jsgun Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Quick question. Does your brake lights come on when you press the brake pedal, with the ignition off? I'm working on the breaker box on my 64, and I'm having a hard time understanding the factory documentation. There's an unswitched fuse at 10A for the "tail lts", and the book said it's "tail, license, cornering lights, panel lights, and rheostat". But then there's a switched fuse for "Dir Sig" at 10A, and the book says "Direction signal, signal indicator, and Stop Lights" I suspect I'm reading things wrong here, it seems like almost all cars have working brake lights with the ignition off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredmechanic74 Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 I don't know what your "64" is but the cars in those years did not control the brake lights with the ign. switch. The lighting systems were left free from ing. control. However the brake lights feed through the turn sig. switch, this is done so when turning, only the brake light not associated with the turn will stay lit while the other one blinks. But the turn signal switch is controlled by the ign. switch and thats where it can get confusing. If you step on the brake pedal and turn on your blinker without the key being on you will see one of your brake lights will not come on. Hope this helps 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slosteve Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 19 hours ago, jsgun said: Quick question. Does your brake lights come on when you press the brake pedal, with the ignition off? NO, they don't on my '65 Steve. Must have ign. switch ON. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 You need to look at a wiring diagram and see how the brake lights are activated through the turn signal switch. There is a "brake light switch " but it is connected to the 12V source and the brake lamp through the turn signal switch - which is mounted on the steering column. If your signals won't work with the ign switch of, neither will the brake lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsgun Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 Interesting. Must be one of those early buick quirks. Every car I've had, the brake lights work when the ignition is off. I might rewire it to do so on the Riv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petelempert Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 No ignition, no brake lights on a 63. Don't know if it was common for all cars of the era, but it has always seemed like a major engineering oversight...and a dangerous one at that. PRL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KongaMan Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 16 hours ago, jsgun said: Interesting. Must be one of those early buick quirks. Every car I've had, the brake lights work when the ignition is off. I might rewire it to do so on the Riv. 3 hours ago, petelempert said: No ignition, no brake lights on a 63. Don't know if it was common for all cars of the era, but it has always seemed like a major engineering oversight...and a dangerous one at that. PRL Do you guys often need your brakes when the car isn't running? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsgun Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 9 hours ago, KongaMan said: Do you guys often need your brakes when the car isn't running? Not often, but yeah, there's been a couple of times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petelempert Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I think the reason virtually all modern cars have brake lights regardless of ignition situation is for safety. If the car is in-op, malfunctioning or not running (for whatever reason) the driver can still alert others around that he is stopping/stopped and therefore they should take notice. The logic gap with the 63 is odd. If you followed the reasoning that you didn't brake lights when the car isn't running...why would the other lights (headlights, tail lights) still function when the car isn't running? More than anything, it's sort of annoying. When I get in my 63 to start it up, I habitually tap the brakes...looking to see the red glow and nothing happens until I hit the ignition. It always makes me think for a second that my brake lights are out. PRL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Lots of modern cars use the brake light filament in tne bulb as the four-way flasher. In that case, the brake light would have to be wired to work when the ignition is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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