TheSamba.com :: View topic - Brake light switch

Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:09 am

I've been going nuts trying to figure out where I was losing brake fluid. I finally had someone able to sit in the beetle and pump the brake pedal for me, and then there it was as plain as day.

The fluid is actually leaking from the terminals themselves. Anyone ever seen this before?

Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:20 am

Pretty common failure mode on those switches, the no-name China switches are famous for it in a much shorter period time compared to ATE/FTE switches.

Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:25 am

Yes, I had that happen to me in July. '73 Super w/new MC and new chinese switches. In my case, the loss of fluid was not heavy, but the pedal would go way down w/the first pump and the dash brake light would come on. Solved by replacing the leaky switch.

Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:28 am

So I’d try here. They seem pricey but you are getting German parts. If you call you’ll be speaking to Eric directly he knows all about these problems. https://www.bughaus.com/Beetle_Master_Cylinders_and_Wheel_Cylinders.htm

Thu Dec 24, 2020 10:16 am

Zundfolge1432 wrote: So I’d try here. They seem pricey but you are getting German parts. If you call you’ll be speaking to Eric directly he knows all about these problems. https://www.bughaus.com/Beetle_Master_Cylinders_and_Wheel_Cylinders.htm X2 I deal with them a lot. They handle the best parts available.

Thu Dec 24, 2020 11:48 am

Wolfsburg west also has German ones. Part #113945515G.

Thu Dec 24, 2020 11:56 am

I've seen brake switches and oil pressure senders leak from the plastic interface.

I just bought two new German-made switches from classifieds here https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2372844

Thu Dec 24, 2020 3:14 pm

Yep, Chinese switches.

They look hunky, well machined and made but IMO the guts aren't worth a crap.

My experience has been whenever I've had to hit the brakes hard, within 2 weeks the switch would fail.

I still use them mainly because I've got a pile of them. But that's not much of a problem. On my Bugs I can replace a brake light switch in less than 10 minutes with the wheels on the ground. (I use wing-nuts :D )

Moral of the story, if you're going to use Chinese brake light switches plan on replacing them often. If you don't hit your brakes hard and don't sit at a stoplight or railroad crossing with your foot on the brake pedal they should last at least 2 weeks. :lol:

Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:32 am

I replaced the crappy chinese one w/an expensive German one, don't recall the exact vendor but likely bughaus or westcoastmetric. I've put close to 6k on the car since then (July '20), no more leaks.

Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:48 am

Cusser wrote: I've seen brake switches and oil pressure senders leak from the plastic interface.

I just bought two new German-made switches from classifieds here https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2372844

I do have an Autozone brake switch on my second VW, was in stock in small town, and I don't yet have a mailbox there.