30 replies to this topic

[Mat]

Sorry, I meant a thermic switch. It was too early this morning! Well now I just don't know what to do, one of the spades on the cap has corroded away anyway, might chuck it through the mot like that, then if it fails on that it'll only be five minutes to fix. If it passes, I'll swap it for a fan switch.

[sledgehammer]

My brake level test light works fine - yep - I'm showing off 

 

why not put the switch where the fog light is (under o/s parcel shelf)

 

If you have a fog light ?

 

 

and yes the brake fluid cap is always falling apart

Edited by sledgehammer, 16 August 2014 - 04:12 PM.

[Mat]

I probably will in the meantime, I just thought if it's not an MOT fail, then it's a pretty pointless switch and was expendable!

[CityEPete]

I read it as the thermic switch anyway and I still cant understand why you wouldnt fit it properly? I had a kenlowe on my mgb, took a bit of trial and error to get it bang on but once it was set it was perfect forever! I also had a renault 5 turbo with an overide style one, pulled up at a noisy rockers pub, forgot it was running and the car was so flat a few hours later it would not bump start as the immobiliser would not turn off so we had to get a taxi to my flat then drive back in my work van with jump leads to start it that way,lol.

[CityEPete]

If you want it for 'spirited' driving then wire a switch in that jumps the thermostat switch instead but leave the feed as one switched with the ignition, that is how the proper period kenlowe ones are too, you could use a fog light switch and have the lamp wired so it reminds you that it is on and also the electrical backfeed will make the lamp illuminate when it comes on in auto mode via the stat so you can see it has been triggered and compare the water temp to fine tune the stat setting. Are you removing the fixed fan?

[Mat]

If you want it for 'spirited' driving then wire a switch in that jumps the thermostat switch instead but leave the feed as one switched with the ignition, that is how the proper period kenlowe ones are too, you could use a fog light switch and have the lamp wired so it reminds you that it is on and also the electrical backfeed will make the lamp illuminate when it comes on in auto mode via the stat so you can see it has been triggered and compare the water temp to fine tune the stat setting. Are you removing the fixed fan?

Eventually, I will fit a thermic switch. But in the meantime, an illuminated switch is how I will do it, but I plan on making a new dash next year with a fan switch and warning light installed in this as well as the thermic one, I just like a bit extra control! Then, as you say, the thermic switch will light up the warning light on the dash also. I am keeping the fixed fan, the electric one is just for heavy traffic.

[HarrysMini]

I don't know why you wouldn't want the fluid level light working, I think it would be quite useful to know if you've had a sudden loss of fluid. Hardly pointless at all.

 

Regarding the light, what you can do is fit a switch to the handbrake and buy a brake warning light from CBS and wire it up to the cap, this would do exactly the same thing without taking up a switch space. You can also buy a switch with a fan logo on from CBS. 

 

And I am fairly sure the brake fluid level light is an MoT item, just many testers probably don't know the Mini has one.  

[Mat]

This is just a stop gap until I do my dash, it's not so much the warning light for the fluid but the switch that I see as expendable. I just thought it would look smart to have the fan switch in a proper position instead of bodged somewhere else, your idea for the handbrake is a good one though!

[CityEPete]

I don't know why you wouldn't want the fluid level light working, I think it would be quite useful to know if you've had a sudden loss of fluid. Hardly pointless at all.
 
Regarding the light, what you can do is fit a switch to the handbrake and buy a brake warning light from CBS and wire it up to the cap, this would do exactly the same thing without taking up a switch space. You can also buy a switch with a fan logo on from CBS. 
 
And I am fairly sure the brake fluid level light is an MoT item, just many testers probably don't know the Mini has one.

my cap has a terminal broke like so many others but still the red light does not come on, it does if you press the test button so im fairly sure they are fairly useless, lol

[Mat]

I don't think the light is useless, just the switch, as surely all that does is test the circuit? Although having said that, I'm pretty sure that if I suffer a sudden loss of brake fluid, the last place I'll look is the dash!

[CityEPete]

Without the switch you cant check that the bulb works to prove how useless it is if the wires fall or break off, has anyone ever had it actually come on due to low fluid?, lol

[sledgehammer]

Without the switch you cant check that the bulb works to prove how useless it is if the wires fall or break off, has anyone ever had it actually come on due to low fluid?, lol

 

yes when bleeding the system

 

can be useful for that (when it's working)

[HarrysMini]

Without the switch you cant check that the bulb works to prove how useless it is if the wires fall or break off, has anyone ever had it actually come on due to low fluid?, lol

You can if  you put a switch on the handbrake, which replaces the dash switch. Nearly every modern car has exactly this.

[sledgehammer]

Thread hijack alert ...

 

lights I would like to see - would be on the brake lights - so I know they are working

 

is it a requirement for the brake lights to work with ignition off now ? as they do on most new cars ?

 

hijack over ...

[CityEPete]

Without the switch you cant check that the bulb works to prove how useless it is if the wires fall or break off, has anyone ever had it actually come on due to low fluid?, lol

 
yes when bleeding the system
 
can be useful for that (when it's working)

My cap is always off when bleeding the system?