Thank you so much, Bob!!! I literally just finished installing a new brake switch and car is back to normal. Your video saved me so much money and has given me a lot of confidence. I'm a 51 year old woman with zero car knowledge and you made it easy to understand and execute.
Let me preface by saying, I AM NOT A CAR PERSON AT ALL. 2018 Mazda 3 touring My car had the traction control, tpms, and just before I decided to finally do something about this, the check engine light came on for only a few hours though. The same issue with needing to depress the brakes 3-4 times for the car to detect the key and turn on. The hard part with me being 230 muscle was getting a comfortable position and trying to get 2 arms to fit while upside down with that small space to workin but somehow made it work. The switch comes off super easy, just rotate it clockwise. The white part or chip adapter is much harder, took me 20 minutes all together because I was scared to break something but now I could probably do everything in 5 minutes next time. The one hand pull or hands or whatever method did not work but the flathead how Bob does it worked perfectly. I put my flat head in and with pressure pushed it in while moving it out towards the white part while my other hand pulled the switch away and it came out. I then put the new switch in that I ordered from Amazon and put it back in the bracket and rotated counter clockwise to secure. Thanks for the video! The mechanic wanted to charge 150 just to diagnose this, and I decided on a whim if autozone could, and they diagnosed it with their obd tool in just 5 minutes, once I knew what it was, a quick google search led me to this video . Saved me probably 250$ thanks
Hi! Just wanted to say thank you for this video! My Mazda was displaying the check engine, tire pressure monitoring system, and traction control system lights and at one point was showing the master warning light. I ran the engine code, and from that, stumbled on articles and then your video which walked me very helpfully through the fix. Ordered the part online and everything is working! Thank you again! What could've been a $80+ fix with a garage was made cheaper by the part and some free research.
Your comment is exactly what happened to my car and the same code issue, so i am going to be fixing that tomorrow. Thanks for your comment it just confirmed that this will hopefully solve same issues.
My Mazda3 was hard to start and I did not know why until I noticed all 3 of my brake lights were completely out. That means I was driving around with absolutely no brake lights and the car could not start on the first attempt. Instead of taking it to a shop, I found this video after I had messed with the fuse box and battery and found no issues there. Didn't even know brake switches existed. Fortunately though, the brake light switch WAS the problem! I replaced it and all 3 brake lights have been working and the car starts 100% of the time. Thanks for you video!
Video is very straight forward, My break lights aren't staying on when I press them all the time have already checked the fuse so this is the next step... fingers crossed Took a lil more than twenty mins but seems to have worked !! Thank you
I can't thank you enough for this! Thankfully I'm small so getting to the brake light switch is easy for me. I noticed mine was slightly misaligned and all it took for me was clicking it securely back into the mount! I ordered one from Amazon anyhow for possible future use as my car is a 2014 and I'll have it in hand when/if it eventually goes. Thank you for saving me a potentially costly trip to the garage.
Thanks for the great explanation. I just did this replacement on my Mazda 2 DE to enable cruise control (changed 2 pin to 4 pin brake switch). It took me about 10 minutes to lay down to have a good view of the switch. I initially thought I had to remove the plastic shield/plate underneath the steering wheel but decided to try without removing it and eventually got it done with no issues. Now I have cruise control :).
A couple of weeks ago, my brake assist light, check engine light and tire pressure light came on at once. I was freaking out because it looked like a major system failure. Before calling my mechanic, I did a Google search. Someone on Reddit made a reference to this video. Looked to be a common defect with Mazda. So, I ordered the part. Took 5 minutes to change out and all is well with my 2015 Mazda 3 hatchback once again. Thanks Bob!
Great story... thanks for dropping by to let us know. I'm also finding out that the tire pressure sensors tend to fail after 6-8 years, so you might want to put new tire pressure sensors on your list next time you replace the tires. The only way to access them is to take the tire off the rim, so the ideal time is when you get new tires.
