How to fix a faulty parking brake light on a Ford F150 

I followed your vid right up to accessing that 7mm switch screw. Trying to remove that switch on my 2000 Expedition with 4x4 was a nightmare. Under the dash is a 4x4 module directly in the way of that 7mm switch screw. I used a very tiny snap on 1/4” drive ratchet with socket and no extension. Access was very tough. After sanding the contact points the switch worked fine. Thanks for posting this vid.

There is an easier way - remove the four bolts holding the fuse box so you can push it back. Then you can get a socket on the bolt for the switch. I made a short video showing how.

This is also the procedure for a Ford Expedition. Except for two things that appear to make it potentially easier for Expedition owners, if they have the proper tools (which most people do not, but it is not real expensive.) Without removing the switch and without removing the parking brake assembly, one can tighten the ground (and mount) screw. There is a very narrow sight line from under the dash through one of the small cutaway holes in the parking brake assembly metal cover plate. You can thread a 1/4 inch drive socket through the hole, and tighten the 7mm screw. To succeed, you need a 7mm combined socket/universal joint tool. Using a 7mm + a separate universal will not fit into the available depth. (Craftsman tools at Sears is the easiest to get the combined 7mm socket/universal fast.) Tightening that screw a bit (takes a few attempts through the very small "hole" cutaway, but you can do it. The other thing to do is to spray into the top of the switch rod area a 1/2 can of WD40 with the small red straw. This cleans out the switch shaft which sometimes gets dirty. Then hit the top of the switch shaft with quick dry electric contact cleaner (auto parts have it.) Spray and clean the rod top (looks like the top of a nail, or looks like a washer) and the metal contacts at the top of the switch. If you have dry lube around spray the shaft top and bottom with it before using the contact cleaner to lube the shaft. Then use the contact clean the top of the contacts. The switches rarely strictly fail - they are dirt simple. The only way it fails is if it breaks (and then it never works, instead of intermidently failing.) But they do get dirty, or sometimes gunked up on the top (where the contacts are. But usually it is that the screw (ground) needs tightening. You can also hit the mount screw with contact cleaner, as it is also essentially part of the contact chain. Great video though. Sometimes you do actually have to take it out. If you do not have the 7mm socket/universal, then the only way to tighten the ground screw is to partially remove the parking brake assembly just as you showed. But it can be tightened in the car with the correct tool, and that is much easier than fighting the three brake assembly mount bolts. The front face one requires a lot of turns with a 10mm open end wrench. The top one is hard to get at. The bottom one is fine, but getting it back in is usually a chore, as the alignment on the bolt hole in the brake assembly, and the mount hole in the body is terrible on 1/2 the vehicles, and it can really fight you sometimes. I have done 5 of these on my own and friends vehicles. The last three, I just tightened the screw, and sprayed in the chemicals.

Best video I've seen on accessing and removing the parking brake pedal from that age Ford trucks. My problem was with the brake pedal not locking rather than the light but it's nice to see what is and is not necessary to get to the mechanics of it. At 4:55 you could have slipped a small 1/4" drive socket over the wire retainer to remove it from the bracket.

Great tutorial. The issue I had with my 2001 F150 was I wasn't getting any power to the wire that goes to the switch. Turns out there was a relay issue that caused it. Cheers brother! Great video!

This worked for me though I moved the fuse box instead to pull the switch. ( thanks Corbin)..sprayed the switch and ran a file along the edges where the plunger sits..definitely wasn't grounding..all good now

Thank you from Brazil. I've been around with the same problem in this light switch on my 96 Ford ranger. Your video actually helped me a lot. Thanks for the clear spoken English too.

Thanks for your post! Parking brake info (about the switch especially) has been difficult for me to find. Huge help!

Did this on my 2001 F250 Powerstroke. As Andrew mentions, for the F250 you don't have to remove the trim, nor do you have to remove the parking brake assembly, simply use a 7mm socket on an extension and you can get to the screw.

