Handbrake Dash Light

[Jinxed]

Hi :) my handbrake dash lights started to come on both when braking strongly and also more suprisingly to me when accelerating strongly....

anybody got any ideas or has this happened to anyone here?

is it just a yada yada warning sign from the car that my brakes are a bit low?

thanks for any consideration of this in advance

[JappyBeast]

Never heard of this before, must be a lose wire on the switch.

[Flat Pack]

Erm its not just a handbrake warning switch but a brake fluid level low warning.

It could just be that your pads are low and the extra extension on the caliper pistons has used up all the reserve of fluid, but I wouldn't expect that to happen unless it was pretty low to start off with. Normally it means something bad has happened and you're losing brake fluid somewhere, personally I wouldn't drive it until I knew why it was coming on.

[SMD]

Mine as done this for a long time ever since I put groved discs on have you changed anything on yours?

[Jinxed]

thanks for replies guys :)

havent changed anything but I do know that my front pads are worn (got the replacements n just need to fit em ) and I also know that I see slicks on water around one of my back wheels so I guess that might be a leak :) just got to make it till saturday I think then going to have a go at the pads and look at the back of the wheel....

will check my brake fluid in the morning tho before i go to work ...

again thanks for some pointers guys :)

[Jinxed]

LOL found the problem .... brake line hose on a back caliper has split

its going to be an interesting experience.... just been told that i can expect no help from familly soooo its either no car and no work and no etc etc etc while i leave the car at mr T(I think this job;bleeding the brakes and fitting a pipe etc PROPERLY :D , is a bit beyond me)

or ...... Its creativity time.....

my plan is thus.... im going to try and get a clamp for brake lines tomorrow ...going to try Halfords, and every other bits shop that i can think of... im going to cut the line as its guffed anyway .... and then im going to clamp it tightly, top up the brake fluid , ask mr T to order the part and then take my car to them when they have the part and the time to fit. At least this way my life doesnt end. I of course will be driving sedately as I appreciate that one of my callipers will not be working.

Given that the hose is presently weeing brake fluid... and given that i plan to stop this leak and top up, if i stop the leak, maintain my brake fluid level and drive fairly carefully on 3 working callipers can anyone see any flaws with my plan seeing as im a bit of complete numpty lmao

thanks for any further consideration and if this is a dreadful plan please be gentle with me if it comes to potentially scatheing assaults on my logic lol

regards

jinxed

[Vlad_E]

do that jinx and ya need locking up my friend!

please dont do it, just dont!

[Jinxed]

do that jinx and ya need locking up my friend!

psychiatrically? or penally? and theres a big diference in the implications of each :D

one way i get pharmaceutical grade drugs and the other i get bits of my bottom felt that .... erm.... should never be felt till after im dead

seriously tho :) Is it really that bad an idea?

Im ashamed to admit that if i didnt have an alternative means of recourse open up in the last 30 minutes I probably would have done this in my cluelessness ;)

[SMD]

It is a really bad idea to drive with only 3 wheels working as brakes, as you stand a big chance of it sliding sideways when you hit the brakes, + when you brake the one working r/brake will only put the other side into drive.

[Flat Pack]

Agreed, messing about with brakes is a really silly idea.

Its probably harder to actually do the spectacular bodge you've described (and have it work, brake lines are very high pressure, so most likely as soon as you hit the brakes fluid would just ***** out past the clamp anyway) than to just change the flexi line yourself.

It might be quicker to take it somewhere though, a garage should be able to get a brake line in the same day and changing it shouldn't be a huge job. Ring a few before they shut today (midday if they're open at all normally) if you can and see if you can get booked in. I wouldn't bother with a main dealer personally for anything on a car of the sort of age that ours are either ;)

[Boro Sera]

Any place could sort out a split pipe in next to no time ( if you're not up to doing it yourself.....not a tricky job really ).

Don't disable your brakes !!!!! it's a recipe for disaster.

[Jinxed]

thanks for replys peeps

in view of the above Im glad I wont be doing it

brake pipe ordered and should be hopefully fitted tuesday evening... 4 days in a volvo to go

[jaxx]

bizzarly ive developed this problem aswell!

Although the cars recently had new brakelines and the res has not been going down

i was thinking it was a dodgy handbrake switch?

[SMD]

Could be a crap copper washer letting in air! can you see any damp on the pipe/bolt.

[Flat Pack]

Does the light come on if you stand on the brakes when the car is stopped? Unlikely to be a loose switch if it does, something must be causing the fluid level in the reservoir to fall below min. Could get someone to push the brakes as hard as they can while you watch the master cylinder and see if the level drops loads.

Do you have uprated calipers? If they've got a larger piston area than standard you'll have to move more fluid to work them, so the level in the reservoir will drop further when you brake (it'll make the brake pedal travel longer too). Only other thing I can think of is air in the system if fluid isn't leaking, it'll compress when you brake and cause more fluid to get pulled out the reservoir. You'd notice that through the brake pedal if it was enough to trigger the warning light though;)

[JappyBeast]

Will this be an MOT failure then?