Brake insanity

This is a damn nightmare and it's only getting worse.

I called a garage and told them that A. I needed them to bleed my brakes, and B. My brake lights weren't turning off. They bled my brakes and UNHOOKED my brake light switch.

I discovered myself, after examining the situation, that the push-rod which extends out from the brake booster and pinbolts into the pedal, is too short. Only god knows why, but it's too friggen short.

So then, the reason my brake lights were staying on was because the brake pedal was actually pushed down to a point where the bracket would match the hole in the pedal and was then pinbolted in.

Actually, it was me who did this because I didn't know about the brake pedal switch and just ass-umed that there was only one way to match up the holes.

This, as I've discovered, causes the brake pedal switch to not be pressed in and the brake lights to be on.

I don't know what to do next. The brake booster isn't hooked up and I don't even know if it's possible, let alone how, to "extend" the booster pushrod.

I can't unscrew the bracket from the pushrod without taking out the entire brake booster, because the pedal is in the way.

If I take out the brake booster, then the $84 I spent to bleed the brakes will be thrown down the toilet.

Can someone PLEASE help me out and tell me how I would set the brake pedal in the right position to both make appropriate contact with the switch, AND match up to the booster bracket?

How easy was that. 10 at night and I get the job done in the dark, with a flashlight.

I used a pair of pliers to lengthen the pushrod as much as it would go, which wasn't that far. From that point it looked as if I only had about 1/4" to go until I had a line-up, so I just unhooked and removed the pedal switch, took off the 1/4" thick bolt, and replaced the switch. It matched up perfectly! Problem solved.

I think this will be my 10th post, and I just want to say a big thank you to everyone here.

I love this site, and because of it, I discovered a love for fixing cars. You know, vehicles have always been a big pain in the rear for me. Mainly because I've owned mostly fixer-uppers, and also because mechanics are always trying and often succeeding to get the better end of my paycheck.

So now, inspired by automotiveforums.com, I've decided I'm going to attend automotive school and get certified. When I fix a car, I swear I get a sense of accomplishment like no other. I've CONQUERED it!

Thanks again!

well im happy for you and your new found calling in life. as for me, its just one other car or person i helped, which i didnt in this case but in other cases. i guess i just dont get that sense of accomplisment like other do.

*pats self on back*

I had the feeling bleeding wasn't completely the fix, but I'm glad you figured it out.

It feels good when you do something yourself, doesn't it?

Thats kinda how it started out for me and my love of cars, and now I'm almost master ASE certified and almost have my degree in automotive service.