Thank you! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! I just bought a 2014 Mazda CX-5, and it didn't want to start, shifter got stuck in park.. Didn't even own it for 1 week, and having these problems! I took back to dealership and they gave me a loaner for a week, they finally said they fixed something, but I think they just lied, because after having it back, same problem ..I was so upset and worried.. Being my first purchase ever and paying $14,000.. For a car that didn't even work! ☹️😠...I tried your video....IT WORKS GREAT NOW... FIXED THE PROBLEM! I can't thank you enough for posting this!! God Bless! And Thank you again!!! 👍🙂❤️👍🙂❤️
You just saved me so much time and money. I just took out the switch, actuated it a bit and it seems to be back to working like normal. Wouldn't have had any confidence to play with things without your video. Thank you.
Thank you! Super easy to fix when you know what to look for. his is the second time this switch went out on my Mazda. The first time the dealership charged me $240 to diagnose and replace. Today I went to Auto Zone, diagnosed for free and the part was $31 with tax.
Yes, this is a 5-minute job if you know where the part is. I'm surprised to hear that the switch failed again, however. My replacement has been perfect so far, and it's been 4 years.
WOW! Thank you! You saved me $110, at least. Mazda dealership near me wanted to charge me a lot more for the part. The way you removed the adapter was probably the most helpful part. Thank you
Thank you Bob! My brake lights were stuck on and draining my battery. I located it after watching your video and put it back into place! Very minor but I had no clue n couldn’t get anyone out here fast enough to look at it! 🙏 Thanks again!
To anyone that is having trouble with this, a non-OEM version of this part will not be set to the correct depth because these parts cover a variety of models. There's a black plastic portion that almost looks like a bow tie at the top of the device that is used to set the travel distance before installation. Remove the old one from your car and take a look at the travel distance. Depress the plunger on your new part to the correct distance and travel, then turn the plastic part so that it aligns with the tabs that retain the device. This will set the depth and travel on the new device to the same as the old one. If you don't do this, there's a chance that the new part will not make proper contact based on the travel distance of your brakes.
Thanks for making this. My 17 Mazda 3 has recently started throwing the ABS, Forward Collision Monitor, and Tire Pressure light all at once. So far, turning off/on the car then pumping the brakes clears the lights.. to me, that means this switch might be going out or intermittently not getting pressed correctly. I'll try this if it gets worse, happens pretty rarely now. edit: yup, the new switch fixed it completely.
NICE short simple and to the point on how it gets removed and reinstalled. Missing on the other 5 vids that didn't actually show it. I found it rather easy to look in the hole under the steering column and use a 16" flat screwdriver in one hand then reach in with the left hand to grab the switch. Much easier that trying to get 2 hands up under there.
A big thank you for this information. The only thing was that I'm just an average guy and it took me half a day to put it in because I couldn't see everything that your camera saw! Even though we have the same car, your video seem to suggest a lot more room to do this compared to mine. That said, it's in and working great!
Thanks for stopping by and telling your experience. Yes, it is a cramped location, which is why the camera is shaky at times -- it was very hard for me to hold the camera in one hand and do what I needed to do with the other hand. And I had 4 lights under the dashboard to throw enough light for the camera to see! However, it is gratifying to hear that it helps people, so I appreciate your comment.
Thank you so much for your help Bob!! This was such an easy and inexpensive fix 👍 It also felt really good fixing the car ourselves just by doing a little bit of research! I am however still experiencing the “depress break pedal to start engine”warning on the dashboard and the engine will not start until I press the break. The iStop seems to come on first after I press the button to switch the engine on, but without the engine actually switching on. And after that, the depress break pedal warning pops up. So all in all, I have to press the switch button on three times before the engine actually does power on. First time, just the infotainment comes on and no lights whatsoever on the dashboard (as it used to before the break light switch issue). Then after a second press of the switch button, the iStop comes on followed by the depress break pedal warning. It is only after I press the break pedal and a third press of the switch button, that the engine does eventually power on. Do you happen to have any idea why this may be happening at all? Thank you so much for your selfless help and support on this matter! That is indeed very kind of you! 🙏
Thank you for the kind words. I have the 2014 Mazda3 that I show in this video, and it does not have anything called "iStop." The proper starting procedure is: 1) Step on the brake pedal; 2) Press the "Start" button. This always works perfectly for me, once I changed my brake light switch. If your car starts like mine, you should press on the brake pedal first, then push the button. If you have a different car with a different procedure, you should follow the procedure in your manual. And yes... it is a good feeling to fix your own car!
