Brake Light Kill Switch

[kc5deb]

I am a deputy for a sheriff's department, and my current patrol vehicle is a 2005 GMC 1500. On my previous patrol vehicle, someone had installed a kill switch underneath the dash for the brake lights, where you could apply the brake and the brake lights would not illuminate.

 

This would be extremely useful to have on the 2005 pickup for blacking out at night and approaching situations where I don't need to be seen.

 

Do any of you have an easy way of installing a kill switch for the brakes? I would think that there is a switch underneath the brake pedal that I could just install a switch in series, that when activated, would just keep the connection from being made, therefor doing what I would like.

 

Possible?

[Silverado4x4]

Sure its possible but 9 out of 10 times you will be going slow on approaching situations you could always use your e-brake but keep the lever pulled up with you left hand so the brake doesnt lock down that way your tail lights wont come on. Only thing bad I see with installing a switch is forgetting to turn it back on and have no tail lights under normal driving conditions.

[Zembonez]

Sure its possible but 9 out of 10 times you will be going slow on approaching situations you could always use your e-brake but keep the lever pulled up with you left hand so the brake doesnt lock down that way your tail lights wont come on. Only thing bad I see with installing a switch is forgetting to turn it back on and have no tail lights under normal driving conditions.

I don't see why this can't be done - safely. The best switch for this situation would be one that is a momentary contact switch. You hold it down for the stop when you don't want to be seen and when you release it, the brake lights automatically operate as intended.

 

I'd think you could install a switch in line with the brake light switch.

[Wingnut]

I'd think you could install a switch in line with the brake light switch.

 

Yeah, but with the way these trucks are wired these days...If you disable it there, your passenger window will not work, the airbag will deploy, and the radio will switch to the "All Kenny G, All the Time" channel.

 

It may need to be wired to the lights themselves....Which would suck.

[asilverblazer]

Buy a new truck the brake lights on them only work part of the time anyways.

 

I like using the "Parking Brake" idea.

[fbachman]

Many years ago, Galls (www.galls.com) carried a relatively straight foward switch kit that allowed one to kill the brake lights as you describe.

 

Galls doesn't appear they carry it anymore. I believe I may have one laying around the basement somewhere (still in the original packaging).

 

Only thing I am uncertain about is this. I remember the kit was designed for the last 2 gen Crown Vics (for obvious reasons), the old square body style, and the subsequent one with the long ovalized tail lights. Now-a-days, the electronic systems in the vehicles may be such that such a simple thing may cause unintended electronic consequences in the vehicle. Not sure on that one, but I can't imagine how this would cause a lot of electron havoc.

 

If memory serves me correctly, you found the appropriate wire from the brake pedal switch sending unit that activated the break lights, and cut the wire. The kit is simply a toggle switch that gets spliced "in line" with that wire. It has a little switch panel with an indicator light that illuminated when the switch is in "kill" mode, so that you can see that you have your brake lights disabled. The panel could easily be mounted in a convenient spot on the dash of your choosing.

 

I will look when I get home. I think I have one of those old kits with instructions, still in the original packaging (really quite simple if I remember).

 

If I still have it, AND, you would like it, I'd be happy to mail it to you. Let me take a look when I get home. IF I find it, I'll ask ya to PM me your address, and I'll send it on its way.

 

Hope this helps.