Hand brake light stays on when car is OFF

[Stainless]

When I turn the car off, the brake light in the dash stays very dimly lit if the hand brake is not engaged, but will go off if I pull on the hand brake. If I turn the key to the ON position, the light also goes off. The light also never comes on when the engine is running, but only when the key is in the off position and the hand brake is not engaged.

I just switched the lights in the binnacle to LEDs while I was in there to replace a burned out battery light, and this started happening after I put it all back together. Either this didn't happen with the incandescent bulb, or it didn't light up enough before for me to be able to see it. Any ideas?

[Ron]

When I turn the car off, the brake light in the dash stays very dimly lit if the hand brake is not engaged, but will go off if I pull on the hand brake. If I turn the key to the ON position, the light also goes off. The light also never comes on when the engine is running, but only when the key is in the off position and the hand brake is not engaged.

I just switched the lights in the binnacle to LEDs while I was in there to replace a burned out battery light, and this started happening after I put it all back together. Either this didn't happen with the incandescent bulb, or it didn't light up enough before for me to be able to see it. Any ideas?

If you changed all of the bulbs out with LEDs, you need to put the incandescent bulb back in the BATT socket, in any case, so the alternator will work properly.

Did you really mean "never" - even when you pull the handle?
Did you do anything else to it?
Does the light go out if you pull fuse #5, #6 (Or other)?

[lazabby]

My brake light in the dash has started to faintly glow. Bad connection somewhere? Fluid levels are fine.

[Stainless]

If you changed all of the bulbs out with LEDs, you need to put the incandescent bulb back in the BATT socket, in any case, so the alternator will work properly.

Did you really mean "never" - even when you pull the handle?
Did you do anything else to it?
Does the light go out if you pull fuse #5, #6 (Or other)?

I'll to to be more clear.

Brake light comes on full and bright when the car is either running or the key is to the ON position and the hand brake is engaged. This is what it's supposed to do.
The light goes completely off if the key is to the OFF position and the handbrake IS engaged.
The light is very dimply lit if the key is to the OFF position and the handbrake is NOT engaged. If I pull up slightly on the handbrake, the light immediately goes off.

All dashboard lights were replaced with LEDs except the battery light, but nothing else changed. I also replaced the broken trip reset shaft.

I have not done any troubleshooting beyond this.

[jawn101]

I'll to to be more clear.

Brake light comes on full and bright when the car is either running or the key is to the ON position and the hand brake is engaged. This is what it's supposed to do.
The light goes completely off if the key is to the OFF position and the handbrake IS engaged.
The light is very dimply lit if the key is to the OFF position and the handbrake is NOT engaged. If I pull up slightly on the handbrake, the light immediately goes off.

All dashboard lights were replaced with LEDs except the battery light, but nothing else changed. I also replaced the broken trip reset shaft.

I have not done any troubleshooting beyond this.

I have the same problem, after converting to LED in the binnacle as well. It's just that there is a tiny bit of connection being made at your handbrake switch that's allowing a minute amount of current to the LED, which is far more sensitive than the incandescent bulb. You might try taking the cover off your handbrake and cleaning the switch, and possibly adjusting it so it lies a little further away from the bracket/engages after more handle travel. I am usually able to correct mine by slightly sliding the handbrake cover forward a bit, but it tends to slide back.

[Stainless]

I have the same problem, after converting to LED in the binnacle as well. It's just that there is a tiny bit of connection being made at your handbrake switch that's allowing a minute amount of current to the LED, which is far more sensitive than the incandescent bulb. You might try taking the cover off your handbrake and cleaning the switch, and possibly adjusting it so it lies a little further away from the bracket/engages after more handle travel. I am usually able to correct mine by slightly sliding the handbrake cover forward a bit, but it tends to slide back.

That sounds about right. I could have also bumped the cover out of position while I was removing/installing the driver's seat to remove the binnacle. I don't think I could have done this job for the first time with the seat still being in there since I'm 6 1/2 feet tall. I'll see if I can get it to go off after work tonight by playing with the switch/cover.

[Ron]

There shouldn't be any power going to that bulb to be 'sensed more', with the key off.

I'd guess that where/however the power is getting to the bulb, it is weak and that pulling the handle grounds the circuit (as it is supposed to do), so the light goes out.

