e brake light malfunctioning

[nnnick]

recently when i go from a stop until aroudn 15-20 mph my Brake light comes on (same light as when the e-brake is on). Any idea what could be doing this? My e brake is not pushed in, and the light disappears once i get goin a little faster. I dont hear any odd noise, nor does it feel like my truck is being slowed down, anyone had this happen before? should i be worried?

thanks a lot for anyone who can help me

 

[Howard]

It could just be the switch on the e-brake lever that turns the light on. Maybe it's come loose, worth a look anyway. Just my 2p worth.

 

[FIREMEDIC]

Check the fluid level in the master cylinder resv. My moms did the same thing when she would hit a bump it would come on untill she let off of the gas, during a trip to have it serviced the mechanic said that some of these do it some dont, but you might just check it/

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Nick, I had just the opposite trouble. My E-light never came on, allowing me to sometimes take off in gear with the brake on. My fix was simple. I just gave the switch (on the E-Brake pedal) a good squirt of WD-40, and it started working.

Maybe your switch is sticking too. Give it a shot of WD-40 and see what happens.....

 

[Slick]

I'm havin that same problem with the brake light coming on. I have no idea whats goin on

 

[nnnick]

Thanks for all your help guys!
okay, i just went and wd-40'd the switch and whatnot, everything is fine there. I think the problem is somewhere else. Under my hood i found what i think is the resevoir for the brake fluid. It is on the drivers side next to the power distrubtor box, and it is connected to a different black metal box that says something about the brakes. It seems pretty low as well, under half full.....could this be the problem?

I also noticed my radiator fluid was low.....

Where should i go to get the fluids to put in these things? Or do you think i should try to find some place to do a check-up for me? My car is about to hit 100k miles so im guessing other things are need replacing.

Anyone else had low brake fluid and this cause problems with the light?

The light has been turning on more and more recently, for longer and longer (up to 60mph sometimes). However once i hit the brakes, it turns off....

 

[Howard]

Bingo you hit the nail on the head. Ok so the brake fluid level is low and the light is comming on as it is meant to in this condition. The fluid level is low for two reasons.
1. The pads are worn and maybe near to replacement time.
or
2. You have a leak.

If you just want to top up the fluid you can get it from any component store or Fords. But I would see how low your pads are first. As when you replace them the fluid level will rise. You may of course have a leak look for damp patches around the pistons and rear drums/discs. You can check the pad thickness at the same time.

Top the rad up with water/antifreeze. Source see above.

If in any doublt with compentcy when dealing with brakes please get an expert to carry out the work for you.

 

[nnnick]

Howard, thanks a bunch! Im going to add some more brake fluid in a couple minutes, and hope that kind of works. I just got new pads less than a year ago, and i dont drive a huge amount (maybe 12,000 miles at the most since i got new pads). When i brake it feels normal, and it doesn't seem as if my braking power has decreased, which also makes me think maybe my pads are okay (this is just an educated guess)

I tried looking at the brakes, but its hard to see because my wheels are those fat chrome 3 spoke wheels and its hard to peak in, but i didnt really see any damp spots.

I painted my calipers a while back (August), could this be causing problems?

For now im putting more fluid in, and checking the level to see how it does. I leave in a couple days for France so i wont get a chance to take it in anywhere until Janurary. Once again thanks for your help!

 

[Howard]

Sorry but I couldn't resist.

Lets hope that that cures your problems.

I don't think that painting would cause any trouble so long as they are not binding. You'll probably have to take the wheels off to check the pads properly.

PS: I had my wheels balanced recently and wondered why my discs(rotors) were blue in colour. Also noticed that the pads were well worn. Changed all the discs(rotors) and new pads and found the brake cylinders full of cemment dust and were sticking. Cost a bomb. $800 in parts alone. I can stop on a dime now wow.....