Yes, it does. You can't shift out of park unless your foot is pressing the brake. And this switch provides the signal that you are pressing the brake. If the switch is bad, you can't shift out of park.
I totally appreciate your video. After a a/c blower motor swap I guess I bent a pin on that switch and was not understanding why people were riding my ass. I did have a indication light but couldn’t locate the issue. The bent pin also caused a shifter lock. Thanks again 🤘🏻😎
@@Sara-gb3qw Hi Sara, I eventually had to take a break and then come back to it, get a good look at whats going on then just keep trying. Unfortunately there is no trick to this one.
Thanks Bob this fixed my issue with my Mazda not starting!!! I just had to twist like a pretzel so you might want to add a link to how to take the lower dash off lol. Thanks for the video!! 🤗😁😁😁😁😁😁
Hi. I have a 2017 Maxda 3. I'm 55 female with no mechanic experience. After watching your video, I was eager to fix my car myself (brake light switch and replace low beam bulbs). However, it hasn't been easy for me. It is a really tight space under the dash. I haven't been able to remove the old switch. Looking at ypur video it appears that the lower panel is removed when you replaced your switch. How do I remove the panel without messing up the car? Also, I can't find low beam bulbs to replace them. I might have to pay $150 for the mechanic to do it for me. 🙁 edit: Ok. After giving up, reading through more comments, and rewatching the video I gave it another couple trys. Hooray!! I finally got the brake light switch changed. 😁 Now to see if I can get the headlights changed. Thank you very much, Bob!
The low-beam headlights are a real bitch on my 2014. I had to loosen the inner fender liner on each side, move it a little out of the way, then get a hand in where the light is. It is a very tight space, and almost impossible to see. I mostly did it by touch. Good luck.
@@BobKovacs Thank you Bob. I did manage to finally change the passenger side low beam through the engine bay without having to go through the wheel well. It took a long time to find the right light because you can't see it. Once I was sure I had the right light I changed it by feel. All is well right now.
I replaced then switch, however, then the check engine light went on as did the master warning signal. I cleared the codes with two different scanners then they came back. Autozone diagnosed it as the brake light switch. 🤦♂️ Wondering if the switch I purchased was OEM or not. New Mazda owner headache!!!! Great video BTW!
That's really a bummer... sounds like the replacement was a bad switch. I recommend trying another switch, but I can see where you might not trust that. I still have my 2014 Mazda3 and this switch has literally been the only maintenance problem with this car. It failed once, and I replaced it as I show in the video. That's it... other than regular maintenance (tires, oil changes, filters, wipers, etc.) the car has had no other problems and runs perfectly.
These aren't bad switches necessarily, they just are not Mazda specific and need to be set to the proper travel distance. The black tabs down by the plunger are used to set the travel distance of the switch for both directions of travel. If you compare your new one to your old one and depress the plunger to the same depth as the old one, then turn those tabs so they align with the mounting tabs. The depth will be set properly and you will avoid these warning lights. I learned this the hard way after an OEM one worked and an auto parts one did not.
Hello. Thank you for this video. My local Mazda dealership quoted me 415 dollars to replace this switch. They emailed and texted me the estimate. I'm considering reporting them to the Better Business Bureau and to Mazda USA. Would you happen to have a link to the switch you purchased on Amazon?
