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Handbrake warning light coming on while driving


apmaman

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My furbie's hand brake warning light is coming on while I'm driving, the loud beeping and flashing lights are very distracting.

Does anyone have a solution to what it could be? The handbrake is fairly loose and needs a bit of a tightening but it still holds the car on a hill. Could this be it or is there some kind of sensor that might be FUBAR?

Cheers!

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Could also be a faulty handbrake switch, its only a simple push on/off affair that can fail/become intermittent over a long period, cant find it on the parts catalogue though.

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As bajanpete said - Brake fluid!

If your brake fluid is low (look at the reservoir - it has a min level it shouldn't be below) it will give this symptom!

or as mannyo says, handbrake switch.

Costs nothing to check the fluid level.

Ben

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Brake fluid looks a little low so I'm gonna go top it up.

I dont know what brand or type is currently in it. Haynes manual says DOT4 or SAE J1703F fluid.

Would it matter if I topped it up with DOT4 while it contained the other?

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Glad that is it stopped - BUT - I would keep an eye on the level, you tend to lose rather than use brake fluid.

If the level keeps dropping you have a leak, and if you have drums at the rear the brake cylinders have always been slightly prone to leaking (at least on older VW's - thinking of MK2 Golfs and Polo from previous days!!)

Or anywhere else I suppose! Hopefully the level will remain the same and you don't have to worry!

Ben

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Went to halfrauds and topped up with DOT4. Not a single beep emoticon-0136-giggle.gif

Feel like a bit of a tit now for not checking that in the first place but hey ho! Thanks guys

No need to feel a tit

Why would you suspect fluid levels, when it is a handbrake job? ie manual

Good call, All wiser now

Thanks for replying with the cured it post, lots of help to other users knowing what solved the problem

National

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I had to replace both rear brake cylinders on both my Fabia's, fairly common fault, I also had to fit new brake shoes because they were soaked in brake fluid thus making it very hard to get the drums off as they had swelled in size.

DB.

Edited by mogwye
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Yeah it's all fine now though, going to keep an eye on it for a few days to see if it keeps dropping. It's due in for the annual service at the end of next month so ill mention that to the mechanic and get him to check to make sure everythings tight.

Thanks again guys.

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Update:

I wasn't going to trust the car, and with good reason as I'll explain.

I kept the car inside the garage with paper under each wheel and it looks like my rear passenger side brake has a leak. There was a small, but never the less substantial puddle of brownie fluid, which looks like brake fluid :(

I'm going to jack the car up tomorrow and have a look and see, but I'm a bit clueless to what im looking for. I'll get my dad to have a look too. I guess if I pumped the brake while he was looking it should seep out of any holes/slack joints and just be a simple tighten up job?

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It could just be a slack union but it is more likely that the seals on the rear brake cylinder (inside the wheel drum) are leaking. Before you jack it up loosen the wheel bolts, have it in the air and take off the wheel. You will probably see where the fluid is pooling and then dropping. To be 100% you could take the drum off but you should be able to visually identify if it is coming from inside the drum.

It could always just be dirty / rusty water that has been dropped! And i'm not for 1 second suggesting that you should emm, do this but brake fluid = very flammable. Rusty water = not very flammable at all. However could you tell them apart???

Then again it could be a flexi pipe or other union. Or even a bleed nipple not fully closed. Brake cylinders are not that expensive, though you tend to contaminate the friction material (shoes) when you have a leak for a while. And when you are pumping the brake pedal try not to go nuts and push the pedal through the bulkhead each time - that sort of stress can sometimes be the last thing a brake cylinder will put up with.

Good luck!

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  • 3 years later...

I had my brake fluid replaced two or three weeks ago at the service and the last night the beeping and flashing of the handbrake light started when hard braking - wondering if I may have a leak, I will check the fluid level now.

Thank you very for much to everyone above for the answers .

JRJG

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Erm just a note.. check your pads are ok. The leading cause of low fluid is your brale pads being low

.low pads caused pistons to come out further. The more the pistons cone out the more fluid is needed to fill them. So less fluid in the reservoir

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Erm just a note.. check your pads are ok. The leading cause of low fluid is your brale pads being low

.low pads caused pistons to come out further. The more the pistons cone out the more fluid is needed to fill them. So less fluid in the reservoir

Is that true?

I will have a check of the pads then, wanted to take the wheels off anyway to give them a clean :) :)

JRJG

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Is that true?

I will have a check of the pads then, wanted to take the wheels off anyway to give them a clean :) :)

JRJG

Yeah because the pistons can move further out meaning fluid gets sucked further down and there isn't any to replace it!
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Yeah because the pistons can move further out meaning fluid gets sucked further down and there isn't any to replace it!

I see

I will let you know the outcome once I get underneath it in my dinner.

*searches for spanner set*

JRJG

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
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Tightened everything up this afternoon - as tight as I dare. If the leak continues then I will send it into a garage as I can't see where the problem would be, maybe a new 'bleed nipple'. I don't know. :s


JRJG

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  • 7 months later...

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