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Brake light switch '88 XJ

Old 03-05-2015, 08:42 PM
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Originally Posted by DFlintstone
Thank god I have get to really get into one. When I swap my ABS to standard vacuum booster, likely I'll spend the ten minutes to remove the seat so I can get up in there. Me thinks if you need to remove parts and use tape and zip ties, something is wrong. ....Any chance it can go in upside down?
That is definitely part of the trouble...very little space to work in under there. You've gotta be a friggin' contortionist to make happen!

I followed the manual's diagrams, and as such I could never get it to work. I am sure that I was missing something while doing it that way...but I can't be fighting it like that any more and had to get it to work somehow.

As it is, it should do OK until I can figure out a better solution....or atleast until I can get the junkyard and upgrade to another type of switch,
Old 03-05-2015, 09:02 PM
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Maybe Crusier or Freedgr or someone with hands on experience will chime in. I see in your pic in post #5 that one arm extends longer than the other Hey! I can jam my camera there even if I don't fit.

OK, the longer "arm" goes nearest the lever.
Attached Thumbnails Brake light switch '88 XJ-100_9863.jpg  
Old 03-05-2015, 09:18 PM
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Thank you for the pics DFlinstone and 7ate9. Ive got the switch bolted to the pedal arm and master cylinder with the bolt that was there...I just removed the metal sleeve. Without the sleeve in there, the brake rod can engage the switch. This also gives the foot some feedback where the pedal catches the brake rod and activates the switch. I can feel where the lights should come on now.
Old 03-05-2015, 09:19 PM
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I saw in the FSM or a writeup somewhere, "be sure to put the bolt in from the left, and the nut on the right". I'm not sure why they made a point of that. I just found a mirror really helpful to see that indeed, the longer arm on the switch is on the left, and the wire plug points left.....That's all I've got!
Old 03-05-2015, 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Crazy 8s
Thank you for the pics DFlinstone and 7ate9.
789's pics are surely clearer! Bolt in from the left, longer arm on the left, right?
Old 03-05-2015, 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by DFlintstone
I saw in the FSM or a writeup somewhere, "be sure to put the bolt in from the left, and the nut on the right". I'm not sure why they made a point of that. I just found a mirror really helpful to see that indeed, the longer arm on the switch is on the left, and the wire plug points left.....That's all I've got!

IN the Haynes manual, the auto transmission requires the bolt go one way and a manual transmission requires the bolt go the other direction. I think this has to do with the space the clutch pedal takes up and how it may interfere with the brake switch. I tried it both ways anyways....
Old 03-06-2015, 12:28 AM
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Hard to get good pictures but I think you can see what's going on. Some kind of weird washer on the back side on top of the nut itself ..
Attached Thumbnails Brake light switch '88 XJ-image-2890572530.jpg   Brake light switch '88 XJ-image-2006519605.jpg  

Last edited by 7ate9; 03-06-2015 at 12:31 AM.
Old 03-06-2015, 01:29 AM
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Wish wine had that bracket I would just get a adjustable switch and install it above and be done with the switch all together.
Attached Thumbnails Brake light switch '88 XJ-image-2006519605.jpg  
Old 03-06-2015, 08:10 AM
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Here:
Attached Thumbnails Brake light switch '88 XJ-brakeswitch2.jpg   Brake light switch '88 XJ-tcc-switch.jpg  
Old 03-06-2015, 09:44 AM
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I had the pedal and switch setup just like in those diagrams Cruiser, but there seems to be something different about the master cylinder rod in my Jeep. The 'sleeve' I have to work with is about the same OD as the brake rod's mounting hole ID ...which left it no room to push on the switch.


7ate9, if my Jeep was similar to the picture on the right in your last post I would have just used that odd bracket above it to fix in some other kind of switch... Freegdr caught it too!
Old 03-06-2015, 09:46 AM
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...and thank you again for the help. I have been fighting this dang switch from the first day I got the Jeep and had been using a ghetto work-around because I couldn't figure it out.

It is good for now though!
Old 03-06-2015, 01:08 PM
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Originally Posted by freegdr
Wish wine had that bracket I would just get a adjustable switch and install it above and be done with the switch all together.
So a 5 speed without cruse doesn't even have the bracket for the Converter/Cruse switch..mmmmm
Old 03-07-2015, 03:28 AM
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Originally Posted by DFlintstone
So a 5 speed without cruse doesn't even have the bracket for the Converter/Cruse switch..mmmmm
Correct Sir.
Old 03-11-2015, 02:08 PM
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I don't remember seeing the converter switch on my 89 auto either.

Can a later model brake switch be added? It would be nice for it to be adjustable.
Old 03-11-2015, 02:32 PM
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? The automatic should have one...

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