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Car Problem - Handbrake Light Coming On...


Joe Papasnap Maher

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Right basically my handbrake sign like this ( ! ) comes on when i go round corners...sooo

could needing new brake pads be the answer...( i was told on last service to have them changed in about 6000 miles,...and has gone that amount of time )

or as someone suggested, do i need more brake fluid.

if either of these is the answer....how long would a job like these take to do? as im going southend in the morning...and was wondering if i could pop into a local garage and have it done quickley.

Cheers

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Personally, I would NOT just fill the brake fluid up. The reason that the brake light comes on is to let you know when your brake pads are low, near the point of there not being any pad left just backings. You can fill it up for a quick fix, if the light is bothering you. Don't forget that your pads are very low, and need replacing very very soon, because if you don't replace them quickly it will wear to the point that it will destroy your rotors, and will cost you more to fix. You will then need to replace the rotors/ pads, and possibly the calipers if the backings wear enough or heat up enough it will destory the pistions. If you replace the pads and turn the rotors now or very soon, you will save tons of money. To do a brake job it should only take about 1 to 1.5 hours. I was a mechanic for toyota for many years and have seen it happen many times, because people just filled the brake fluid up. Just beware.

Matt.

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Useful information, but Joe said it only happens when hr goes round corners. Surely if the pads were low, the light would come on no matter what? It comes on when going round corners because the fluid is sloshing about in the resivoir, and on croners, the sensor is obviously uncovered at certain points, triggering a response.

Count yourself lucky you don't have my car. The ABS sensor is screwed, and to replace it means I have to buy a whole new passenger front hub, which is £230. Joy.

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Gilman your being a bit exteeme arent you?

In all my years I have never seen a set of low pads causing caliper damage.

You do realise that you would have to deaf, and retarded to let your pads get low enough to cause caliper damage.

You will get a grinding noise long before, as you will be stopping on pad backing.

Besides, that handbrake warning light has nothing to do with the amount of material on your pads.

All that light means is either your handbrake is on, or your fluid level is low.

The pad level warning light has a differnt symbol, and is orange. And thats only if you have them, most cars dont, unless you have the top spec.

Joe, you want to check the level, make sure its on max, and dont go over.

If you get any brake fluid on paint work, pour water over it asap. And if your Brake fluid level is fine, and your handbrake of off when your driving (seen it happen many a time) then the most probalbe cause is a faulty fluid level switch, or handbrake warning switch.

None of which will affect tha safety of your car.

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Of you guys read in the first post, he said that the last time he had it serviced that the mechanic said that the had only about 6000 km left on his pads and should have them replaced.

When the light comes on it can be because the hand brake is on or the fluid is low. Also when the pads are running low it pushes the pistons out more to compensate for the low pads, therefore sucking morefluid into the lines making the resivore lower. When the fluid is low, not to the point that it is so low to have the light on all the time, but when going around turns for instance, it will uncover the sensor to light up the brake light.

Most cars don't have brake pad warning sensors to indicate that you have low pads, unless you have some wickedly expensive car, so you need to be smart and use your brake light as a warning light.

I have also seen many cars with people that have destroryed there calipers because of not replacing pads when nessary, maybe it's stupid americans or just old people. I just was saying to be carefull because it's not worth the moneyy to fix.

Matt.

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Sorry if im being stupid here, but if he tops the brake fluid up first (because its cheaper to do) if the light still comes on then he can start thinking about the replacement pads? :huh:

Just do the fluid first and see if it solves it, its not going to destroy to car by topping it up.... lol

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