Handbrake light?

[voodoopenguin]

Picked up a new (to me) van today, a 1984 Devon Moonraker 1.9 with Gasure conversion. https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=128389" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On the 70 mile way home I noticed the ignition light was on, I'm sure it had gone off when I first started it. I was wary for a while and wondering if the alternator had packed up already so I was running the ignition from the battery but there was an added dial which seemed to show charge to battery and it was well over into the green so carried on. Home without incident but then saw that the dial was for Battery Condition and even with the ignition off was showing in the good green section. What I then noticed was that the red ignition light very slightly faded when I took off the handbrake and then shone slightly brighter when applied. My Honda and many other cars have the red light staying on if the handbrake is engaged so would my new van have this and could it be a fault with that switch?

Paul

[kevtherev]

Personally I would be testing the alternator for output.
Then investigate the hand brake lamp

[ghost123uk]

And bad earths can cause interaction between to objects that shouldn't be linked. Possibly the multipin connector under the r/h side of the dash pod has a poor connection (pretty common).

Just to clarify, the handbrake warning light (which is also the low hydraulic fluid light) is totally separate from the charge light.

[voodoopenguin]

Personally I would be testing the alternator for output.
Then investigate the hand brake lamp

Yep, first find multimeter, I know I have at least two. Then find out where the battery is on this model, I think I can do that. It's too big to hide from me for too long, no leisure battery so nothing much to confuse me.

And bad earths can cause interaction between to objects that shouldn't be linked. Possibly the multipin connector under the r/h side of the dash pod has a poor connection (pretty common). Just to clarify, the handbrake warning light (which is also the low hydraulic fluid light) is totally separate from the charge light.

Thanks for the info, my previous vans didn't have handbrake warning lights so wasn't expecting one on this.

Can you stop the rain for a moment please?

Paul

[voodoopenguin]

OK, the rain stopped (thank you whoever did that) and I went out to check things over. Learning all the time, the red light is the handbrake warning light and this morning it is going off properly when the handbrake is off. I was confused yesterday as my previous campers didn't have one of them. If the fault happens again then I will know to look for the handbrake switch and nothing more major.

Thanks for all information.

Paul

[MidLifeCrisis]

the handbrake warning light (which is also the low hydraulic fluid light) is totally separate from the charge light.

Just to be clear (as stated by ghost123uk) - the 'handbrake' warning light is also the warning light for the 'normal' brakes (i.e. foot brake)!! So probably something to get investigated with some urgency!!

[voodoopenguin]

the handbrake warning light (which is also the low hydraulic fluid light) is totally separate from the charge light.

Just to be clear (as stated by ghost123uk) - the 'handbrake' warning light is also the warning light for the 'normal' brakes (i.e. foot brake)!! So probably something to get investigated with some urgency!!

Eeeeek, thanks for that and apologies to John for not reading his response properly. Now to find where the brake fluid filler is.

Paul

[MidLifeCrisis]

Yank the top off the dashboard gauges display thingy - its under there.

[Steve T]

Check this link out.....in the Wiki
https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/VW ... ning_light" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

worth checking

[jrt]

I did this today on mine, the connectors looked fine to me so i wasn't sure this was the problem, but a quick scrape and hey presto everything was working as it should-2 min job.
David