I have the brake warning light 'on' in my 2005 F150. I have looked at the various 'repairs ' shown on utube or others . Every one has a totally different 'fix' in different areas.

Great tutorial! As to testing prior to remounting (given the short wire lead) one could fashion a temporary extension with a male connector on one end & a female on the other.

Thanks, just saved me a trip to the dealer and some $$$.

Maybe there's one thing you can give a shot first. On my 04' FX4 I tried to play around with the wire just where it connects to the release lever and the damn light went off. Looks like the wire kinda stretched itself over time so it comes back every time I engage the brake. All pretty flat where I live so it's no big deal..

Thanks my ‘99 E350 Ford chasis motorhome is doing same thing Glad you made this!

Nice job. Thanks for the vid. It takes a lot of the guess work out of the job. Too bad they designed it to give you a headache for such a simple function. Subscribed

Thanks so much. My problem is/was the foot paddle doesn't move back it's exact location just by relating the parking brake. But after seeing the location of the switch I confirmed pressing the switch turned the light off. For now all if I use the parking brake I can pull the release the pull the peddle up about half an inch, it shuts the light off and stays in place. I think if I adjust the parking brake it'll spring back into place better.

I had the same issue on my 2000 Explorer. My switch also checked good with the multimeter. In the end, I replaced the switch anyway, which fixed the electrical problem. Unfortunately, I lost the screw for mounting the switch. I need to figure out what size screw I need to mount it again.

Hello, thanks was a really good video. It helped a lot

about how long did it take you to do this?

F.y.i. This is the same unit in the Ford ranger... My power plug was corroded had to. Cut and splice in a new female plug . Use dielectric grease when we assembling. Also .m thank you .. this video showed me the way ..same layout lol

About to try this on my 02 F150. I know the indicator light is ok because it turns on (with all the other warning lights) when starting the vehicle. Wish me luck!

Hey so I have a 00 mazda b3000 I replaced the switch on the pedal bit no light still I noticed it comes on when the engine is started any ideas what could be the problem idk if it's a fuse I did check em all

MAN! YOU ARE AWESOME!!! THANK YOU!!! FOR REAL, THANKS FOR SHARING! - YES, I'M SCREAMING! LOL.

For now I will just use a post it note to remind me until I try this ...

Thanks, I will try it on my truck. My light doesn't turn on, when engaged

Thanks bro

I just completed this with my 2001 F150 4.6L supercrew. First, thank you for the video it certainly helped . Some tips: 1) To remove that 7mm screw that holds the switch in place and supplies ground to the chassis, I had to remove the plastic molding in front of it and loosen the four bolts/nuts that hold the GEM in place. This allowed easier access. I could not lower the brake assembly to access the screw no matter what I tried. 2) The top bolt on the brake assembly just needs loosened. It is slotted and the assembly will slide right down once the other two bolts are removed. 3) the switch contacts were the problem. The washer on the topside of the switch is what makes contact between ground and the connector. I took some emery cloth and sanded the contacts clean. Problem solved. 4) If I had to do it again, I would get a flat jewelers file and attempt to file the contact surfaces clean before removing anything except the parking brake release lever.

Why would the lights cause the rear brakes to overheat ? Only time I have seen this is when the brakes WERE engaged and would not release.

I have da same problem but my lite don't cum on even wen I do da lites test or wen I first turn da key to da ON position, no lite but I check & it activates da switch wen press down on e-brakes pedal, u think can it be bulb blown, but how can I replace it on 05 f150

It looks like the same is on Ford Econoline E150 1999. The same switch. Green with orange (or red) wire. I don't know where other side of wire should be connected? Any idea?

would that cause the brake lights not to work?

same thing happened to me, but a 98 explorer, i drove 15 mils with ebrake on cuz stupid light is faulty, important function so ford should be more diligent on proper engineering, fordquality fails until about 2005 then they finally get their act together

I just replaced mine today. What a BEAR!!!!!!

Tnx bud you help me a lot