So the battery is dead and I start charging it. When I walk to the back of the car, the break lights and the lights on the wing are on. I cant figure it out. I got on the floorboard to look at the pedal, and found about seven little blue pieces of plastic, with one in a cone shape??? I cant figure where the pieces came from, and think this might be the problem. I dont know. Ant help is greatly appreciated.
Brake light on when I charge the battery
- Thread starter 2-Saw
- Start date
There is a hole in a little tab on the pedal lever, into which a small plastic piece goes, to depress the plunger of the switch for the brake lights. If the plastic piece breaks, as they do with age, then the plunger is no longer depressed and the brake lights remain on. You can replace it with a new one or use a bolt & nut so it will never happen again.
part number: 46505-SA5-000
part number: 46505-SA5-000
Last edited:
Two informative threads on the subject:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/162193-blue-plastic-brake-stopper
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...-safety-switch-thingy-any-easy-way-to-replace
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/162193-blue-plastic-brake-stopper
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...-safety-switch-thingy-any-easy-way-to-replace
And the flip side to the broken plastic button is that your battery probably died because the brake lights were on because the little plastic button dropped out of its holder on the pedal. Hang tough for when the similar plastic button on the clutch pedal which operates the starter interlock switch drops out and you can't start the car. That one is misery to replace.
I am sure Honda had some reason why they used the plastic button thing mounted in a holder on the pedal instead of a simple metal tab to actuate the brake and clutch switches. However, I am not sure that what ever up side they thought there was to the button solution offsets the down side of the button falling out, particularly when the clutch interlock button falls out late one night.
I am sure Honda had some reason why they used the plastic button thing mounted in a holder on the pedal instead of a simple metal tab to actuate the brake and clutch switches. However, I am not sure that what ever up side they thought there was to the button solution offsets the down side of the button falling out, particularly when the clutch interlock button falls out late one night.
The button is actually nylon. less friction as the switch actually slides a bit on the surface. I have one in the glove box at all times, just waiting for the day.
Thanks soo much for the info. So do I just replace or finalize the solution with a screw? Im not as limber as I was in my 20's now 40, also, what the heck with the clutch. I can get stranded for 5 bucks? I can talk to you offline or here, but if Im weaseling my way under there, should I do both? Either nylon or rounded screw? Thanks again guys. I typically dont need/ask for help, but you got me through without having to say, "Im sorry", to come back into the house....again.
40 - I wish!:smile:
Warren may be right that with an oily plastic button the switch actuator slides better on the surface perhaps making for less side thrust on the switch actuator. The pedal arms on the NSX are fairly short (compared to cars with more vertical space in the foot well) and go through a fair arc in their actuation range which can create side thrust on the switch actuator. However, I think if you can find something like a carriage bolt with the same radius smooth head (or maybe a little larger radius) that should allow for pretty smooth actuation of the switch as the pedal goes through its arc of motion. You definitely do no want a large slot head (or any other style head) machine screw as the actuator could wear and jam as it slides across the slots.
Your experience is a little bit different than mine. Mine just appeared to drop out (this spring) and didn't appear to be broken (although I am not sure how it drops out if it doesn't break). The other notable is that my button was white. Honda changed the production at some point from blue to white (and maybe changed the material?). My car is a 2000 so perhaps it came with the later button or a previous owner had it replaced (and they didn't do a very good job). I used one of those flexible tools with 4 retractable clasps ( the sort of thing you use to retrieve something that dropped down into a spot you can't reach) to hold and place the button back in the hole in the pedal arm. I applied a little slow setting polyurethane sealant on the shaft of the button to help keep it in place.
The brake button is actually fairly easy to get back in. The clutch is a whole other story. There are actually two switches / buttons on the clutch pedal arm. The lower one is for the cruise control cut-out and should be moderately easy to do (easy being relative). The upper one, which is the important one because it can leave you dead in the water does not fall into the category of moderately easy. Its hard to even see this thing so replacement is a challenge. I haven't had to do either of the clutch switch buttons.
The quicker fix for the upper clutch switch is to pull the plug out of the switch and jumper the plug with a paper clip or something like that. The switch and its plug are 'moderately easy' to get to compared to the little actuator button. The paper clip works in a pinch; but, can drop out. My plan is to try and find the correct mating plug to the body harness plug and then fabricate a permanent jumper which I can plug in to by-pass the switch if and when the my clutch button drops out. Once you get eye balls on the upper clutch switch you can be the judge of whether you want to try some pre-emptive maintenance or plan for the by-pass.
Last edited:
Well the photo of the actuator button in the first post in that thread is interesting. My button looked like it had been ground / cut down a bit on the pointy part, probably to facilitate easy installation back in the mounting tab. Perhaps explains why it dropped out. Matters not - its gooed back in place now.
Similar threads
