Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Re: What is the wire that screws on to the master cylinder and fluid behind the instrument cluster?
From:Larry Alofs
Date:Tue, 8 Apr 2014 09:00:07 -0400

Yes, you can change it quickly without very much spillage.  Put some rags
or something under there.

You might want to check it electrically first, to verify that it is the
problem.  If the switch actually caused the wire to burn up, it must be
shorted to ground.  A good switch would show little or no conductivity
between either terminal and ground, brake pedal pushed or not,.  If that
resistance is less than 1 or 2 ohms, the switch is the problem.
  More likely there is a short to ground in the wiring that leads to the
brake lights or at the lights themselves.

Do you see two similar switches?  That is what I recall, but the Bentley
*seems* to indicate one switch with 4 termanals.

Larry A.

On Tue, Apr 8, 2014 at 12:38 AM, Fuzzy :philippe <fuzzmeister@gmail.com>wrote:

> Yep, figured it out. It's indeed the brake switch.
>
> If I remove it, will the brake fluid start coming out? Can I change it
> quickly?
>
> Philippe
>
>
> > Wires for the brake lights go to the switches that screw into the MC
> itself.
> > The fluid level sensor is in the cap on the fluid reservoir.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 10:23 PM, Fuzzy :philippe <fuzzmeister@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> That wire just shorted with a bunch of smoke...
> >>
> >> VW vanagon '87 2.1l
> >
> >
>