of ur fuse box - chek it -

try a new brake light switch there have been some bad ones in circulation

Don't believe this but set too tonight with the wife pressing pedals and took readings as Beer asked. first test read 3. Continuity failed on brake light. Put holder in place with screws and brake lights worked then failed when checked with lights on at same time. Thinking I had a short I took up Sandun's idea and checked fuses. Was a bit dubious as they are 35 amp. One in line one on a red and green light had blown. Replaced. Result? Working lights and both brakes.

Thanks guys I can take her to work tomorrow a happy chappy (unless I've got a short I know nothing about...)

Glad it's all working but you said only the lh brake light wasn't working so I can't see how a fuse can cure it. Perhaps you cured the fault by doing something else but also blew the fuse whilst testing. Fingers crossed for you!

Beero - couldn't agree more about the fuse. went to start her this morning and we have a flat battery which was new in April. Presumably got a short. Lights and systems all switched off last night so know did not leave lights on. Was in garage for timing on Thurs. They noticed bare wire out of an in line fuse powering windscreen washer pump. Cable tied to choke cable and I think that might be shorting off the bonnet. Will replace that wire and fuse at weekend and tape up in between. If that's not it and replaced fuse is still ok then will check wiring at rear light socket. Readings to rear light last night were 12 switched on and no reading for brakes when activated or not.

Electrickery - tis the Devil's work - and really frustrating!

It would not be the fuse that 'fixed' the brake light. The flat battery is a serious worry, a 'short' could cause a fire - better hope it was just a slow drain - and a 'garage' for 'timing' ?? Really??? I suggest you check carefully whatever they touched - tying a wire to the choke cable....not the best idea.....

Feed wire to washer switch is now wrapped in insulation tape and Un - cable tied from choke cable. All joints on the wire taped up but aiming to rip it out and replace at the weekend.

Got a new bulb holder on way so hopefully will replace that tonight and check the wiring under the rear part of the car for any shorts.

Battery now on charge and car parked outside just in case! Rear lights working this am. Couldn't check on the brakes on my own. Maybe my wiring up of the bulb holder is suspect or the unit itself is.

Really annoying as it's great weather and I have a few appointments for work out and about in the countryside. Still at least the wife's Nissan Micra has air con!

Will report back this evening.

Curious and curiouser. Battery on charge all day. Still flat and won't turn over. Disconnected feed to windscreen washer to eliminate that as a drain. New bulb holder arrived from Bull Motif. Went out to fit and found they had sent the wrong one. Not impressed. Rear lights work with either new or old. Not sure about the brakes as wife out. Think ok. Refitted old to see if removing wash wipe feed does anything. Nothing obviously wrong with lights wiring. Will see if battery charges overnight. If not will disconnect battery from the car and charge and start looking for a drain.

Oh the frustrations of Minor ownership!

Couple of tips, cut a piece of wood just long enough to wedge between your seat base and the brake pedal. You can then test the brake lights on your own.
Also when you have disconnected and charged the battery, when you reconnect it, see if the battery terminal clamps spark slightly when you touch them to the battery posts. If they do then something is drawing current and draining the battery.

I just use a broom handle to press the brake pedal while standing at the rear to see the lights....

Or, if possible, reverse up close to a wall (or parked car even) and look for the reflections behind. Even better if dusk/approaching night time

Thanks for the tips about wood and broom handles. Never thought of that - usually resort to digging the Wife off the sofa to help. Reassembled the back light and checked late last night. Wall alongside the car's nearside glowed nicely red when brakes presses. Tail lights both working as well. So far so good. This morning battery still not charged after 24 hours. Now disconnected so will see if it barges today. Thanks Beero for the tip about battery terminals. Will check that tonight. I also removed the new horn push I had bought from David Manners Group a while ago. That works fine but removed just in case. Nothing obvious like bare wires at the back of the light and as it works that may not be the issue. Will report back as soon as battery fully charged checking sparking terminals first.

Wonder if the wife will mind me using a pair of Marigolds....

Battery still not fully charged after a full day at work. Car however started on the button and happily just done a 20 mile round the block trip. I did notice before I set off that the interior light was on. It was hot. Had I left it on or is it faulty? Door switches are new and appear to work fine. Not too reliable on the driver's side though. Have I been a bit of a dipstick - only time will tell. Put it back on charge and will check later that interior light still off. Will also be a chance to check the brake lights are legal.

With a bit of luck she's off to work tomorrow. Time will tell.

Good grief....

Quite Bmcecosse. Car was fully charged this morning and done 30 mile round trip to work and back. Beero said look for a drain on the battery. It looks like I may have left the light on. Battery charger is for the bike and is only 0.6 amp hour so a light on will have slowed it down. Feeling like a right buerk? Definitely. One .ore thing to check when locking the car! Will be interesting to see if the battery is charged in the morning.

I replaced my interior festoon lamp with an led. Doesn't flatten the battery overnight and the plastic fitting never gets hot.
Similar to one of these, but check the length first
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-3-SMD-LED- ... 56659c9161

Well done sorting it out in the end. Easy enough to not notice the light I suppose with 'light nights' of summer.

i know this is a bit late, but in the past i have hooked a metal chocolate tin over the brake light with it balanced on the bumper so i can see the light reflecting in the tin when sitting in the car. I know just disconnect the wires to the brake light switch and short it out.