Brake Lights Constantly On - Peugeot 206

[PG]

I have recently discovered the brake lights on my X-reg 206 are always on.

Yesterday when I turned the ignition key I noticed a red glow behind the car. If I had got out & looked I would have seen that the brake lights were on (incl the high level one).

I made sure the lights were switched off at the controls & drove off thinking this is some clever feature where the rear lights switch on automatically when it gets dark outside!

Could the cold weather have affected the electrics?

Is there anything I could check or should I take it to a mechanic?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[2scoops0406]

take your foot off the middle pedal

 

[keyplayer]

Locate the brake light switch and adjust it. It's probably to be found at the upper end of the brake pedal above your feet inside the car assuming it's not a hydraulic switch.

 

[PG]

Thanks Keyplayer.

I'll give it a go this evening.

I really hope it is as simple as this.

 

[johnwr]

Keyplayer is probably right, but there is a chance that the switch is faulty.
regards johnwr

 

[Steve]

pulled up alongside someone at traffic lights once, told them their brake lights weren't working at all. Woman in passenger seat says "oh, we know, its because its new and the brakes dont need much pressure to work." im sat there, must have had a look of disbelief on my face. I felt like yelling b***oks at her, but language gets us nowhere, so I told her, in no uncertain terms, that she should get it sorted (after nearly running into the back of their new van, renault kangoo with windows? i think). She actually thought it was normal that brake lights dont work when new????

 

[PG]

I could not find the brake light switch. I have only been able to search for this in the dark but I could not feel a switch of any kind.

This is very urgent & I'm worried that someone may plough into the back of my car.

I think I will have to contact my local Peugeot dealer & see if I can get it looked at tomorrow.

 

[keyplayer]

I'm not familiar with your model but is there a panel above the pedals. If so you need to remove this and trace the pedal back up to the pivot point. You will also need to get your head and a light right under there. A little awkward yes! The switch you are looking for will have a spring loaded plunger on it which should move with the pedal.

 

[keyplayer]

PG, sorry mate, just done a bit of research - I believe your brake light switch is to be found under the glove box on the near side. Have a look there instead, the switch might even have popped out. See this:-
www community.preloved.co.uk/forums/discussion/16934
but be quick as the mods are a little touchy on this site!!!

 

[andy]

for now, you could use hand signals, and maybe cover the lights with dark tape (altho you could be in trouble if police are near, and youll be bloody cold!

 

[PG]

Keyplayer. Thanks a million!

I located the connection under the glove box, it had come loose & I just plugged it back in. Brake lights are fine now.

You have saved me from taking a day off work only for a garage to charge me a load of money to look at this problem.

Thanks again mate.

PG

 

[aidy74]

This guy is spot on i thought this was gonna be a main dealer job and main dealer prices but i did it in 2 seconds just pushed it back in THANK YOU

 

[2131TOM]

Appreciate that it's an old thread but it saved me a lot of hassle this evening, so I'd like to recommend it to everyone with this problem and add another observation of my own.

LED brake lights were on permanently BUT the 2 bulbed lights were permanently off. Displaced switch under the glove compartment solved the LEDs being constantly on (the switch is obviously ON when it's not pressed in). Pushing it back into its proper position turned the LEDs on and off when the brake pedal was depressed and released, but the 2 side brake light bulbs stayed off all the time.

Fuse? No, there are 2 fuses, one for each side, and they were OK. Both bulbs were OK but one had a lot of corrosion in the holder and side of the bulb, once that was cleaned off the bulb worked as it should.

The other bulb had a pitted contact on its base and wasn't making the circuit, so I sanded it smooth (I'll get another one when I get to the autoshop), and that solved that problem.

I guess that the displaced switch had left all the brake lights on for so long that it accentuated the corrosion on one side bulb & holder and pitted the contact on the other, so they both eventually stopped working. No idea how long they had been on - possibly through weeks of driving, difficult to say. I should check things like this more often but I usually just jump in the car and go.

The LEDs were robust enough to cope but the filament bulbs and their holders weren't.

Thanks again to this forum - I spent 45mins putting the problem right but I wouldn't have had a clue about the switch problem, if I hadn't found this thread.

- Tom.

 

[rabbieboy]

Thanks Keyplayer.
saved a lot of time and money, the brake circuit is not protected from passengers big feet, thanks again

 

[solos]

Just Bought second hand Puegot 206 and brake lights were not working ,checked fuses they were fine then googled it found this thread sorted in 2 minutes Thanks Keyplayer nice one .