When do your Brake Lights come on?

[richardm]

...and I'm already waiting for the sarcastic answers!

Hope you don't all mind another question! I've noticed that my brake lights don't come on until I've pressed the brake pedal quite a way down. I can't really quantify it, but I was able to hold the car still on a roughly 1 in 10 downhill gradient and the lights weren't on. It's only a small problem but it does mean that sometimes when braking lightly I can see the brake lights flickering on and off to the car behind!
Does that sound right? I know the brake light switch can play up but I've got no fault codes and don't know whether the switch can be adjusted in some way?

Cue you all going out to your B5s and braking!

Thanks, Richard

 

[jbh]

ive never had this problem on the a4 but I did have it on an old bmw a few years back. is there any way of adjusting the switch?

 

[aragorn]

yes the switch can be adjusted, screws in and out.

might just be faulty though.

 

[richardm]

Found it!

For future reference -

Brake light sensitivity according to pedal pressure

Although now I've solved one problem and discovered another! The glowplug light is now flashing intermittently so I suspect the switch might be faulty and was bodged in the past.

 

[Bradderz_1988]

Mine did this adjusted the switch and it was fine you could get the pads to bite a fair bit before the light would come on, best to try it while its pretty dark with the back end close to a garage door or wall.

 

[aragorn]

Fault code scan required.

The ECU could well be getting upset about the brake switch, it reads signals from two seperate switches inside the one housing.

 

[richardm]

Fault code scan required.

The ECU could well be getting upset about the brake switch, it reads signals from two seperate switches inside the one housing.

Got the p0571 but pressed the brake pedal a few times and then it cleared without coming back so I've ordered a new switch anyway in case.