Red (Brake !) light came on.... E-Brake ? Or Low Fluid ?
11-28-2008, 03:47 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Comox Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Red (Brake !) light came on.... E-Brake ? Or Low Fluid ?
My emergency brake light came on, red on the dashboard,
Does it also mean that your fluid is low, as well as your E-Brake being on ?
Because i just had some brake work done, and my light is on, and today i lost the brakes at low speed... came home. There is only a small amount of fluid in the resivoir... the rear part of the resevoir.
Now, my manual says, that (Brake !) light is only for the E-Brake.
Thoughts ?
1994 SR5 Auto
Does it also mean that your fluid is low, as well as your E-Brake being on ?
Because i just had some brake work done, and my light is on, and today i lost the brakes at low speed... came home. There is only a small amount of fluid in the resivoir... the rear part of the resevoir.
Now, my manual says, that (Brake !) light is only for the E-Brake.
Thoughts ?
1994 SR5 Auto
11-28-2008, 06:23 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Northern Colorado :-(
Posts: 1,758
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My truck is slowly losing fluid somewhere, and a few weeks ago my ebrake like kept coming on and going off. I filled up the fluid and it has been off ever since.
Trending Topics
11-28-2008, 06:32 PM
#8
Contributing Member
Mine was doing the same thing a while ago on a 91 PU...
The [BRAKE] light was on all the time, but odly enough if you watched the light closely, you could tell at night that without the e-brake pulled, it wasn't fully lit; basically, if you were to pull the e-brake, the light got a little brighter; not much, but it did brighten up a bit. So I took a look at the brake fluid level, and it was right where it needs to be. So what I did next was take that fill-filter out from under the resevour, and the light's been out since!
Give it a shot; look close and see if you can tell if the light get's a little brighter when you engauge the e-brake; that'll at least narrow it down to low brake fluid level or e-brake circut problem.
If it does get a little brighter when you pull the e-brake like mine did, just try removing that filter and then topping the fluid back off (the filter assymbely does take a little bit a volume, so you'll have to add just a tiny bit of brake fluid to bring it back to full) and see if the light goes off anf stays off. I've had mine removed for well over a year now and have had no bad side-effects; all it does is keep contaminates out when adding brake fluid... which isn't that hard to do yourself
Couldn't tell yeah why it helped; maybe it was binding up on the float for the sensor, I dunno...
OH, and bleed your brakes for sure if you're having braking problems and low fluid in the resivour...
Exactly what kind of brake work did you have done?
I'd check you calipers and wheel cylinders for leaks...
The [BRAKE] light was on all the time, but odly enough if you watched the light closely, you could tell at night that without the e-brake pulled, it wasn't fully lit; basically, if you were to pull the e-brake, the light got a little brighter; not much, but it did brighten up a bit. So I took a look at the brake fluid level, and it was right where it needs to be. So what I did next was take that fill-filter out from under the resevour, and the light's been out since!
Give it a shot; look close and see if you can tell if the light get's a little brighter when you engauge the e-brake; that'll at least narrow it down to low brake fluid level or e-brake circut problem.
If it does get a little brighter when you pull the e-brake like mine did, just try removing that filter and then topping the fluid back off (the filter assymbely does take a little bit a volume, so you'll have to add just a tiny bit of brake fluid to bring it back to full) and see if the light goes off anf stays off. I've had mine removed for well over a year now and have had no bad side-effects; all it does is keep contaminates out when adding brake fluid... which isn't that hard to do yourself
Couldn't tell yeah why it helped; maybe it was binding up on the float for the sensor, I dunno...
OH, and bleed your brakes for sure if you're having braking problems and low fluid in the resivour...
Exactly what kind of brake work did you have done?
I'd check you calipers and wheel cylinders for leaks...
Last edited by iamsuperbleeder; 11-28-2008 at 06:34 PM.
11-29-2008, 10:32 AM
#10
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Comox Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, at first light i went and got some brake fluid, and filled it up. it was the rear left brake line, from the distribution box to the wheel. There was a small hole, just underneath a rusted metal clamp. A new piece of line went in... my buddy bent it by hand, basically we just coppied the way the older line was bent.
Oh, and as for the E-brake light.... after about 15 minutes of the resevoir being filled up, it went out during the test drive with the wife.
So it's a dual purpose light, foe-sho.......
Glad i didn't have to drop the tank !!!
Thanks guys for the input.
Oh, and as for the E-brake light.... after about 15 minutes of the resevoir being filled up, it went out during the test drive with the wife.
So it's a dual purpose light, foe-sho.......
Glad i didn't have to drop the tank !!!
Thanks guys for the input.
11-29-2008, 04:19 PM
#12
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Comox Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
02-12-2009, 05:35 PM
#14
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Rosa CA
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i have similar problems on my 96 4runner with my red ebrake light except mine only goes on somewhat randomly when i accelerate is this a brake fluid problem or an electrical one?
02-12-2009, 05:42 PM
#15
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio - Amelia is the exact place. There is no one else on this site from where I am. Seems like everyone is from Cali or Washington. I guess I need to move.
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
stupid yet relevant, my brake light came on in the middle of the highway, and i spotted my undies, however, i just had to click my e brake, that isnt even hooked up, all the way down, and it went off.
02-12-2009, 05:43 PM
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio - Amelia is the exact place. There is no one else on this site from where I am. Seems like everyone is from Cali or Washington. I guess I need to move.
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
02-12-2009, 05:44 PM
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio - Amelia is the exact place. There is no one else on this site from where I am. Seems like everyone is from Cali or Washington. I guess I need to move.
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
02-12-2009, 06:17 PM
#19
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio - Amelia is the exact place. There is no one else on this site from where I am. Seems like everyone is from Cali or Washington. I guess I need to move.
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
