Hand brake switch

Does anybody know if the 1975 Mavericks were made with the hand emergency brake, and whether this e brake had NO switch to turn on the brake warning light when the e brake was engaged?

My car has this, and I can't get it past inspection because of it. The inspector says that the warning light switch must be bad (on the hand brake) and I have to find another switch from another car to make it work. But if this car was never made with a switch, then I can't get it, and I would be in a real catch-22.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Sergio

 

i dont know about the 75s but i have experience on 73 72 71 and 70 and i dont remember any of them turning on the brake light when the handle is pulled.

the inspector should know enough to look at the handle to see if their is a switch or location for a switch to be. ive removed several of the handles and their is no provision for the switch.

good luck.

 

Thanks, Bryant, that does help a lot!

 

I answered your other post.

 

The brakes light on the dash is just for the actual brakes themselves, not the parking brake. There is a switch on the distribution block under the hood that will activate that light in case there is an issue with the front or rear hydraulic circuit. The parking brake has no light.

 

Jamie Miles, thank you so much! I think now I have sufficient knowledge to proceed.

Sergio

 

A car this old should only be required to have what was original equipment operate correctly during an inspection - what state are you in?

 

I have a 74 Maverick and there is no brake light switch for the hand brake. I don't believe in 75 there was one either.

 

I have a 75 and the brake light switch is only for the brakes and not the parking brake.

 

with the hand brake its pretty obvious that its on. the handle is sticking out into the passenger compartment space.
when they went to foot parking brake pedals, its not as obvious so the light got tied into that system.
i bet the inspector is younger than the car. this demonstrates one of the problem with state inspection programs on older cars. to not pass a safety inspection for not e-brake light and for them to not have a listing of what has them and doesnt is ridiculous.

here in the fine state California (said in an ironic way). the only car inspections we have is smog checks and those only apply to 76 and newer cars.

i do think that a safety inspection for tires and brakes would be a good idea also, but things like the parking brake light seems like a waste of time and money.

 

mav1970, simple man, jasonwthompson, Bryant again, Acornridgeman:
You guys are awesome! You have provided more than enough for me now (btw I'm in Maryland).

Things have accelerated tremendously and I have to tell you that I am back from reinspection and the guy has passed my car. I let him know that the 75 Mav DID NOT have a built-in mechanism for the brake light to come on when the parking brake is engaged. He double-checked and voila! I got my inspection certificate.

And the guy is older, strangely, and seems to know his stuff mechanically if you don't count this faux pas about the parking brake. Anyway, I'm off to the races.

Thanks again. I will start posting again when I get to the goodies like converting the drum brakes to disc, and taking off the trim for painting and what not.

Bye for now.

Sergio