4th bad brakelight switch 2001 Odessy

[dka_donh]

I have a Odessy and today my break light switch went out again for the 4th time since be bought the van (New in 2000). Of cource the way we find out we have no break lights is we can't put the van in gear.

We had 2 go out in the first 36k and the third @ 70k.
I now have 100k and my 4th switch is bad.

The dealer changed the first 2 and I had to fight with them to get the 3rd. one change out of warrenty.

Before I buy anothe Honda switch...
Has anyone else had this problem?
Is ther an aftermarket (NAPA etc..) switch that has a better life.

Thanks
Don

 

[motsco_]

I have a Odessy and today my break light switch went out again for the 4th time since be bought the van (New in 2000). Of cource the way we find out we have no break lights is we can't put the van in gear.

We had 2 go out in the first 36k and the third @ 70k.
I now have 100k and my 4th switch is bad.

The dealer changed the first 2 and I had to fight with them to get the 3rd. one change out of warrenty.

Before I buy anothe Honda switch...
Has anyone else had this problem?
Is ther an aftermarket (NAPA etc..) switch that has a better life.

Thanks
Don

Have you SEARCHED on www.odyclub and google.com? It doesn't sound common, unless the switch isn't adjusted properly, so you're whacking it every time you release the pedal...

'Curly'

 

[jim beam]

I have a Odessy and today my break light switch went out again for the 4th time since be bought the van (New in 2000). Of cource the way we find out we have no break lights is we can't put the van in gear.

We had 2 go out in the first 36k and the third @ 70k.
I now have 100k and my 4th switch is bad.

The dealer changed the first 2 and I had to fight with them to get the 3rd. one change out of warrenty.

Before I buy anothe Honda switch...
Has anyone else had this problem?
Is ther an aftermarket (NAPA etc..) switch that has a better life.

Thanks
Don

let me guess - you live in the city. and you ride the brAKES a lot. if urban driving average speed is 15mph, 36k is ~2000 hours. you won't be driving with the brAKES all the time, so lets say 25% of that time, you're stuck in traffic with the light on. that's 500 hours. that's not so bad. just change the bulb and forget about it. use long life bulbs if you want. or preemptively swap them out every year.

oh, there's no way a switch can cause bulb failure - other than by racking up the hours of course.

 

[~misfit~]

let me guess - you live in the city. and you ride the brAKES a lot. if urban driving average speed is 15mph, 36k is ~2000 hours. you won't be driving with the brAKES all the time, so lets say 25% of that time, you're stuck in traffic with the light on. that's 500 hours. that's not so bad. just change the bulb and forget about it. use long life bulbs if you want. or preemptively swap them out every year. oh, there's no way a switch can cause bulb failure - other than by racking up the hours of course.

Now I know why you call yourself after alcohol. You drink so much you can't understand a simple post.

(Hint: Are bulbs mentioned anywhere at all in the original post?)

Back to your bottle....

 

[dka_donh]

Have you SEARCHED on www.odyclub and google.com? It doesn't sound common, unless the switch isn't adjusted properly, so you're whacking it every time you release the pedal...

'Curly'

Yes I've searched Odyclub and didn't really find any one else with this problem. As for the adjustment well it was replaced by a factory technician at the dealer every time. I took it out only this last weekend to see if I could find any problem with the installation. Kind of hard to mess up.. just screws through the peddle support bracket.. but I will have to get a manual and see how far the factory recommends. this is my wife van and she drive @30 miles a day to work and back, doesn't drive with her foot on the brake and not a hole lot of start stop driving. I guess I pay and get another one.

One thing I did find out when I had the switch out.
It is a plastic base and a metal end (with the threads and push button) I hit on the metal end and must of freed up the contacts inside because not it works..

 

[rjdriver]

I have a Odessy and today my break light switch went out again for the 4th time since be bought the van (New in 2000). Of cource the way we find out we have no break lights is we can't put the van in gear.

We had 2 go out in the first 36k and the third @ 70k.
I now have 100k and my 4th switch is bad.

The dealer changed the first 2 and I had to fight with them to get the 3rd. one change out of warrenty.

Before I buy anothe Honda switch...
Has anyone else had this problem?
Is ther an aftermarket (NAPA etc..) switch that has a better life.

Thanks
Don

The break switch went on my 2003 Accord at about 40000 miles. The replacement switch from the dealer was a little different. The piston was thicker and the hole thing a different shape. I'm at 98000 now and still good.

These are flimsy parts at best. Molded plastic and a few springs and metal contacts. The replacement part was only $11.50. Honda has apparently cut some corners here, as I have had 4 other Hondas in the past and never replaced this part before. Yours seems to be an extreme case, that might be due to unusual usage or something that doesn't line up right in your break pedal assembly. This is not a complicated DIY project if you want to avoid paying someone $65 - $80/hour, regardless of where you end up buying the replacement part.

Bob

 

[dka_donh]

The break switch went on my 2003 Accord at about 40000 miles. The replacement switch from the dealer was a little different. The piston was thicker and the hole thing a different shape. I'm at 98000 now and still good.

These are flimsy parts at best. Molded plastic and a few springs and metal contacts. The replacement part was only $11.50. Honda has apparently cut some corners here, as I have had 4 other Hondas in the past and never replaced this part before. Yours seems to be an extreme case, that might be due to unusual usage or something that doesn't line up right in your break pedal assembly. This is not a complicated DIY project if you want to avoid paying someone $65 - $80/hour, regardless of where you end up buying the replacement part.

Bob

Yes, I had it out the other night and there is nothing to replacing it and I will do it myself from now on. (Cost at dealer $34 NAPA and other repair stores do not carry it)

Hopefully this will be the last one.

Dealer did say bring it in, when it's not, working and they will look at it. I asked them if they would cover the repair to the van if someone hits her in the rear because there are no break lights while we a bringing it in. (no answer) and when I get the switch working (by hitting it) then we take it in, they can not find a problem with it.

It could be worse, this has been a good vehicle and she really likes to drive it.

I would still recommend it to anyone

Don

 

[rjdriver]

Yes, I had it out the other night and there is nothing to replacing it and I will do it myself from now on. (Cost at dealer $34 NAPA and other repair stores do not carry it)

Hopefully this will be the last one.

Dealer did say bring it in, when it's not, working and they will look at it. I asked them if they would cover the repair to the van if someone hits her in the rear because there are no break lights while we a bringing it in. (no answer) and when I get the switch working (by hitting it) then we take it in, they can not find a problem with it.

It could be worse, this has been a good vehicle and she really likes to drive it.

I would still recommend it to anyone

Don

Wow! It's up to $34.00 now. Amazing.

With the tailgating addiction growing at a rapid pace, it has become even more important to be sure your brake lights work. When my switch went, it did exactly the opposite. Turned my brake lights on even when the pedal wasn't pushed. It almost killed the battery one night, as the lights came on by themselves after I had parked the car for the night. Just happened to glance out the window before going to bed and noticed the red glow. Had to bang the switch a few times to get them to go off. That, and the transmission interlock connection made it a frustrating little problem, as my switch intermittently died over a period of a month or so

Bob