Brake light not going away

[Saturdee]

Alright, well over the past month my brake light stays on after I release the e-brake. Normally if I drive the car somewhere, say McDonalds to get a Mcdouble, McChicken, small fries (medium if I'm feeling really hungry), and a large rootbeer, once I'm done and go start my car up again, the light won't stay on when I put the e-brake down. I have to drive like 20 miles or so for that to work though, it's really weird.


I heard it could be brake fluid, but I also heard adding brake fluid can seize your brakes which isn't any good. I heard it could be your e-brake switch, wherever that is. And I heard it could be your brake calipers gone bad. Does anyone know what it would MOST likely be?

 

[wkmitsu]

If your brakes are working fine, and it only happens after you've used the E-brake for awhile, then it's probably the switch for the E-brake. The problem probably isn't the switch itself, it's probably that the switch isn't getting engaged properly by the brake handle after it's released. The switch is under the center console, you can see it if you pull the cup holder and ashtray out of the center console. You'll also find the E-brake handle adjustment nut under there too, use this to tighten the E-brake up so there is more tension on the handle. Tightening it should make the brake handle not pull up as far to engage and should pull also it downward harder when it's released, which will engage the switch properly and keep the brake light from coming on.

 

[zero_wheeler]

^ what he said check the switch.

 

[Saturdee]

Tightening it should make the brake handle not pull up as far to engage and should pull also it downward harder when it's released, which will engage the switch properly and keep the brake light from coming on.

Hmm... That does make a lot of sense as to why my light would be on after I disengage the e-brake, because I can take my hand off of it before it's down the whole way and it'll just stay there. But thanks for the good response

 

[Guzman08]

so when u push the brakes down do they turn on?? if not check under the steering column where the brake pedal is and see if u see a grommet near the pedal at the top. it should push some little switch down... can u explain ## problem more in detail

 

[Saturdee]

My regular brakes work completely fine, it's the e-brake, or parking brake, that I have a problem with. And it's not even the brake I have a problem with, it's just the brake light stays on. I'm gonna try to tighten it up like wkmitsu said, cause I have a hunch that'll solve my problem.

 

[FearlessNick]

If your breaks are working fine and you dont feel like your pulling. Then it is probably the switch.

 

[Mellow23]

If your breaks are working fine and you dont feel like your pulling. Then it is probably the switch.

Thats what it was when I had the same problem with the probe.

 

[Paching]

The 20 plus year old switch may have bad contacts inside, thats a cheap fix just replace it.

 

[Saturdee]

Alright, how do you pop the cup holder out? I got the back end of it out but I'm not sure how to get the front of it loose. I don't wanna pull and end up breaking something.

Edit: nevermind

 

[wkmitsu]

Alright, how do you pop the cup holder out? I got the back end of it out but I'm not sure how to get the front of it loose. I don't wanna pull and end up breaking something.

It's held on by four metal clips that snap into slots. The back end does come out a little easier, just gently pull straight upward on each side of the front and it should pop out.

 

[Saturdee]

Okay in the first picture, I tightened that bolt up a little bit untill I started feeling some tension, then stopped. didn't solve any brake light issue.

In the second picture the e-brake is down, and it's touching that black button thing like I would assume it should. I even tried pushing it in as far as it could go with my finger, and the brake light still stayed on.

Is the switch just bad? Or am I missing something...

 

[wkmitsu]

Sounds like it's either a bad switch, bad wiring, or a more deeply seated brake problem. I would check the wiring and if thats fine then swap out the switch at this point.

 

[Juanpa]

Had the same problem. There's a little grommet that falls off from under the pedal. All you need to do is find the spot where that grommet went and super glue a penny there. Maybe 2 pennies. Look for that same grommet under the e-brake if the one under the pedal is there.

 

[Saturdee]

How would I snap the swith out? Just like pull on it? This will make the brake light go away right, cause that'd be fine. I could care less if I don't have a light that tells me my e-brake is up, it's kinda pointless in my opinion

Had the same problem. There's a little grommet that falls off from under the pedal. All you need to do is find the spot where that grommet went and super glue a penny there. Maybe 2 pennies

The pedal, is that the metal thing that pushes the black swith in?

 

[wkmitsu]

How would I snap the swith out? Just like pull on it? This will make the brake light go away right, cause that'd be fine. I could care less if I don't have a light that tells me my e-brake is up, it's kinda pointless in my opinion

Ha you say that until you wreck your E-brake from driving with it on. If you really want to get rid of it, instead of braking something, you could just unplug the wire going to the switch, it's right there in the picture you posted.

Although, based off what you've said, honestly I don't think the switch is the issue anymore.

 

[Saturdee]

Ha you say that until you wreck your E-brake from driving with it on. If you really want to get rid of it, instead of braking something, you could just unplug the wire going to the switch, it's right there in the picture you posted.

Although, based off what you've said, honestly I don't think the switch is the issue anymore.

Well even if I did happen to forget to put the e-brake down, I would still feel the drag when I go to drive. Cause when I first got this car, I never drove stick, and I would forget to put the e-brake down sometimes but before I even went anywhere I could feel it.

 

[wkmitsu]

Well even if I did happen to forget to put the e-brake down, I would still feel the drag when I go to drive. Cause when I first got this car, I never drove stick, and I would forget to put the e-brake down sometimes but before I even went anywhere I could feel it.

It's your car, if you want it that way, by all means rip the switch out with a vice grips and burn it on your garage floor. I just wouldn't do that, I would fix the problem.

 

[Saturdee]

Okay I'm starting to get my panties in a bunch. I disconnected the wire where that big white clip thing is, the light was still on and yes the e-brake was down. I tried pulling it up and back down and nothing. Turned the car off, back on, it was still there. I thought maybe my brake fluid was low so I checked that and that's fine. It's just weird cause like I said, sometimes I'll just be driving and I'll look down and the brake light won't be on. It's like it takes a little bit for it to go away.

 

[Juanpa]

There should be one grommet under your foot brake pedal and one under your ebrake. See if it's there. Have you checked your brake fluid?

 

[Saturdee]

There should be one grommet under your foot brake pedal and one under your ebrake. See if it's there. Have you checked your brake fluid?

Brake fluid is fine. And what do you mean under my e-brake? Like where at exactly

 

[Juanpa]

There's a switch under the lever

 

[Saturdee]

There's a switch under the lever

Yeah, and when you release the e-brake it pushes that switch in right? If that is what you are talking about then no there is no grommet or anything on the lever. If I were to glue a penny or two onto it, would I glue it on the lever or the switch itself?

But wait a second, If this has something to do with my switch then why didn't the light go away after I disconnected the wire? I'm just so confused

EDIT: It's resolved. I guess this morning, between tightening that bolt and playing with other things, my car decided to fix itself.