It's Nice to Have Brake Lights!

 I'm a bit disappointed in local traffic enforcement.

I mean, I have driven BB around 3,000 miles a year for 5 years, and have no tickets.  And, all this time, I can not have had brake lights!  I only recently discovered this while re-assembling the brake lines and wiring after swapping in the Renesis RX-8 engine.  I had always known there was a switch with broken contacts protruding from the brake line fitting union, but I assumed it was an emergency low pressure kind of thing.  Of course, I would never have that happen so why worry?  But, after staring for a minute, I thought I ought to check this out.  The Moss Motors catalog lists this device as "stop lamp switch".  Well, since that has never been connected since I bought the car, I thought it worth reconnecting!

Now, I understand why I don't have back-up lights.  Those were not included on an MG until 1969.  Anyway, what's behind me is not important!  

But brake lights?  They were invented in 1905!  In those days, there was a similar conundrum to today: my horse has always brought me home.  In a "horseless carriage" what tech do I need to install to insure a similar result?  One thing soon added was oil lamp brake lights.

In today's landscape: "What tech does my autonomous car need to get me home safely?"

Here, I digress.  There is a momentous debate in the automotive industry: Can an autonomous vehicle survive without LIDAR?  At any conference, you will see the autonomous directive: sense-plan-act.  But I am not sure that this is how humans work.  I think we plan-sense-act.  Basically, plan our route (in former times with maps, presently with apps!) and then stop or speed up when something (or someone!) gets in our way.  That seems a much simpler method.  Maybe Elon is right!

In any case, brake lights are no longer oil fueled and are clearly important.  And, I am amazed to find I haven't had them!  The job of switching the switch (as it were!) was simple.  I removed the old one and almost no brake fluid ran out!  I screwed the new on in and plugged in the wires.

I had actually forgotten that I did that until I finally got her started and my neighbor said "And, the brake lights work!".  I was very pleased!  

So, now you can follow me without being surprised and we can all have #funwithcars !