Brake Light Comes On... ¿que pasa?

[Gina]

Hi! Recently I've noticed that when I brake suddenly, my parking brake light on my dash comes on. The one that's red and looks like this:

Brake
(!) (P)

Do I have a wiring/fuse problem with my Brake Light or could this be detecting that I need new brakes?

My Ex has 118K Miles, and had new front rotors, pads, etc at 70K. I get a little chitter-chatter when I'm on the freeway (70mph) and have to brake lightly. Also, when I come to a stop really slow, it feels as if my rotors may be warped or need to be turned. I don't think the rear drums have ever been replaced. I don't even understand the concept of drum breaks...probably because I've never taken them apart and looked!

If I do need new brakes, is it too tough for lil ol' me to do by myself? I changed the front rotors/pads on a front wheel drive, non-ABS car once before with no problems. Do ABS and 4x4 make things a lot more complicated?

I asked the auto parts guys how much for a rotor and he said $50 each!! Is this normal? Would it be more cost efficient to just have some place do everything for me?

 

[Andy C]

check your brake fluid, might be why your light is on........but has nothing to do with your other problems.

 

[Bill Kemp]

If your rotors are warped you will feel the brake pedal pulsate when you step on it. Rotors can be turned once or twice if you catch it quick enough.
I noticed so rotors on ebay that sounded good.
Dont know about changing them. Not had to so far...

 

[bigDerk]

Are you sure you're pressing the right pedal? Sorry, I had to...

 

[Mike 92 XLT]

Yup, first thing to do is to check the fluid. I had a problem a few years back with mine where the brake and ABS lights would come on when I pressed the pedal. Let's see, according to my maintenace records, this actually happened twice. Both times, the master and ABS systems were fine, but the front pads were down to the rivits and the second time it happened one of the pads was cracked. The second time it happened we also replaced both calipers and the left rotor. By your description, it sounds like your rotors may be slightly warped. If the fluid level looks fine, I would pull the front wheels off and inspect the pads, rotors and calipers. And yeah, $50 is a good price for the rotor. Mine was $80! Good luck!

peace

Mike

 

[Michigander]

Originally posted by Mike 92 XLT
And yeah, $50 is a good price for the rotor. Mine was $80!

Mine were even more than that.....

 

[Gina]

Ok, I think my problem is getting worse. The Brake light comes on more often, and stays on longer now. Maybe because it's getting really cold outside (30-40)?

I did check my fluids, and they're fine. And yes, I also made sure that I'm pressing the right pedal.

I called my local shop and they quoted me $450 for everything new, front, back, and labor. Cha-ching!

Has anyone seen that Minake (sp?) commercial that they're advertising 50% off brake pads/shoes? Do you think that's only if you pay them to put them on, or can you just buy the parts at 50% off and do it yourself?

I'm thinking I'm definately going to do this myself to save$$$ I'm poor...donations accepted

Will I die if my rear drums go out completely, but my fronts are fine? Because I'll probably do those first.

 

[samtheham]

Try toping off your brake fluid anyway, I had that same problem, it looked full but cured the problem by topping it off anyway. Really the only other reason that light should come on is either your parking brake sensor is screwed up or the brake system is detecting major diffrences in pressure front to back, like a bad o-ring or something.

oh and I paid $90 for a new rotor. You sould be more than able to do all the brake work yourself with a minimum effort.