I find this puzzling too, as there is no connection to the brake lamp circuit. To me, the "both brake lamps out" theory is unproved legend where it concerns the 83 or 84 cars. When I saw this post, curiosity got the best of me so I began to trace all the wiring for the chime, through the seat belt switches, seat belt lamps, ignition switch and driver's door switch. Not on the wiring diagram, but actually following the wires on a pulled harness from an 83.
So far, all I've learned is which wiring diagram dotted lines match the US-Canada configuration, but the chime contraption is on the bench awaiting dissection. Probably will use the chime to replace the ineffective buzzer in the clothes dryer anyway.
In the mean time, I suggest Jeff pull the driver's door switch and carefully clean the guts and the silver surfaces, or replace it -- they're only 3 or 4 bucks -- but I've cleaned a bunch of them successfully. The chime contacts are separate from the dome lamp pole, so the dome lamp part working doesn't vindicate the switch entirely. I was speculating about some green gook providing a path pole-to-pole in the door switch.
But, I'll get to the bottom of this brake light theory once and for all if I have to simply remove the bulbs for a test. I'm pretty certain the BFW device in the 83 has only one output, a ground to the cluster bulb-out indicator lamp. Maybe the cool idea of sensing two burned out bulbs was implemented in later years, though I'd think this would be a very rare thing to happen without the warning provided by one bad bulb. Personally, I've had the brake light fuse open, and no chiming let me know, it required a friend who was following me in my 84. The fuse didn't blow, just cracked at the end.
Better than the "puzzlah" today which I couldn't hear anyway while out car shopping.
Will post back with my puzzlah entry.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore
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