Sure, this could still be the problem. My brake light switch was intermittent, and the brake lights came on every time I looked. But replacing the brake light switch cured the intermittent starting problem. I don't know what symptoms your car has, so I can't say more than that.
heeey my fav bob i dont have many any really but ur my favorite soooo yeeees i found the issue well kwik karr did it was a few blown fuses and he didnt wanna take not one cent not one i was speechless really speechless so thnk u soooo very much for helpn me out and makn me feel better ur trully amazing thnx luuuuuv u stay safe dee dee
I have not seen a BN7N-66-490A, but I'd gamble that it is an exact replacement. Giving it the letter "A" makes it sound like it is an updated part. If you get a BN7N-66-490A, let me know here if it looks/works the same way. Thanks!
Installed new rear brake pads on my neighbors CX-5 then boom experienced the same issues of the hand brake not working after trying twice to disable the maintenance mode for rear brake work. Next morning, pumped up brake paddle a couple of times till paddel was hard, unplugged the brake light switch, then plug it back in then followed the procedure to disable maintenance mode for the rear brakes twice and error lights on dash switched off and Hand brake works as per normal. Btw I replaced brake light switch few months ago on the same car as it faulty with brake lights bulbs when illuminating when you press the brake pedal and the hand broke could not work.
Hey I was wondering if you could help me. I’m having some similar issues as some others here where I recently had the brake light switch changed after going to the dealer to get my booster changed. Every since then I’ve had to push my pedal a bit farther to activate brake light, ignition. And yesterday the traction control, SCBS, and one other light came on that I can’t remember. The lights went away after a little while. But today while in a drive thru, the start stop button started flashing amber. Only for a brief moment of time before stopping. Could this all be the brake light switch
Yes, it sounds like the brake light switch to me. I can't guarantee it, but a replacement switch costs around $20 on Amazon and it takes only 5-10 minutes to swap it out. It is most likely the cause of the symptoms you're getting.
You don't have to disassemble any part of the dashboard -- the brake light switch is reachable underneath the dashboard. Just put your head where the driver's feet go, and the switch will be right above your face.
Hi bob, initially I was having the same issue as you were with the push to start not turning green after many tries. Now I’m addition to that, the lever won’t always budge from park, is this related? I’m getting p0504 and c0040 codes for these issues. Was wondering if you knew for certain that replacing the brake pedal switch would mitigate both issues. Thank you
Yes, the shift lever not coming out of park is related to the brake light switch. When the switch is bad, the start button won't turn green and the shift lever does not get the signal that you're stepping on the brake. There's a 99.99 percent likelihood that that your problems are all caused by the brake light switch.
have mazda 6 Skyactiv 2014 diesel automatic 2.2 engine. Last two days when I am travelling, the light of SCBS inspection required comes on the dashboard so I stopped and I turned the engine off then turned it on and the light went off but the same day it happened again. Specially, SCBS inspection required comes on when I am driving down the hill but my speed is not too fast. I am so worried about this, even the windshield is clean and clear. Could you give me some advice on what I should do please?
Sorry, I have no experience with Mazda diesels and don't know what an SCBS is. I'm in the US, and I don't think Mazda sells diesels in the US. I hope you get an answer, but I can't help you with this one.
My Mazda cx5 the lights are blinking in the back and my shifter makes a noise when I am in park. My husband changed the brake pedal switch twice. I took it to the dealership the tech said my husband installed it wrong and he install it correctly and that my lights are no longer blinking. While my lights are blinking again. I really don’t wanna deal with them again because I had a bad experience with them. I hope you can help me?
All I can suggest is that you watch this video, and look at how the tech at the dealership installed the switch. Replace the switch one more time, exactly as the dealer has it installed. If that does not fix the problem, then your problem is not the brake light switch. If that is the case, I don't know what the problem might be -- all I know is that it is not the brake light switch. FWIW, I replaced the brake light switch just once, which I show in this video. The car has been perfect with starting since then -- it's a super reliable car.
Are you talking about lights on the dashboard? I do not think they have anything to do with the brake light circuit. Do you have any trouble starting the car? Any trouble getting it into gear?
