Help! brake lights on

[onetrueshyguy]

hi i have a problem..on the dashboard my ebrake lights are always on even though i realeased my ebrakes
does anyone know what the problem could b? thanks

[b16a3sol]

its probably just the switch at the handle getting stuck. take off the center console that holds the e-brake handle and look for the switch that tells the car the brake is on. play with it for a little while and see if its broken or not. if it is, then replace it and all should be well. if its not, then you have a connection occuring somewhere else. just track it down and you are done.

[onetrueshyguy]

thx
but i heard it also be b a problem with the brake system

"Question

What do the brake warning lights mean in my car?

Answer



Most cars have one or two brake warning lights on the dashboard. When you first start your car, all of the lights on the dashboard should light up. This is the bulb check; they should go out in a few seconds. If a light doesn't go out, then your car is alerting you of a problem. If a light does not light during the bulb check, it tells you that you need to replace the bulb.
Your car illuminates the BRAKE light (see below) to indicate one of two things:

that your emergency brake is on. Release it to solve the problem.
that you have lost brake pressure in half of the brake system (see How a Combination Valve Works for details).

Brake warning light



In the second case, you should slowly and calmly pull over and stop. If the brake system has completely failed, you will have to use the emergency brake for braking. If the light stays on, it means that the pressure on one side of the brake system is lower than on the other.

There are a couple reasons this could happen:

There could be a leak in one part of the system, making it impossible to hold pressure
The hydraulic fluid could be low
In either case, your braking performance will be impaired and you should have the car repaired before driving it again. "

[b16a3sol]

as far as i know, braking systems work by having 2 tires at oppositte corners of the car share the same pressure. this means that the car wont pull too hard if you do lose pressure in half of it. you could jack up each tire, spin it, then have someone press the brake. if it stops all of the tires, then you know its not that. the other thing to try is jacking up the back end and check to see if the e-brake works by doing the same thing. if your brakes still work, then it could be the switch. if you have to push the pedal really hard to get them to work, then i would think there is a problem that needs to be addressed. check to see if you have fluid in there also. if all else fails, take it in, seeing as how brakes are kind of important when you are driving.

[crxlvr]

the ebrake light on our cars is a warning light telling you its time to replace the pads, they have worn down to where the sensor gets tripped.

[civickiller]

what, the light comes on when the brake pads are low. i never heard of that before. ive worked on brakes from 5th gens and 6th gens, and there arent any sensors on the caliper or the drums.

i think the light would only stay on if:
1. the switch is broken or something to that effect
2. pressure lost in the system. if you think its leaking, go under the car and look for leaks. idk how old your car is but check the rear drum wheel cylinders and all the brake hoses
3. maybe your brake fluid resevoir in low in brake fluid.

[onetrueshyguy]

thanks
but in the worst case scenario how much would i b spending to get it fixed

[b16a3sol]

depends on the problem that needs to be fixed. you could just need to buy some brake fluid. you could also need to have new brake lines run, in which case i would suggest upgrading to steel braded. you could need a gasket replaced on your master cylinder, or need the whole thing replaced. call the place you would have the work done at and get some prices. or take it in and have them tell you whats wrong and how much it will cost.

[crxlvr]

i know for a fact that when the pads are low on my crx the ebrake light will stay on.

so i think you just need new pads.

[onetrueshyguy]

but is 50% brake pads remaining okay or do i need replacement?
is it hard to fix the master cyclinder yourself?

[Freeman]

Originally posted by onetrueshyguy
thanks
but in the worst case scenario how much would i b spending to get it fixed

This happened to my mother's Toyota Celica. The brake light stayed
on for like a year+ before the car became a "suicide machine". But
when I first noticed it, and informed her, she was unconcerned about
it. Well, long story short, it cost her roughly $650.00 to fix it. But
she took it to Goodyear, so....
PS That brake pad sensor crap is CRAP! Even with ABS, I've
never heard of that shit.

[crxlvr]

before you go claiming its crap, learn from someone who has experience, im a certified mechanic and the sensors on the pads will trip that light to stay on when it gets too low. manufacturers set the lights to come on earlier than deadly levels so you have a chance to fix it.

[AnGeLoBBoy]

This has happened to me in my 90 Accord ... i checked everything and tore up the e-brake controls and the light was still on. I did the most common sense thing to do ... REFILL THE BRAKE FLUID. It might be the problem, it might not. But it's a suggestion

[RoBoDEATH]

could you just put some damn fluid in your brake resivour please? if it doesn't fix the problem it will get rid of the 99.99999999% chance that you are just low on fluid

[onetrueshyguy]

thank you guys for support okay i checked the fluids and it seems to be okay..and yeah i think the brake pads needs replacement..thanks