E-Brake light stuck on

[traintech86]

so i changed my rear calipers a while back and ever since, the brake light is stuck on, really it doesn't bother me until i get on the freeway and can't use CC. my knee gets dead from the gas peddle. any ideas?

[Papo J]

Check the parking brake switch and make sure is not broken, it's on the handle mounting bracket. You should be able to see it through the rubber liner.

[mr2tim]

If that switch pappy noted doesn't prove defective?

1. you may have to dabble with the emergency cable adjusting nut under the belly pans where the two cables join in a assembly that merges the 2 into 1.?It has a 2 ea locknuts that secures the adjusting nut.
(Your looking for 5-8 clicks for the proper travel.)

2. you might check the levers on the rear calipers themselves to be sure your getting full movement to the stopper and that the return spring is doing it's thing too.(I shoot them with penetrating oil every 6 months)


BTW when you reassemble those belly pans oil the 10mm bolts so's you can get them off the next time too.

Originally Posted by traintech86

so i changed my rear calipers a while back and ever since, the brake light is stuck on, really it doesn't bother me until i get on the freeway and can't use CC. my knee gets dead from the gas peddle. any ideas?

[muffinman]

have you checked the fluid level?

if the fluid is fine then it could just be the switch.

[ToyotaTechGeek]

Originally Posted by muffinman

have you checked the fluid level?

if the fluid is fine then it could just be the switch.

+1

[RC MR2]

traintech. check the fluid and prolly try checking the brake cable. sometimes the cable can go bad. thats what happen to wit mine

[traintech86]

thanks guys, ill update the sitrep here in a bit!

Sitrep: dead on, i guess the fluid went down a bit after i bleed the brakes. gonna get some fluid and top it off. thanks guys!

[toyotaspeed90]

when you move the handle up and down you should see a slight variance in the color of the light.... if you don't, then your switch is either bad or loose. The switch is actually mounted right next to the e-brake handle, but you need to remove the center console to gain access (don't remember in an 87+... you might have to remove the seat).

In any event.... if the light doesn't change then it's the switch (really has NOTHING to do with your cables, as the switch turns on and off purely based off of the handle position). If the light does change, then it's the level of your fluid or a bad sensor in the brake master cylinder.

[toyotaspeed90]

Originally Posted by traintech86

thanks guys, ill update the sitrep here in a bit!

Sitrep: dead on, i guess the fluid went down a bit after i bleed the brakes. gonna get some fluid and top it off. thanks guys!

don't just add fluid..... brake fluid shouldn't disappear....

1) you have a leak somewhere.... find it, fix it.

2) you need new pads... find which set (front or rear) are low and replace the pads. When you replace the pads, you will have to push the pistons back in and it will put the level back to where it should be.

[muffinman]

Originally Posted by traintech86

thanks guys, ill update the sitrep here in a bit!

Sitrep: dead on, i guess the fluid went down a bit after i bleed the brakes. gonna get some fluid and top it off. thanks guys!

Originally Posted by toyotaspeed90

don't just add fluid..... brake fluid shouldn't disappear....

1) you have a leak somewhere.... find it, fix it.

2) you need new pads... find which set (front or rear) are low and replace the pads. When you replace the pads, you will have to push the pistons back in and it will put the level back to where it should be.

[toyotaspeed90]

I know, I read that.

When you bleed the brakes, I would assume that you have properly topped it off. If the fluid then goes down then either:

a) you didn't bleed it properly and you should bleed it again to make sure there's no air in the system
b) there's a leak and it needs to be found before it becomes a problem

I know I'm being a bit of a **** about this..... but when it comes to brakes you CAN'T BE OVERLY CAUTIOUS.... brakes are the most important thing in your car, short of driving abilities.....

we can talk about how to increase performance to go faster.....but if you break your engine because something was done wrong there's very little chance of harming you or yourself... but if you take shortcuts or don't understand (thus making a problem in your brakes) your braking system, then you run a high risk of causing damage to your or anothers' car and/or harming yourself or others.

if any of my cars had a lower than expected (due to wear) brake fluid level... I will check each and every corner to make sure there are no leaks, make sure everything is tight, and then investigate pad wear.

[traintech86]

when i was doing the bleeding, i didn't check the level before i left the shop. ill check it later on to make sure its not leaking but really i am sure its fine. thanks for your input though.