Intermittent Brake Light Switch Flashing Glow Plug

TDI John

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2002
Location
Ontario, Canada
I have had an intermittent brake light switch now for two years 2001 Jetta TDI. Two different dealers have replaced the switch 4 times now. The last visit to the dealer, they replaced the switch and the brake lights stuck “on” less than 2 blocks down the road. I took it back and they replaced the switch again along with the bulbs. This lasted for 2 weeks. I also experience grabby brakes when this happens. The forums indicate that this is because the master cylinder bleed hole is not allowed to drain because the bake pedal is not retuning to the stop position. When this happens I lift up on the pedal with my toe and the brakes return to normal. Also during the brake lights sticking on I get the Glow Plug Light flashing alarm on the dash. I have scanned the codes and get 16955 Brake switch implausible signal, P0571-35-10---Intermittent.

Can someone advise if the brake light switch could continue to cause this problem or should we be looking at some other cause?
 

ZX1100F1

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Daluth, MN
TDI
none
They keep installing the brake light switch improperly with the plunger all the way out.
It causes pressure on the pedal and also the flimsy plastic plunger to cock to the side and not travel (in and out) properly, this eventually leads to the switch failing all together either from the plunger breaking or bending or from the internals being damaged by the plunger being cocked.
They need to push the plunger all the way in and then install the switch and adjust it out (if needed) from there one click at a time until the brake lights come on with the pedal being pushed about 1/2" in at the base (usually just 0-3 clicks out on the plunger, there are a total of 15 clicks that the plunger can be pulled out FYI).

Dave
 
Top