Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing

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Thu 7 Sep 2006 17:19
Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing - Lounge Lizard
First of all thank you to Cliff Pope for his advice on removing roof-lining on a previous thread. It was a lot easier than I had thought.

My problem is that the 8 amp fuse on my 1992 Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing.

This happens even when the car is switched off and the keys are not in the ignition: I put a new 8 amp fuse in, press the brake pedal, and watch the fuse glowing away for a second or two then it blows out!

I think I have now eliminated the severed hinge cable as the problem; this is because I have now capped those wires off with a connection block; they are definitely not earthing now!

Any suggestions for things to try? I've had a poke round and can't see anything obviously wrong.
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Thu 7 Sep 2006 22:19
Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing - Steptoe
This won't help to trace the fault but it is normal ( on my 740 ) for brakelights to work without ignition on.

Therefore a short in the cable between fuse and brake bulbholders will blow fuse; OTOH as it doesn't happen till you press brake pedal, short must be between pedal switch and bulbholder.

If this has just happened I would revisit the hinge cable area, otherwise it is a bit of a coincidence!
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One mans junk is another mans treasure
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Thu 7 Sep 2006 22:24
Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing - elekie&a/c doctor
Do you have a tow bar fitted? If so, check the wiring to the 7-pin socket.
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Fri 8 Sep 2006 08:12
Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing - Collos25
Firstly check with a meter if the cable is down to earth if so find which section and replace also check the actual switch on the pedal.
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Fri 8 Sep 2006 09:50
Volvo 240 Brakelight keeps fusing - Cliff Pope
Glad you found my advice useful L-L.
The wiring should be pretty easy to trace. The suspect area is around the floor at the tailgate slam panel, especially if there is or has been a tow connector bodge up. I think, from memory, the wire comes along one side of the car, to one or other of the light clusters, and then continues along the back to the other cluster. The area is a fertile position for collecting muck and for rusting badly, or for the wires getting tangled up with tools etc in the floor recess.
There will also be another branch to the bulb-failure sensor, I'm not sure where.

Also worth cheching the condition of the fuse holder. They are notorious for corrosion, because of positioning directly under a weak point for water drips. Once a fuse has got hot, it weakens the plastic so it grips less well, so it tends to start a cycle of corrosion and increased resistance. It won't be the cause of the problem, but a hot fuse will tend to start other problems.
(BTW, worth checking and cleaning all the fuses periodically, especially those for the fuel pumps)

Yes, the brake lights do work all the time, even with the ignition off.
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