YouTube Puts the Brakes on Another Trip to the Stealership

News2u

Fresh off that YouTube save the other day over a broken motor mount on the wife's '07 Versa hatchback, the DIYer's indispensable video consultant comes thru again.

This time the Versa's brake lights go out, or so it seemed. Funny, cuz I had just replaced a bad left brake light a couple of months ago. When I checked both brake lights, all the filaments were intact -- the bulbs were a-okay. A quick web search indicated the likely culprit was a worn out relay at the brake pedal. Sure enough, a YouTube video revealed how easy the old one pops out and a new one pops in.
The dealer wanted $135 to fix. AutoZone's price for the part matched Amazon's.
Back in action.

SamIAm2

Just curious about the material behind the hole in the brake pedal where the spring loaded contact pin rests. Is it rubber or some polymer?  Reason I ask is an experience with my car years ago.

Came out from work and the brake lights were on. Thought that was odd since I drove to work during daylight hours so no lights could have been left on. When I checked, the contact was fully extended into an empty hole on the brake metal above the pedal.

Looked around on the floorboard and found broken pieces of some odd material that looked like a plug when held together. Years of being parked outside in sunny Florida had destroyed it.

Took out a nickel and held it in place with duct tape. Problem solved. Cost a whole lot less than the part the dealer want to charge me. It was still on there when I sold the car years later. Great stuff that duct tape.

Eggcelsior

I'm planning on replacing my brakes soon and YouTube has been my friend. This should be interesting.

News2u

SamIAm2 said:

Just curious about the material behind the hole in the brake pedal where the spring loaded contact pin rests. Is it rubber or some polymer?  Reason I ask is an experience with my car years ago.

Came out from work and the brake lights were on. Thought that was odd since I drove to work during daylight hours so no lights could have been left on. When I checked, the contact was fully extended into an empty hole on the brake metal above the pedal.

Looked around on the floorboard and found broken pieces of some odd material that looked like a plug when held together. Years of being parked outside in sunny Florida had destroyed it.

Took out a nickel and held it in place with duct tape. Problem solved. Cost a whole lot less than the part the dealer want to charge me. It was still on there when I sold the car years later. Great stuff that duct tape.

The business end is the white part, or button, which is hard plastic and spring-loaded, and that's apparently where the relay most often fails. It goes in when you apply the brakes and turns on the brake lights.

WeberWho

Nice work!

My mother-in-law was going to junk her Chevy Lumina a few years ago. I took it in and patched the gas tank, put new tires on it, and changed the oil. I put maybe 6k miles on it. Not a bad deal for next to nothing and some time. I noticed the brake lights were out. I guess it has something to do with the turn signal switch. The whole steering wheel has to come off to replace the turn signal switch. (Thanks GM!) I'm really hoping to get it done this fall but painting the house has to come first.

Thanks for the inspiration! Always a good feeling when you can save a trip to the mechanic! 

News2u

Eggcelsior said:

I'm planning on replacing my brakes soon and YouTube has been my friend. This should be interesting.

Here's wishing you the best of luck. It's, shall we say, always an education.

SamIAm2

News2u said:

SamIAm2 said:

Just curious about the material behind the hole in the brake pedal where the spring loaded contact pin rests. Is it rubber or some polymer? 

The business end is the white part, or button, which is hard plastic and spring-loaded, and that's apparently where the relay most often fails. It stays pressed in until you apply the brakes. That releases the white button and the brake lights go on.

Understand that. I was speaking of the part that moves away when you press the brakes and makes contact again with the white spring-loaded when you remove your foot from the brakes as is clearly shown in your photo showing how to remove the relay.

NC_Egghead

I have saved literally hundreds of dollars by going to YouTube or doing a google search with any issue on my vehicles. Dealer wanted a grand to replace the prop shaft on our Jeep GC. I bought the CV kit for $165 plus a pair of Otiker pliers for the clamp ( about $15 on Amazon) and a couple hours later she was good to go. 

