Repairing Third Brake Light Wiring

[bernado]

My third brake light has stopped working and after peeling back the gator covering the wiring from body to hatch I can see a broken cable, can someone advise on the best way of repairing? I was thinking about grafting in a new length of wire via spade crimp connectors but would be interested if there's a better/easier way. Thanks

[Stoney871]

A very common fault on the mk1/fl.

Crimp connectors is the easiest way to do it, cut back any corroded ends to clean copper.

I'd also seal the joins with shrink tubing.

Check all the wires just in case.

I had it on my old mk1 and it was on brake, bootlock, wiper and demister feeds.

The problem is usually caused by the insulation getting brittle, snapping and in time bending the wire cores until they shear off.

[bernado]

Thanks for that, sounds like I'm on the right track. Any idea what kind of current passes through the wiring? I'm thinking of chopping some cable from a figure of 8 AC cable, which is presumably 5 amp.

Thanks

[Stoney871]

I'd go by the fuse rating to the light.

E.g. if the fuse is 10a I'd go higher for the wire or else that would burn before the fuse does.

[bernado]

I'd go by the fuse rating to the light.

E.g. if the fuse is 10a I'd go higher for the wire or else that would burn before the fuse does.

Thanks for that and yes you're right, from a quick Google it does look like it's a 10 amp fuse on that circuit. I'll chop up an old 13 amp extension cable in that case.

They say things come in threes and I'm hoping that is the case, I also had to have a nail pulled from a relatively new tyre this morning, just before noticing the blower fan now only works on 4 - fingers crossed the thermal fuse I've just ordered fixes that!

Thanks for your help