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#1
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Emergency brake light on??
My e-brake is sometimes on when I turn on my car and drive to school even when the e-brake is not up. I was thinking it might be just a wire loose or something. But after school goes by I get out and the light is off. Could it have something to do with the temperature? Maybe someone can give me advice.
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#2
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Check your brake fluid - when it gets cold it contracts and drops a bit, someties enough to turn on the light. BTW - when the fluid drops that far it's a good idea to take a peek at your brakes, it may be time for new pads.
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ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
#3
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Re: Emergency brake light on??
Quote:
Just to clarify, I always set the e-brake when I park any of my cars. Anyway, if anybody has an answer, I'd love to hear it.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#4
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whenever i set the e-brake on my svx my mom ends up driving it and usually gets pissed at me cause she leaves it on for the first few minutes of driving... so I've given up on putting it on... figure its not as bad for the tranni to hold it as it is for the brake to drive with it
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Greg 97 Red SVX LSi clean 96 Black SVX LSi beater 90 Red Eclipse GSX track ho 99 Ford F250 work horse My Locker |
#5
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Yep - after following lotsa' posts about this phenomenon, my light came on two weeks ago during a bitter cold snap. I popped the master cylinder cap & it was BARELY below full. Nonetheless I poured a bit of fluid in, (Thanks, Rufus). The fluid even overflowed as I screwed the cap back on. The light's been out ever since. Ain't this site a major help, or what? Ron.
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Good s**t happened. 69 was worth the wait. '92 stock semi-pristine ebony - 160K '96 Grand Caravan - 240K '01 Miata SE - 79K '07 Chrysler Pacifica - 60k - future money pit. |
#6
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never ignore your brake lights. Mine was on for about 10 minutes one day before I nearly soiled myself. I had a small hole in a line and was barely able to stop at an intersection once. If it wasn't for the e-brake I may or may not have been able to.
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#7
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Not that I'm the expert on the SVX, but this is a common problem with vehicles having a sensor in the master. Brake fluid has charactoristics that make the float decay, so by adding a little more fluid, you bypass the problem. Ya, it can also be a wire.
Answer#1: check the float/sensor sitting in brake fluid, if it looks off, either replace it, or depending on the material, it can be boiled in hot water to remove saturation of brake fluid. Answer#2: Tempurature is a key factor to the above, but some cars have a residual preassure gauge in the master cylinder, again, no idea about the SVX. Answer#3, and todays best pick: Hit things and watch the light, that should help pin point the problem.
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Chris G 92 Pearlie, sold @ ~209k miles. Now owned by Tim. Current Ride, 1985 Honda Aero 80, stock 3024 klms |
#8
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Sheesh...How can she not notice that big red light on the dash? Doug
__________________
1992 LS Touring (6/91) - Currently undergoing a five speed swap Black over Claret with spoiler; 235,000 miles; Mods: 2002 Legacy 5 speed, ACT Pressure Plate, Excedy Clutch, Short Throw Shifter, Aussie Powerchip 1992 LS Touring (6/91) Black over Claret with 2.5" setback spoiler; 202,000 miles; Mods: B&M Cooler 1994 LSi (4/93) Bordeaux Pearl; 198,000 miles; Mods: Weight reduction. 1969 Mustang GT Convertible 1970 Mustang Convertible 2000 Ford Excursion Sola lingua bona est lingua mortua. My Locker |
#9
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To clarify - there isn't a 'residual pressure' switch in any car I'm aware of, however there there is a pressure differential switch that will turn on the same light if there's a difference in pressure between the two braking circuits. Since he didn't mention any noticeable drop in the pedal height I went with the low fluid theory. Not picking nits, just being a bit more accurate. Floats can become saturated, but while it's not unheard of, the vast majority are just in need of pads. As the pads wear the fluid replaces their diminishing thickness by collecting on the other side of the caliper piston.
Nick: If you really don't need to use the parking brake, don't. In the winter below freezing temperatures will cause any water that might be inside the cable housing to freeze and not allow the brake to fully release. (just like the Taurus cruise cable mentioned in the other thread) Until the cable comes completely back to the released position the handle probably won't pull against the switch enough to open the circuit to the lamp.
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ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
#10
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As for the brake light, I've had the "Light on in cold conditions" on both my SVXes. A dab of fluid has cured the problem on both.
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#11
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Another stupid thing I do: When I was in driver's ed, believe it or not my driving in structor told me to hold the button down while lifting up on the lever. Why? So it wouldn't wear out the teeth that the little pawl catches on. I'm not kidding. How many times a day would you have to park your car to wear out those friggin' teeth over the lifetime of the car? And yet, I do it. I think because I just don't like the 'rccccccchhhhhhh" noise, not because I think I'm wearing anything out. I think I might also do it so I can actually feel cable tension before I let the button go.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#12
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I use the parking brake every time I park. The cables on the SVX are 100% enclosed from the cabin all the way to the inside of brake drum. The cables stay well greased inside with very little chance of the grease getting washed off.
As opposed to some other cars I have owned which have parking cables going in and out of sleeves under the car just waiting for road rash to remove all the protection... Doug
__________________
1992 LS Touring (6/91) - Currently undergoing a five speed swap Black over Claret with spoiler; 235,000 miles; Mods: 2002 Legacy 5 speed, ACT Pressure Plate, Excedy Clutch, Short Throw Shifter, Aussie Powerchip 1992 LS Touring (6/91) Black over Claret with 2.5" setback spoiler; 202,000 miles; Mods: B&M Cooler 1994 LSi (4/93) Bordeaux Pearl; 198,000 miles; Mods: Weight reduction. 1969 Mustang GT Convertible 1970 Mustang Convertible 2000 Ford Excursion Sola lingua bona est lingua mortua. My Locker |
#13
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I don't think that's stupid at all . . . especially since I do it too. I also press the button on my pocketwatch to close it, so I don't wear out the catch and on my transnote computer.
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Randy Johnson 3rd Registered Member 02-21-2001 First Member to Reach 10,000 Posts First to arrive at the very first Reading Meet Subaru Ambassador 1992 SVX PPG Pace Car Replica 110+k 1993 White Impreza L 240+K miles 2001 Legacy Outback Limited Sedan 250+K miles 2013 Deep Indigo Pearl Legacy 3.6R 49+K miles "Reading is my favorite Holiday" Mike Davis -- at Reading VI |
#14
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Quote:
Doug
__________________
1992 LS Touring (6/91) - Currently undergoing a five speed swap Black over Claret with spoiler; 235,000 miles; Mods: 2002 Legacy 5 speed, ACT Pressure Plate, Excedy Clutch, Short Throw Shifter, Aussie Powerchip 1992 LS Touring (6/91) Black over Claret with 2.5" setback spoiler; 202,000 miles; Mods: B&M Cooler 1994 LSi (4/93) Bordeaux Pearl; 198,000 miles; Mods: Weight reduction. 1969 Mustang GT Convertible 1970 Mustang Convertible 2000 Ford Excursion Sola lingua bona est lingua mortua. My Locker |
#15
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My driver's ed teacher told us to make sure that we parked the wipers before turning the car off as they would lose their spring tension if left midway across the windshield. I guess that explains why they bounce up and down when they're in the park position...
If the cables are enclosed from front to rear maybe someone has spilled a coke, etc. in the console and when cold, thick and sticky the switch is reluctant to open. Unfortunately you wouldn't be the first, I've had to clean a few with that problem and it sucks - yuck!
__________________
ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
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