Handbrake Light Coming On When Braking!

[RonnieRoo22]

Sorry to ask again, but the Toyota Forums are the best!!!!

Tonight on the way home on the M6, in heavy traffic the handbrake light appeared on the dash when applying the brakes.

They are normally nice and spongy and stop well, but when this light appears they get hard to apply. Had the disc & pads visually checked, and seem good.

However yesterday when in a garage they puncture my tyre getting it on the hydraulic lift. Could they have damaged something??? :ffs:

[ormi]

have you checked the brake fluid?

[RonnieRoo22]

have you checked the brake fluid?

Yes - second thing I thought of!!!! After checking the pads and discs.

Still happening

[pault38]

have you checked the level whilst someone has their foot on the pedal,the fluid is obviously pushed to the brakes when you press pedal but when you release the pedal fluid returns to the brake reservoir

[Jan&tone]

I note you say that you have checked the rear disk and pads, but the first thing I thought of is that it was a warning that the rear pads need attention??

obviously wrong though.

[Fitter]

Sorry to ask again, but the Toyota Forums are the best!!!!

Tonight on the way home on the M6, in heavy traffic the handbrake light appeared on the dash when applying the brakes.

They are normally nice and spongy and stop well, but when this light appears they get hard to apply. Had the disc & pads visually checked, and seem good.

However yesterday when in a garage they puncture my tyre getting it on the hydraulic lift. Could they have damaged something??? :ffs:

The "handbrake light" serves as a fault warning when the handbrake is off. You could have a serious fault in the braking system and need to get it attended to before you have an accident.

Fitter

[Cookie-monster]

Sounds like an issue with the Vacuum Servo unit, and usually on a deisel it obtains its vacuum from a belt driven pump off the aux belt. If the servo is not working, the pedal will be very hard to push and a lot more effort required to stop the car. Petrol engines have a pipe from the inlet manifold plenum chamber to the servo unit. Check the pipe from the servo unit (behind the brake master cylinder - its a big round drum shaped device, usually on the bulkhead) to the vac pump for leaks or damage.

If all is well, then get the brakes checked as soon as possible, as Servo assistance is vital to the correct working of the brakes.

Has the car got ABS? are you sure its not the ABS light that is flashing on and off, as a faulty ABS modulator could cause braking problems also