OK, I will say it.  A 3 prong stoplight switch will work in place of a 2
prong.  Just don't connect the middle prong terminal.  Been doin' that for
over 35 years.

But if you want to be correct for your 87, 2 prong switches are the way to
go.
--
Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
75 914 1.8 "Nancy"
Full Timing Since March 1999
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
***********************************

On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 3:16 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:

>  Mark,
>
> Nobody yet has come right out and said "Yes - the three prong  witch
> will work in a two prong location!"
>
> What's your view? Can I just put the three prong one in the two prong
> spot, and simply ignore the fact that one prong has no useful wire?
>
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com <http://www.moldhaus.com/>
>
>
>  On 10/18/2010 4:40 PM, mark drillock wrote:
>
>> Ken, the switches could be changed to anything over the years on any
>> van. The 85-91 dash wiring is different to use the 2 prong and the brake
>> warning light on the dash uses the float switch for the brake fluid
>> reservoir rather than the pressure difference like the 3 prong wiring
>> used. I highly doubt that the 3 prong switches you saw in that 87 came
>> in that 87.
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> Ken Wilford wrote:
>>
>>> Mark, I wish I could say that I have found what you have written to be
>>> true. I just dealt with this issue with a customer with an 87 Vanagon
>>> and he had the three prong switches. I would check before I ordered
>>> because it seems more random than a specific year cut off. It takes
>>> about 5 mins to remove the instrument cluster and look at the switches.
>>> Unplug one of them and see if the lights go out. The switch that you
>>> can unplug and it makes the lights go out is the bad switch. The
>>> switches are wired in parallel so that one of them is redundant. If you
>>> were really in a bind you could unplug the one and just travel the rest
>>> of your trip home with just the one plugged in. I would replace both
>>> since they are both the same age. I have the switches available if you
>>> need them
>>>
>>> Ken Wilford
>>> John 3:16
>>> www.vanagain.com
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/17/2010 5:05 PM, mark drillock wrote:
>>>
>>>> The 80-84 used 3 pin brake pressure switches
>>>> The 85-91 used 2 pin pressure switches
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> John Rodgers wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> '91 Carat, auto tranny (maybe they all have them) - brake lights won't
>>>>> go of - stuck "On". pulled the fuse to protect the circuit.
>>>>>
>>>>> Question: Does the Carat - particularly the '91 Carat - use a pair of
>>>>> three connector brake light switches - or 2 connector brake light
>>>>> switches.
>>>>>
>>>>