Legume

YouTube saved me thousands in dentist bills with my kids.

News2u

SamIAm2 said:

News2u said:

SamIAm2 said:

Just curious about the material behind the hole in the brake pedal where the spring loaded contact pin rests. Is it rubber or some polymer? 

The business end is the white part, or button, which is hard plastic and spring-loaded, and that's apparently where the relay most often fails. It stays pressed in until you apply the brakes. That releases the white button and the brake lights go on.

Understand that. I was speaking of the part that moves away when you press the brakes and makes contact again with the white spring-loaded when you remove your foot from the brakes as is clearly shown in your photo showing how to remove the relay.

Let me check that tomorrow and get back to you. Frankly, I didn't pay that much attention to that part of it. I was only after the switch, and, I mean, as soon as I turned it a quarter inch to the left, it literally fell out onto the floor-mat.  But if I get your drift, you're talking about what the pin makes contact with?

SamIAm2

News2u said:

SamIAm2 said:

News2u said:

SamIAm2 said:

Just curious about the material behind the hole in the brake pedal where the spring loaded contact pin rests. Is it rubber or some polymer? 

The business end is the white part, or button, which is hard plastic and spring-loaded, and that's apparently where the relay most often fails. It stays pressed in until you apply the brakes. That releases the white button and the brake lights go on.

Understand that. I was speaking of the part that moves away when you press the brakes and makes contact again with the white spring-loaded when you remove your foot from the brakes as is clearly shown in your photo showing how to remove the relay.

Let me check that tomorrow and get back to you. Frankly, I didn't pay that much attention to that part of it. I was only after the switch, and, I mean, as soon as I turned it a quarter inch to the left, it literally fell out onto the floor-mat.  But if I get your drift, you're talking about what the pin makes contact with?

Correct. I earlier automobiles that part was solid metal and the switch mount was engineered to contact properly. Some one thought it would be easier to mount/align the switch by having a dome shaped connecting part pressed into a hole in the metal. An extra part to charge for when you buy the car and  and when it fails in future plus an easier engineering process. Win/Win.

News2u

NC_Egghead said:

I have saved literally hundreds of dollars by going to YouTube or doing a google search with any issue on my vehicles. Dealer wanted a grand to replace the prop shaft on our Jeep GC. I bought the CV kit for $165 plus a pair of Otiker pliers for the clamp ( about $15 on Amazon) and a couple hours later she was good to go. 

Nice rescue. Like I said, YouTube has become my indispensable video consultant on just about everything.

News2u

SamIAm2 said:

News2u said:

SamIAm2 said:

News2u said:

SamIAm2 said:

Just curious about the material behind the hole in the brake pedal where the spring loaded contact pin rests. Is it rubber or some polymer? 

The business end is the white part, or button, which is hard plastic and spring-loaded, and that's apparently where the relay most often fails. It stays pressed in until you apply the brakes. That releases the white button and the brake lights go on.

Understand that. I was speaking of the part that moves away when you press the brakes and makes contact again with the white spring-loaded when you remove your foot from the brakes as is clearly shown in your photo showing how to remove the relay.

Let me check that tomorrow and get back to you. Frankly, I didn't pay that much attention to that part of it. I was only after the switch, and, I mean, as soon as I turned it a quarter inch to the left, it literally fell out onto the floor-mat.  But if I get your drift, you're talking about what the pin makes contact with?

Correct. I earlier automobiles that part was solid metal and the switch mount was engineered to contact properly. Some one thought it would be easier to mount/align the switch by having a dome shaped connecting part pressed into a hole in the metal. An extra part to charge for when you buy the car and  and when it fails in future plus an easier engineering process. Win/Win.

That round, contact pad - or whatever you call it -- does indeed appear to be a separate part.  There's a little play in it when you touch it, so it feels like a grommet you snap in with a hard plastic or metal surface where the pin makes contact.  

SamIAm2

For your sake I hope it is metal. You will at least know where to look for your problem if you see your brake lights on when the head lights aren't.