'96 740i - No friggin' brake lights...

[frankiej]

-Fuses are good

-No power to brake lights

I haven't had time to drop the panel under the dash but my question is: Does the 740i have a standard normally open SPST switch above the break pedal setup like most cars?

Thanks for reading,
Aaron

[Yaninnya]

Yes it does. Did you checked all three fuse boxes?
Jan

[frankiej]

Yes it does. Did you checked all three fuse boxes?
Jan

No I didn't. I couldn't find the other ones. Just the one under the hood. I just got it last week and I'm not familiar with newer/bigger BMWs.

[Yaninnya]

Second is behind glovebox and another one on right side of boot.
Jan

[frankiej]

Jan, thanks for the info! I can't read Italian, much less Italian abbreviations, so I tested every fuse in the car. Come to find out, it's the switch on the brake pedal for sure. Now that I've removed the switch, the car won't start. Is that supposed to happen? The switch is filled with clutch fluid from the clutch pedal. The circuit board didn't have anything obviously wrong with it that I could see. But reconecting it still won't make the car start...

[Yaninnya]

There are two switches: the clutch pedal switch and brake light switch. With disconected brake light switch the car shoud start without any problems. But when the clutch pedal swich is not conected you can't start the car. Connect the clutch pedal switch (with the plug on the back) - IIRC it is the one which is fitted higher to pedals bracket and disconect the brake light switch (the plug is on top I think).
If you don't have any access to GT1 or any other code reader, just disconect the battery, conect the terminal leeds together (not the battery terminals!) and connect the battery again. This shoud solve the problem.
Jan

[frankiej]

I'll have to make sure that I didn't screw up the clutch switch then...

My buddy in the U.S. was telling me that the key has a transponder in it and that the antenna is a thin wire under the dash. If that wire gets messed up, the car won't recognise the key and it won't start. Do the European E38s have that as well? Or is that just an American thing?

Thanks for all of your help Jan,
Aaron

[Yaninnya]

All E38 have the EWS (the arial is that black ring around ignition key barrel). but the wire is in the loom, it is not the separate.
Jan

[frankiej]

So I shouldn't worry that I messed up the arial. Correct?

[Yaninnya]

You can streap the bottom of the dashboard without any worries. It is quite easy.
Jan