Yeah the yellow parking brake light and scbs lights come on when I start driving. The car starts and drives just fine to my knowledge with no accidents or damage
@@PJrock1 I do not think that the problem you have is with the brake light switch. You should get a diagnostic tool plugged in and see what it says. I can't help you with that.
Would a faulty brake light switch cause my whole car to have no power at all? I replaced mine a year ago, got it from Amazon, but I remember when it was going out I still had power and lights coming on, but today I woke up and my entire mazda had absolutely no power, as if the battery died, but I just wanted to know if by chance a bad brake light switch could also cause this zero power by chance if it wasn't the battery?
The only way for a brake light switch to fail and cause the car to have no power is if the switch is on all the time and caused the battery to drain completely. If the brake lights were on when the car was turned off, then the brake light switch is probably bad. Otherwise, I don't think that a bad brake light switch could cause the car to have no power. For example, the brake light switch has nothing to do with the dome light that comes on when you open the car's door -- that is two very separate circuits. So if you check the battery and it has a charge, then your problem is not the brake light switch. If your battery has no charge, then you either have a bad battery, or something in the car is draining it. If that something is the brake light switch, you would see your brake lights on all the time. Hope that helps!
@@BobKovacs thank you so very much for your reply! I really appreciate it! Yes, that absolutely makes alot of sense! I'm going to get my battery checked, thanks again for your help! 😀🤗👍
@@BobKovacs thanks mate..listed as Currently unavailable looks like can't buy genuine anywhere others than ebay and for about $100aud so got a $22 non genuine and will give your guidance a go Thank you
is it suppose to work with manual mazda? because this problem happened to me and changes my brake light switch but it didnt changed anything:/ i need your help please
Hi. After replacing the switch the pedal is dragging. After braking I have to pull up my brake pedal with my left foot. I can feel the brakes fully release when I do this. This wasn’t my original problem. Any suggestions??
Take a look under the dash at the pivot point for the brake pedal. It sounds like something got stuck in there, perhaps a wire (or a bundle of wires). That should not happen from replacing the brake light switch. Good luck!
If you didn't set the travel distance of the plunger on your new switch, it can protrude too far and make the brake pedal stick a bit. Compare the old part to the new part and set the travel distance of the plunger using the black tabs near the locking mechanism to mount the device.
Double check your installation. This switch should have nothing to do with your brakes being applied... it's only about giving your car an indication that the pedal is pressed.
You have to set the new switch to the proper travel distance or else it presses on the brake constantly. The black tabs near the mounting portion set the travel distance of the plunger. Depress the plunger to the distance that the old one is and then turn those tabs about a quarter turn to align them and it will be locked into place.
Good to know for the future repair in case of red light... Usually its a low battery in key fob remote which I change almost twice a year and always have spare battery inside the car. thanks
I think the remote calls for a 2025 battery. I use a 2032 battery, which is slightly thicker and holds a charge longer. I probably change the battery once every 3 years. I get a 10-pack of 2032 batteries at Ikea for $3... they also go in a variety of other remotes, such as garage door openers.
I can Confirm that changing the switch fixed my Traction light on as well as the Istop flashing. Don’t bother paying someone to check it on the OBD2 reader because this would definitely be faulty.
I’m not able to turn the new switch into place even after aligning the pins, can anybody please help? Really feeling defeated after struggling with it for hours
It's a tight fit under the dashboard. Just shove the switch all the way into the bracket, then rotate it. It doesn't turn far... not as far as I thought it would, but it should turn and you'll feel it notch into place. Are you sure you have the right switch? Does the new switch look exactly like the old switch? You can practice inserting the old switch until you get the right feel. You can do it -- thousands of people have watched this video and successfully replaced the switch.
The brake light switch has nothing to do with the car recognizing the key fob. The only thing the brake light switch does is recognize when you are stepping on the brake pedal. If your car does not recognize the key fob, the first thing I would do is replace the battery in the key fob. My recollection is the key fob in the 2014 Mazda3 is a CR2025, although I was able to fit a slightly thicker CR2032 in the battery compartment. A CR2032 should last somewhat longer than a CR2025. So if you haven't changed the key fob's battery in a couple of years, that should be your next step. Good luck!
