BMW E36 328 325 318 M3 brake light switch replacement diy guide
Parts needed for the following e36 brake light switch diy.
BMW Part 61 31 8 360 417 Brake Light Switch
This switch is regarded as being quite hard to get to, especially if your a bigger fellow. Some people who perform this task like to remove the drivers seat to gain better access to the area. For some one light me who is pretty small and skinny, I didn’t find this necessary
The first step is to remove the under panel from beneath the steering column. It only takes a couple screws, and comes off in a few minutes.
Now position yourself in a way to gain acces to the switch. I found it easiest to tilt the seat all the way back, and lay on my back, with head down in the footwell area. you’re looking for this switch.
This is a picture of the bracket well need to get to in order to remove the switch. Many people find it easiest to just break the old switch out of the bracket instead of wrestling around with it.
One more picture of the switch located in the bracket.
This is an easy task in your OBC is showing the brake circuit failure message. The job isn’t worth paying a mechanic for and can easily be done in under an hour. Thirty minutes even if you’ve done it before or are an accomplished gear head. This e36 brake light failure fix is one of many great guides on the site. Feel free to explore other great maintenance guides, as well as performance related articles.
A helpful video for sure. 3 hints. Break the tabs that hold the switch in place. No sense in doing the “right” way….it’ll take forever and you’ll think ” next time I’m breaking the SOB.”
I also found that with a lot of lighting and the use of a small mirror you can do the whole process without requiring a follow-up visit to the chiropractor.
You will need to depress the brake peddle. I used a broom handle jammed between the peddle and the driver’s side backrest using a board with a hole drilled in it to accept the end of the broom handle. Using the seat positioning switches move the seat forward until the brake peddle is fully depressed. It’ll give the needed space between the peddle arm and the switch to make the replacement.