2001 Century brake e-brake light staying on!

[davebell81]

Hi all,
I have a 2001 Buick Century, and recently the emergency brake light has come on and stayed on and I can't figure out why. Other lights also come on here and there...ie. low coolant...any help figuring out how to diagnose and/or fix these problems would be of great help...
Thanks so much,
Dave

[musclecarfan6]

Sounds like the cluster console is going bad.

[davebell81]

Could you be more specific? How could I tell if it was the cluster coil or how can I check to see if it's going bad? Any other ideas if that's not it?

[BNaylor]

What other indicator lights are coming on other than the e-brake and coolant level?

The emergency brake light may illuminate if the brake master cylinder level is low. So check that first. The coolant light can be low coolant so check that.

A common problem on the Century is getting weird indications on the IP due to internal problems with the decoder module which controls and routes signals to the respective lamp. So if it is not an actual fault due to a sensor then the problem is most likely the IP Cluster.

[djirene4206]

Check by your parking brake pedal.. there should be a single brown wire back on the metal bracket leading to a tiny switch - check and make sure this isn't corroded - it switches on and off the light for the hand brake. Also check the ECM harness ground and relay grounds. If they are loose or corroded they can also cause a problem typical of what you are having.

[davebell81]

Excellent suggestions bjirene...I will check those things after work if it's not raining too hard and get back to you if that works. And bnaylor, those are the only lights that I have noticed coming on...I'll keep an eye out for others though.

Thanks all,
Dave