All three of the brake lights in my 745 NA quit working. I changed fuse and tried a spare bulb out relay with no results. Checked a bulb too on the unlikely chance all three blew at the same time.

So I'm left with the switch on the brake pedal. I've only looked far enough so far to see that there is a soft cover the pedal passes through which I will have to remove.

I tried searching the board without finding info. The FAQ doesn't seem to have anything about this switch under "brakes" or "lights and switches", unless I missed it somehow.

Anyone got tips for me on troubleshooting/replacing. Does anyone know if the switch on my currently immobile 1991 745 is the same? I know I am in for some contortions to get at this.
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Andy in St. Paul - '91 745 218K mi, '91 745 210K, '90 744 189K, all Rex-Regina - past 240s

You're right, you'll need to do some contortions. I'm doing a tranny conversion, so I needed to add a clutch pedal and a new brake pedal to my 740. Anyway, here's what you're up against. First, you'll need to remove the knee blocker under the steering wheel. Then there's a metal panel behind it that has to come out. Next, move the vent hose that comes out under the steering wheel out of the way. Now you can get to the switch. The best way I found to reach it is to put the driver's seat all the way down and slide under the wheel. Not comfortable, but moreso than having your spine bent backward over the doorsill. Also, have a flashlight in the footwell before you do anything else. If you have to replace the switch, it's way up at the top of the brake petal and it's held in with a slide clip that's very hard to get access to. You also won't be able to see which direction it slides in. Putting it back in is worse beacuse of the acess problem. Still, it shouldn't take more than an hour, and hopefully it's a relay instead.

Thanks very much for the info, but fortunately for me, since I could see no way to remove the brake pedal switch once I got to it, I found that the switch seemed to work when I jumped it, but the lights still did not. I was able to verify that it worked using the trailer wiring. Turned out that I had three different problems for my three brake lights (two fixed so far). Don't know why I never got a bulb out light on the dash, but I suspect that bulb is out or removed.

I guess I won't sweat the brake lights for a while since a big hunk of steel, which I guess was holding my clutch cable, fell out of the bottom of the car when I was shifting yesterday. Haven't ever dealt with clutch work before and haven't had a chance to get underneath it yet to see what I'm dealing with. Just out of curiosity; there is also a switch on the clutch pedal. I don't have cruise control, so what is that switch for? To turn off overdrive?

Here is a pic of what's past that cover over the driver's feet in case anyone is interested.


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Andy in St. Paul - '91 745 218K mi, '91 745 210K, '90 744 189K, all Rex-Regina - past 240s

Is the clutch switch an override for the starter - have to depress the clutch before starting?
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David Armstrong - '86 240(350k km?), '93 940T(270k km), '89 240(parts source for others) near Toronto

Nope. I'm sure they instituted that later. I think it may have even become mandatory in the US at some point. VERY unfortunate change in my opinion. I know it is to prevent the bumper scrapers in the parking lot where someone turns the key with the car in gear and it lurches, but it would also very effectively pevent you from moving the car out of a dangerous spot using only the starter motor. I also would not have been able start the car in first gear and drive the car home, shifting without using a clutch, as I did to get my car home after the cable came off.
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Andy in St. Paul - '91 745 218K mi, '91 745 210K, '90 744 189K, all Rex-Regina - past 240s

When you find the switch, have a jumper wire alongside. Set the key and test. If lights come on, suspect the bub failure warning relay.

Chances are good that the 1991 switch will swap OK.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)