Center rear brake light remaining on!

[Catweazle]

Can anyone offer any idea what is going on with my 55 Octavia2 2.0PD Estate please?

Just noticed that after switching off and then locking the car with the remote, the upper center brake light has remained on. The light is at a lower brightness than when the brakes are applied but netherless definately on.

Immediate thoughts are that it is a short to earth of some kind possibly due to the damp weather at the moment. As the car is out of warranty I was hoping that there may be a relatively simple solution?

Thanks

Chris

[Tech1e]

Im almost certain it wil be down to water ingress into the boot loom, probably down to a leaking washer pipe, check behind the boot carpet on the left hand side.

[Catweazle]

Lummox

thats very good of you to answer so quickly!

I will have a look in the boot tommorow when its warmer and light.

Many thanks

Chris

[_ZS_]

See this on Golfs, and it's because the moron drivers haven't replaced faulty brakelight bulbs.

[vRSLen]

See this on Golfs, and it's because the moron drivers haven't replaced faulty brakelight bulbs.

How does that work then :confused:

[Sammycarp]

I had a similar problem on my old Astra - brake lights came on when side/headlights were on.

It turned out to be a faulty dual-element bulb, that was feeding current from one circuit into the other. I don't think this'll happen in an Octy because of the voltage regulation in the single-element bulbs.

[Catweazle]

I have had a chance to remove the rear tailgate linings to check to check for leaking washer water causing a problem. There does not appear to be any excess moisture in or around the centre brake light fitting to cause a problem and the washer nozzle is OK and working.

However, I have noticed that the centre brake light is on continuously except when the tailgate is opened, whereupon the light goes out!

Following the suggestion from Lummox I have looked under the carpet within the boot and it appears to be quite dry. Not sure where the boot loom referred to is, I presume I will need to remove the boot lining to find it? Any suggestions as to the best way to access the boot loom would be appreciated.

And yes, I do change faulty brake light bulbs as and when they occur. The left, right and centre lights are working fine when the brakes are applied. Its just that the centre one does not fully go out when the ignition is switched off and the boot is closed!

[gadgetman]

Sounds like the brake switch. Common issue.

[DaveI]

Sounds like the brake switch. Common issue.

Yep, happened on my elegance estate. Brake switch was the cause of the problem.

But then I re-read the problem all brake light on is caused by the brake switch, after searching just the high level light remaining on seems to be caused by the rear washer leaking into the brake light housing. As Lummox said

Edited 17 December, 2008 by DaveI

[robxlvideo]

Now that is odd! Just washed my Octavia earlier today and am now having exactely the same problem. I will try a few of the suggestions mentioned here. thanks folks.

[Rhoobarb]

A load of old fluffy towels, leave overnight then throw away. did the trick in my laguna, lol

[sidecarkevin]

Thanks to everyone for the useful advice here. I had the same problem on my 55 reg Octavia Estate yesterday, all leds's remaining lit in the top level brake light (dimmer than usual) even when brake pedal not depressed and when ignition off. Stripped out carpet and sure enough water pipe had come apart, right by white and black block connectors, some fluid in spare wheel as well. There was that much moisture in the black block connector (next to washer pipe join) that I could hear it fizzing!. Pipe rejoined, connectors dried and wd40 applied. All ok now , got it back together and boot courtesy lights dont work!! Hopefully something simple, will worry about that another day:rolleyes:.

[Halwit]

My brake lghts come on when even when the the key is not in the ignition

Does this mean the wiring is alwya live

Or is it just a fault withe the bulb or brake switch

[Halwit]

Yes, This is my problem also

All my brake lights stay on

I only have to touch the pedal lightly for it to go off

But I am coming down of a morning and finding them on all the time

[tandk1234]

I had the same problem and had the brake light switch replaced under warrenty. It's a common problem by all accounts. Best of luck

[Halwit]

Thanks for the help guys

[sidecarkevin]

Sidecarkevin -- first of all thanks for the thanks.

Please don't think I'm being patronising, that's not what I intend! But I too found courtesy lights not working, and all that had happened was that I hadn't plugged in the wires into the courtesy light unit when I had put the carpet back in!

Also, remember that all the interior lights switch off after a time to save battery power. Have you close up the whole car and then reopened the boot to see if the light comes on? Could be as simple as that.

Mike

Thanks for the reply Mike. I have taken it all apart again, and checked the block conectors, all ok. It does not look like the boot courtesy lights come through the block connectors which were affected by the leaky pipe. So I have done nothing to disturb this wiring, could it be a fuse?

[robxlvideo]

Thanks to all those that have given adviceon this matter. Fixed mine last week and it was exactely as suggested by some, loose washer pipe.

[Osmodia]

Got this problem too! Had to disconnect the high level light as a temp solution. Will have a better look in morning.

I did have a good look round the carpet on the n/s, no sign of dampness at all.

Would I be right to asume as the power requirement for a few led's is so very small, a power leakage (through dampness) from a live feed through to the led feed would be enough to light them while having no effect on the main incandesant bulbs?

.........I am going to have a look at my towbar socket tomorrow!

[David340R]

Had this problem with the CHMSL on our estate tonight. Rear wash seems OK, but quite a bit of condensation in car from having wet stuff in it at the weekend so I've put a dehumidifier in it. Boot lights have both suddenly started working - guess it must have been a loose connection that poking around has fixed.

[Tech1e]

CHMSL! There is a term I've not heard in a few weeks. Although we had to refer to it as a HMSL now as on new Jaguars it's the width of the car lol

[silver1011]

Holy thread revival batman!!

 

CHMSL is so American 

 

Next you'll be calling the bonnet the hood, the boot the trunk, the footpath the sidewalk and the windscreen the windshield!

 

"In the United States and Canada since 1986, in Australia and New Zealand since 1990, and in Europe and other countries applying UN Regulation 48 since 1998, a central stop (brake) lamp mounted higher than the vehicle's left and right stop lamps and called a "centre high mount stop lamp (CHMSL)", is also required."

Edited 4 January, 2016 by silver1011

[Tech1e]

Holy thread revival batman!!

Someone used the search function? Never!

[David340R]

Well I tried the search function first without luck, but when I used Google this thread turned up! My funny little plastic car from Norfolk has a CHMSL, so I've never seen it as a foreign term, but thinking about it it did come from the GM (Saab) parts bin.

 

Anyway the car interior is bone dry this morning, but the problem is back. Tailgate closed and brake light is dimly on, but with tailgate open there are no interior lights again and the brake light turns off!

[silver1011]

Did you manage to get to the connectors?

 

Drying the car out might have been a short term fix but unless you've peeled back the carpet and checked out the connector I fear this problem will remain.