US brake light wiring

[georgeyv]

I know this has been covered approx 18293812 times, a lot of the versions of guides I've seen are slightly different to my bus and as I'm a total novice/idiot I'm struggling to get my head around it.

I have a 71 deluxe US bus - indicators and sidelights are sorted as I did them straight away.

Brake lights are not sorted -

I have a wire from one brake light to the other, ready to take a feed for the lights - I'm confused as to where it comes from though? Some guides say fusebox and some say one of the brake switches under the van? Do I need to press the pedal and see which gives me a live feed and take it from that? (what if none of them do, I can't seem to get a live feed at all- maybe bust switches?) Also the hazard switch has a connection that needs removing, is that to remove the link between the hazards and the brakes that US buses use?

Cheers in advance and sorry for the stupid questions!

 

[gvee]

Logically it is from fuse box to brake light switch and then on to the lights themselves.
The switch is... well, it's doing what it says on the tin! When the pedal is pressed the switch is closed, completing the live circuit.

Pretty sure the switch will be on the master cylinder. There'll be one or two, depending on if it is single or dual circuit respectively.

Then again - I can't say this for certain because I've never actually looked at this bit of my bus!

 

[Trikky2]

This ^^

 

[georgeyv]

George you're just giving yourself more jobs to do on my bus!! :lol:

I can't get my head around it, mine's got 2 switches, so not sure where to take the feed to/from. I'll try consult some wiring diagrams and see if I can pick out the differences and work out whats what.

 

[gvee]

2 or 3 pin switches?

Do you have any wires on them already?

I suggest popping your ignition on, brick on the brake pedal and then get underneath with a test light or multimeter. Should help identify the live side!

Might be free Saturday to help out. Not sure what's going on the rest of this week yet!

 

[georgeyv]

Cheers so far... I'll get underneath with a test light and see what I can figure out. Hopefully be pretty self explanatory once I get cracking...

 

[rallye dale]

you need to disconnect the yellow wire from the back of the hazard switch and use this for your feed to the rear

I forget which number on the back it is now but if you search it will tell you

It's as simple as that !

 

[georgeyv]

you need to disconnect the yellow wire from the back of the hazard switch and use this for your feed to the rear

I forget which number on the back it is now but if you search it will tell you

It's as simple as that !

Just take the feed straight from that yellow wire to the rear or via the brake switch?

I know it's a simple concept but I've read so many different things about it my brains nearly melted out of my ears.

 

[kreemoweet]

If you are trying to get the original '71 US-spec brake lights/wiring to work, then you cannot use a single feed wire. That's because the brighter rear bulb filiments
were used for both brake lights and turn signals. If you have substituted Euro-spec rear lamp assemblies, then you can take the black/red wire off terminal
#54 on the hazard switch and use that as the brake light feed. The original black/red and black/yellow wires to the rear would of course be used to power the
turn signal filiments.
This diagram shows how the original wiring worked: http://www.speedyjim.net/schem/bus_2.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[robins]

have a look here http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=8176" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; if i can do it you can and i havant got a clue about elec you do take one wire from front to back and take the wire of the back of the hazard switch