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Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???

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Offline MuttKick

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Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« on: August 30, 2011, 07:45:31 AM »
SO I don't have ABS anymore.

Fluid checks E brake switch checks.

Is there a way to full the ECU to ignore the lack of ABS?
I would really apreciate having an actual warning light again.
Evil Never Dies

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Online fordem

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2011, 08:35:57 AM »
What vehicle and what year are we discussing?

Which brake light on the dash?  If I'm not mistaken an ABS equipped vehicle should have two.

Which axle did you replace - I'm guessing rear - and why didn't you use the correct axle?

Does the vehicle have an LSPV fitted (assuming a first gen GV it'll be at the back on the right) - early ABS vehicles did, later ones didn't, because they used the ABS to do the proportioning - if you don't have the LSPV, you should either fit one or re-enable the ABS.
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Offline MuttKick

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2011, 07:41:56 AM »
What vehicle and what year are we discussing?


This one:



The engine is 1999 . Hence posting in this forum.



Which brake light on the dash?  If I'm not mistaken an ABS equipped vehicle should have two.


This one:




Which axle did you replace - I'm guessing rear - and why didn't you use the correct axle?



Both. Correct ones are in Gillette packages by now - I assume.




Does the vehicle have an LSPV fitted (assuming a first gen GV it'll be at the back on the right) - early ABS vehicles did, later ones didn't, because they used the ABS to do the proportioning - if you don't have the LSPV, you should either fit one or re-enable the ABS.


I'm assuming LSPV is some form of a proportioning valve. So no. No stock valve. I have a manual in cab one. And re-enabling of an ABS isn't an option as you probably figured by now.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2011, 07:43:38 AM by MuttKick »
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Offline BRD HNTR

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2011, 09:17:29 AM »
What year is the package out of?
I would like to see more of the dash, if possible.  Nice looking work.
(Saw you at Anacortes, Wa. when you were refueling on way to KOH).
93 Tracker,XL7 springs & 1" raised spring pads in front with YJ springs in back, home built bumpers rear & front (w/winch), 2" x 4" rock tubes,  ARB front & rear, converted Sami rear to IFS, 33x12.5x15  aluminum rims, roll cage, 2.7L w/5 speed auto.

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Online fordem

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2011, 06:12:12 PM »
I can't quite make out which light that is, but it doesn't look like the ABS light and I'm a few thousand miles from my GV so I can't just go look to confirm that.

If I were to assume it's the "other" brake light, then that comes on for two reasons, both of which you have already checked - low fluid level and hand brake - when I purchased my GV the light came on with ignition, and both the hand brake & fluid levels checked out, and I tracked the cause down to a shorted wire - the wire to the hand brake switch had been pinched under the transmission shifter boot mount, shorting to the frame and turning the light on.

If you still have the hand brake in there, disconnect the switch and put a test meter between the wire & the chassis - see if you have a short.

Curiosity question - is that an EU logo on the strut brace and if so, would you mind sharing the reason?

Edit #1

I've just been through the wiring schematics for the 99 GV - there is one light for the ABS system, and a separate light for the low fluid/hand brake - so what you need to do is determine which light you're looking at - I think that one is the low fluid/hand brake, but I'm not certain.  If you have a second light that goes on & off with the hand brake (assuming you have a hand brake), then I'm wrong.

If it is the ABS light - just remove the bulb - it's driven by the ABS controller only, and with no ABS it has no purpose.  It will come on if the ABS controller is disconnected, and it will come on if the ABS controller is connected and it doesn't see the required inputs from the various sensors.

If it is the low fluid/hand brake light then you need to check for short circuits as mentioned above or defective switches on the hand brake and master cylinder reservoir.

Edit #2

Still browsing the FSM - but the ABS section - and that shows the ABS light as being near the top of the cluster to the right, so the one in your picture is the low fluid/hand brake light - check your wiring for shorts and recheck the switches.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2011, 06:59:36 PM by fordem »
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Offline MuttKick

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2011, 06:53:27 AM »
What year is the package out of?
I would like to see more of the dash, if possible.  Nice looking work.
(Saw you at Anacortes, Wa. when you were refueling on way to KOH).

yes. Hi I remember you, then.

It's a 1999 Engine/harness. Complete. I am now actually working on converting my doors to power...  ;D
As much as in the past I was against power options for weight reliability reasons I am think having control of both windows with the tip of your fingers is an advantage when you run ATV trails in a rain forest.

The instrument cluster shroud on the dash is a very simple aluminum design I whipped out one evening along with the custom shifter console. (the truck used to be manual). I just got tired of the upside down head's up display on the windshield. >:(






i was gonna upholster it like I did the console below, but never got to it. Just have a black rubber sheet double sided taped to the top so the sun does not reflect off the top of it.





« Last Edit: September 01, 2011, 07:15:29 AM by MuttKick »
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Offline MuttKick

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2011, 07:06:13 AM »
Thanx fordem.

It is the "E-brake" light I'm concerned about. The ABS light has it's bulb pulled since the install of the cluster.

If in fact the ECU does not bunch an ABS "problem" into one "brake warning" than its certainly good news.
I do have an E brake but it's the fluid level I'm mostly after as far as a warning light is concerned.

I'll double check for shorts in the e-brake in the mean time.


The EU logo as you noticed has it's story.

Basically I'm the only European born dude in the whole bunch of North American "roughnecks" bunch of buddies. They always razz me about my hair, cloths, music, cars, eating, drinking and other habits.
Every time we end up in a far away area they stress to others: "Don't mind him. He's Euro"

So when I built this brace and was looking for ideas to finish the look my buddies suggested...

Well. You can figure it out.
Evil Never Dies

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Online fordem

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2011, 09:23:01 AM »
The light you're looking at is not ECU controlled - it gets it's power from the ignition circuits and the other end is grounded to turn it on - the only ground sources are the ebrake and the low fluid - so it's one or the other or a short in the wiring - in my case someone had removed the transmissio shifter boot (mine is a 5 speed) and pinched the ebrake wire when replacing it.  The same wire also goes past the t/case shifter so check there also.
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Offline MuttKick

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2011, 03:42:11 PM »
I think I'm gonna just give up on this.


I dove into my FSM as well.

According to it like you mentioned the light is supplied directly without the ECU's involvement.


It's supplied 12V - of course and then it has a ground switches:
According to FSM here are the wire colors

1. Brake fluid switch - R/B
2. Parking Brake switch - V
3. Ignition switch - V/R

All three seem to simply complete the ground.

Cool -  I think. I already verified the brake fluid and parking brake so I'll check the ignition for a problem.

Well... the problem is that the Brake fluid is R/B. Cool.

But my Park brake is V/W. Not V. I go: WTF???? I figured that's the problem I connected a wrong wire somewhere. Well. No. I have no Violet wire anywhere on top of the trans tunnel harness.

Also. I have no V/R coming out of the ignition switch. Nothing even close. I got really confused. It almost seems to me the FSM is wrong but I've  never seen this before.  ??? ??? ???


I'll just learn to live with the light. Maybe just loose the bulb so it's gone and keep checking my fluid or reg basis...


IDUNNA.
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Offline IanL

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Re: Axle swap - How to disable brake light on the dash???
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2011, 12:53:59 AM »
The line from the ignition switch is to enable test of the lamp when the ignition is switched on, but before the engine starts.  If you have somehow got that wire to the lamp permanently grounded, the lamp will always be on.
'98 GV V6, '96 X-90 with RRO 2.5" lift and 195/80 R15, '93 Cappuccino.