Parking brake switch

[electhrolite]

does anyone know where is the parking brake pedal switch??

I have a 98 malibu 3.1 v6 , the parking brake light is always on, apparently is the switch that is always closed. I want to open it in order to make beleive tha car computer that the brake pedal is not pressed. that way the car's light swill activate once I start driving. also my abs light is on, It lighted some time after the brake light turned on. I already checked the brakes they are ok. first was the brake pedal problem and then with time the abs turned on and now if a brake hard the wheels lock up causing the car to slide, I already crash the car in wet conditions because of that lock up / sliding problem.

[klinn]

The switch for the park brake is on top of the parking brake foot pedal. There should be one wire clipped on a tab. The abs light on the dash means a problem. When the abs light is on, you will have normal brakes, but not abs brakes. This explains why the car went out of control. It needs to be diagnosed and fixed for the abs to work as is should. Hope this helps.

[johnschmitt]

Hello.

The parking brake idiot light switch is one of the most annoying things I've ever changed... twice.

Here it is, step- by- step.

Disconnect the negative battery terminal. Usual disclaimers if your radio's theftlock is turned on.

Remove the plastic piece from under the driver's side of the dashboard, the one with the diagnostic plug poking through it. There's a push- pin on the left and a lip that goes under the neighboring panel to the right.

Disconnect the two gigantic connectors going to the computer. The retaining screws are 7mm or 8mm. Carefully pull them to the right away from the computer. They're keyed and color coded for easy, trouble- free reinstallation.

Move the white plastic lever one way or another to release the computer.

Put the computer somewhere very safe. In one of those plastic static bags if you have one hanging around as it is no longer grounded on anything.

Here's the fun part: remove the computer housing. There are three studs under the dash that go through three holes in the housing. You need to remove the three nuts that hang on to the thing. This will require a deep 9mm socket and a long extension if I'm not mistaken. I can't remember exactly how to get it out, but it involves a lot of wiggling and such. I'd recommend reclining the driver's seat and lay on it upside- down with your head under the dash.

Now you have enough room to see and deal with the little tiny switch. It's held on and grounded by a screw and has a wire coming off of it. You may have to move the parking brake pedal to see in there, but it is on that side wall.

Installation is reverse of removal, just be careful not to overtighten the retaining screws on the computer connectors. They don't need much.

It took me about an hour and the part is $3- $5. It's labor- intensive, not difficult.


The ABS light...

Klinn's right that the abs system is completely disabled when the light is on. This does take a particular kind of code reader that mechanics seem to have and auto parts stores seem to not have unfortunately. If a diagnostic shows a wheel speed sensor, be sure to find out if it's the hub assembly or the wiring between the sensors and the abs control module. I can say from experience that It gets expensive and frustrating to change hubs unnecessarily.

[electhrolite]

It's finally over my brake light odyssey. I finally get rid of annoying sound ,and the dash light of the parking brake. I disconnect the light blue wire connected to the parking brake pedal base and the lights turned off. That way the circuit is always open preventing the brake light to come on. But now I have a problem thanks to the stupidity of GM of the day light saving system. The car's PCM now think that the parking brake is released and whenever i turn the ignition to no the car lights turn on. If you 're making out with you girl in the night and you turned the car on for the A/C the light will turn on blowing out your cover, so how I resolved this? I adapt an external switch so anytime I want to have the car on, with the lights off, just turned the switch on and the brake light is back preventing the car's light to turn on themselves. and that was all. I appreciate all the help you guys gave me, so thank for your time. Keep helping other people.

[CJ3322]

When disconnecting the wire off the top of the brake, is there anything that has to be taken off or unscrewed or can you just reach your hand up to the wire??