Brake Light Switch

[brwnidgrl]

I just dropped my '06 NBC off at the dealership for the "2 1/2" time to have the brake light switch replaced/repaired. I went to the garage to drive off to work, only to see the red glow of the brake lights. This is not the first time it has happened. The first time it happened was around 5500 miles. They replaced the faulty switch, I picked the car up, ran some errands...only to see the lights back on. Went back to the dealership the same day and they replaced it with another switch, they said the one they installed was also faulty and should have caught it. I got some free splash guards and a starbucks giftcard and went on my way. Well this morning (about 8800 mi) it is back in the shop for the same thing. Anyone else having this issue? Any advice?

[kcfoxie]

i had a prob where the socket was bad in my 02, but the lights were shorting out not staying on. with the 06 TDI instrument cluster problems, perhaps it is 1999 all over again and the relays are poorly manufactured as well?

Good luck, get as many free frappachinos and accessories out of them as you can.

[Steinola]

I had one brake light switch replaced about a year ago... haven't had any trouble with it since. They could certainly be pulling the replacements you've gotten out of the same bad batch... in which case, you'd just have to keep getting them replaced until they hit on one that isn't a dud.

Of course, the other alternative is there's something in the electrical system that's causing the switch to fail. I'm not sure what that might be. It doesn't even have to be brake-related. An auto's electrical system is a pretty delicate balance... a short or overage in one area can affect so many seemingly unrelated things.

I know that, when my switch went out, my dealer asked "did you have to brake really hard recently?". The answer was "yes"... but it was unclear why the brake light switch would be affected by how hard a brake. Afterall, the brake lights are either on, or off... they don't get brighter as you press harder on the pedal.