There are several diodes involved in the line that feeds that mess...one of them that is hot at all times could be leaking.
The fuses and most anything with a bulb in it turned on, or open (eg door, hood, etc.) holds a clue here...so I'd turn off and close everything, try #5 and #6 at least, then operate or open the others one at a time to see if one changes things, before pulling it back out or dragging out the meter....

[jawn101]

There shouldn't be any power going to that bulb to be 'sensed more', with the key off.

I'd guess that where/however the power is getting to the bulb, it is weak and that pulling the handle grounds the circuit (as it is supposed to do), so the light goes out.

There are several diodes involved in the line that feeds that mess...one of them that is hot at all times could be leaking.
The fuses and most anything with a bulb in it turned on, or open (eg door, hood, etc.) holds a clue here...so I'd turn off and close everything, try #5 and #6 at least, then operate or open the others one at a time to see if one changes things, before pulling it back out or dragging out the meter....

Ron - you're absolutely correct! I missed his bullet point of "The light is very dimply lit if the key is to the OFF position and the handbrake is NOT engaged. If I pull up slightly on the handbrake, the light immediately goes off."

I do NOT have that problem. If the key is off, there should be no power to that circuit. My occasional dim light is only when the car is on.

[Ron]

If the key is off, there should be no power to that circuit. My occasional dim light is only when the car is on. Yeah dirty switch...maybe the one in the fluid resivoir....

[jawn101]

Yeah dirty switch...maybe the one in the fluid resivoir....

Nah I know mine's the handbrake, I can turn it off by fiddling with the handle. I need to get in there again and glue the rubber cover back down (it slides around) and properly position the carpet cover (it's not screwed in place for some reason) and adjust the switch. OP's issue is definitely more sinister. :)

[Stainless]

Well call me crazy, but I decided to put the incandescent bulb back in the brake instrument cluster light to see if the problem disappeared, and it did. When the car is off and the hand brake is not engaged, the incandescent bulb stays completely off. There must be just a tiny bit of draw going to the bulb, but not enough to light up the incandescent bulb, but just enough to make the LED have a dim glow.

Since my DeLorean remains parked Mon thru Friday of every week and I use the battery cutoff switch on days that I'm not driving it, I am not going to worry about it. This may be enough draw to drain the battery after enough time, but since I never give it the chance to do it, I'm letting the car win this one. Unless there is an obvious and easy solution to this, I'll leave the incandescent bulb in there. It looks no different from the LED anyway.

From what I could tell, the previous owner has a wire for the alarm system coming from the handbrake somehow, and this likely has something to do with it. Oh well.

[David T]

If you have an alarm the first thing to do is to properly and carefully dissect it out of the car. Unless you have all of the documentation on it, it is working as it should, it is nicely installed, and can still be supported it is garbage and will mess up whatever it is connected to. On some cars it becomes a VERY involved process to remove, lots of wire, zip ties, tape, connectors, etc. You can wind up with a BIG pile of trash. When they don't work they can cause all kinds of weird problems. Depending on how they are installed they can cause you to be stranded with engine kill or start inhibit. If you MUST have an alarm get a new one and install it properly, Even real fancy ones with a lot of features are not expensive, it is the installation that makes them expensive. The most effective anti-theft device is a battery master switch with a removable key. Unless they know Deloreans they will never find it. Or, if you want to spend the bucks, Lo-Jack.
David Teitelbaum

[jawn101]

Well call me crazy, but I decided to put the incandescent bulb back in the brake instrument cluster light to see if the problem disappeared, and it did. When the car is off and the hand brake is not engaged, the incandescent bulb stays completely off. There must be just a tiny bit of draw going to the bulb, but not enough to light up the incandescent bulb, but just enough to make the LED have a dim glow.

Since my DeLorean remains parked Mon thru Friday of every week and I use the battery cutoff switch on days that I'm not driving it, I am not going to worry about it. This may be enough draw to drain the battery after enough time, but since I never give it the chance to do it, I'm letting the car win this one. Unless there is an obvious and easy solution to this, I'll leave the incandescent bulb in there. It looks no different from the LED anyway.

From what I could tell, the previous owner has a wire for the alarm system coming from the handbrake somehow, and this likely has something to do with it. Oh well.

Definitely still worth tracking down why it does that in my book. That's a miswired circuit or a short somewhere that could prove problematic if not dangerous somewhere down the line.