I did not have the Check Engine light lit when I had my defective brake light switch. If your light is on, it's possible that it will reset after a few days of use. If it does not reset, you will have to find someone with a reader device that can reset the light. Such devices are pretty common -- I have 2 of 'em.
You certainly don't want to force it and run the risk of breaking it. When I shot this video, I had my new switch in and out several times, and it always turned smoothly and made a little click at the end of the twist. I know it is hard to get under the dashboard, but try to get your eyes underneath and install the switch as you watch it. If it doesn't go in smoothly, something is wrong -- either the new switch has some extra plastic on it, or the bracket on the car has changed in some way. Compare the new switch to the old switch. Is the new part the same shape, size and configuration?
@@BobKovacs it was the same but when i got mine the black tabs weren’t lined up so it had a lot of resistance i lined it up and it went in just fine after that
That didn't happen to me. The only thing that I noticed is what I mention in the video -- my car randomly wouldn't start. It's possible that if you have a different model year & vehicle, that the start programming is different than mine.
im hoping and praaaaying its something as simple as this u see my battery was on its last leg so i jumped it off parked it to the spot i wanted but didnt have enough gas to drive it long enough to let it recharge so i let it stay parked had to get something from the car and saw i left my dome lights on yet again i know im workn on it about the dome lights so i couldnt get in with the key fob i knew thats a hint its the battery so i tried to jump it to try to let it run for a few min to try to recharge i wasnt gonna have cash for gas for another week and i didnt go drive it for a while like i was suppose to so i just parked it until then i went to the car again saturday and couldnt get in with the key fob i used the key the last time i jumped it was thursday morning so it didnt jump start that time i called state farm a guy came out nothing he put $5 of gas in still nothing today i had it towed to walmart thinkn its the battery all signs pointed to that and no go they called me to my car thinkn there was maybe some trick to it to get it started cuz its a push button start i tried nothing i couldnt even put it in drive they tried everything for me he put in the new battery nothing they said it wasnt the alternator and i noticed the light wasnt coming on on the push start/stop button no light at all and the radio wont come either all the lights come on the dome lights power locks windows wipers all that work as well the ac comes on but no radio and no starting i did see the brake indicator light on but didnt put that much thought into it so maybe just maybe this is my issues as well any help or ideas is greatly appreciated i really need my car so anyone if u have ne ideas pls pls leave a reply thnx dee dee
Bob Kovacs oh woooow thnx for replyn ur amazing i just went down to ny car and tried to see if itll start thinkn id get a miracle u know how u show someone the issue and all of a sudden it works yeah that didnt happen the one time i wanted something to make me look stupid and it didnt its makn me look like i maybe on to something thnx to you and your video so any who i tried again still the start/stop button wont light up green or amber when i press the brake the brake lights come on the key icon thingy flashes red when i press the break and hit the start button the key in the dash is red and the abs flashes and all the interior lights work the dash lights up the power locks/windows work and the wipers headlights work but no radio and it wont start and i cant take it out of park the tow guy had to go through the side of the shift thingy under that little square thingy and take it off and use something to push i guess a little button to make it go into neutral etc so the start/stop button dont light up no radio and no start so im really praying it is the break thingy ill keep u posted and thnx soooo much for replyn im actually a tech head i can diagnose and help u figure out anything tech related like iphones pc laptops etc im your girl this car stuff im still learning and im kind of a tomboy lol haha so go figure i learn something new about my car as i go or when ever i have an issue i think i can handle its good to have folks like u to come on with advice vidoes and try to help us out so thnx sooo much if u have any techy issues im here for u happy thanksgiving
Check the part that you bought and compare the travel of the plunger to the travel of the plunger on the one you're removing. There is a set of black tabs at the base of the plunger that set the travel distance.
