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G60Dan

Dash Hand Brake Light

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What possible reasons are there for the hand brake light to stay on the dash? as mine is on all the time at the moment.

 

Brake fliud low?

 

I've been fiddling with my hand brake lately, so the problem probably lies under the actual handle & nothing to worry about. I was just curious encase that wasn't the problem.

 

Thanks

Dan

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yep its a low level warning also.

 

the hanbrake light switch will be under the lever i reckon,so maybe a wires come off?

 

neil. :)

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The brakes warning lamp is used for 3 things:

 

1) Brake fluid low level warning (top up brake fluid to cure)

2) Handbrake activated warning (single wire switch under the handbrake lever similar to the door light switches, if the wire comes off, it'll leave the light on)

3) Some Corrados have brake pad wear sensors (or at least the wires FOR the sensors) This should put the light on when you brake and the pads are low, although if the wires become damaged, or the multiplugs get covered in crud, it can put the light on permanently...

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cheers lads

 

It will be one of the 1st 2 as the pads are fine.

 

It's just piece of mind to know

 

Cheers

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Mine came on last winter and it was just a dodgy connection on the plug on top of the brake fluid resevoir.

Quick wiggle and it went off again (levels, etc were all fine..)

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G60Dan, don't rule out the wiring... most people don't fit pads with the sensors in them 'cos they're more expensive and have less material on them, so the connectors for the sensors just float about in the wheel arches... I've seen loads of similar "problems" caused by them in the past... ;)

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you may not have 'em then... 8) Some did, some didn't... (typical bloody VW :lol: :roll: )

J-DUB's got 'em, and my first valver had 'em (H-HKC) but H-YYU hasn't...

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is it not just the vr6's that have wear indicaters? :oops:

neil.

 

I ain't got 'em :(

I wait for the squeal - that's my indicator :)

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Ive got them for some reason,,,,but the light only come on once,,,when it was in the garage for abt 2 weeks and than after using the brakes for a few miles the light faded away?????

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Right, I've tried a few things now and the lights still on. The switch on the actual handbrake it's self isn't making any difference.

I don't have wires going to the callipers to tell me if the pads are low, and the brake fluid level is fine.

The cars braking is tip top.

 

Puzzled a bit.........?? :?

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ok, so if you don't have the wear indicators, then there's only 2 things that should turn on the light: the handbrake switch or the fluid level switch. Disconnect BOTH and see if the light stays on. Short the 2 pins on the fluid level connector (wiring end!) and see if that turns the light on/off, if that makes no difference when the handbrake's switch is disconnected and NOT earthed, then you have a wiring problem somewhere and it's time to start tracing wires... :| Hopefully it'll just be a dodgy sensor on the brake fluid, or something obvious around the handbrake switch which is causing the problem... 8)

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Is the float in the brake fluid reservoir floating completely freely? - if its action is being impeded and it doesn't float to the top of its travel it will give a low fluid warning. Alternatively the switch connected to it may have developed a fault.

 

By the way, where exactly do you get your car washed..........?

 

Best wishes

 

RB

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I've been thinking along the same lines.

 

I've had the handbrake connetors off, linked them out & nothing.

 

Will investigate the weekend

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the front pads will have a wire coming out of them with a round connector on them (may be oval, can't remember off hand) This connects to a similar connection on the front struts.

 

The actual sensor is simply a wire embedded into the pad which, once the pad has worn down a bit, connects the the disk and earths out putting the light on the dash on every time you brake. If this was fitted on the car, but the pads have been replaced with none sensor pads (which are cheaper and have more meat on 'em :roll: ) then the connector will just be floating around by the strut. Problem is that crud gets into the sensor, shorts it to earth and causes the brake warning lamp to come on... ;)

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huumm! Interesting!

 

All my pads are the more meat kind. The fronts could be a bit low, but have no sensors??

 

Another job for the weekend ay!

 

Cheers Henny

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