Hi all…long time lurker, first time poster. 
 

Anyway, bit of advice. Got in the car tonight (2013 Fabia Monte Carlo TSi) and the brake warning light came on with 3 beeps (higher pitched than the standard beeps) No ABS warning or anything else. However, when I moved off (I park on a slope) and got on to flat ground, it turned off. 
 

Driving was fine, and brakes felt fine. New brake pads and discs were put on in august. 
 

Would I be right in thinking that the most likely explanation is that because I’m parked on a slope and the brake fluid is low, the fluid tilts away from the sensor, triggering the warning?

 

Booked in for a brake fluid change at the weekend just in case but just need some reassurance that my hunch is right

I think you're right.

No need to book car into garage just check the brake fluid level with the car on the flat,there's a higher and lower level marker to guide you, DOT 4 brake fluid to top up if needed,, if level is ok the cap with the 2 wires on might be faulty or need cleaningor even be  loose check these and give them a clean a dab of silcone grease on the spades helps keep them free from corrosion also check wheels as a friend who had his brakes changed at a garage was loosing fluid from 2 bleed nipples that had been undone when brakes were changed but not tightened up enough when finished

I would never recommend that someone NOT change their brake and clutch fluid because it makes such a difference to the efficiency of the system.

Just now, sepulchrave said:

I would never recommend that someone NOT change their brake and clutch fluid because it makes such a difference to the efficiency of the system.

 

Can confirm that it makes a world of a difference. With mine it also helped with gear changes too since they use the same reservoir. Besides that, changing brake fluid isn't exactly going to have the opposite from the desired effect/solution anyway.

You need to check carefully for leaks as normally the level would not drop sufficiently to trigger a warning even if the pads are completely worn out.

 

A common problem is a leaking slave cylinder(s) in the rear brake drums. You need to remove the drums to check. Do it now, because a leak will contaminate the shoes and the rear braking/handbrake becomes ineffective and unbalanced. The leak could get suddenly so bad that you lose one of the 2 hydraulic circuits and braking is then badly affected and dangerous.

 

Happened on our fabia 200 miles from home. You could see the leak was that bad the fluid was all over the inside of an alloy.

17 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

Can confirm that it makes a world of a difference. With mine it also helped with gear changes too since they use the same reservoir. Besides that, changing brake fluid isn't exactly going to have the opposite from the desired effect/solution anyway.

 

31 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

I would never recommend that someone NOT change their brake and clutch fluid because it makes such a difference to the efficiency of the system.

 

Completely mystified about these "efficiency" related posts. In 50 years of motoring I've never experienced a "change of efficiency" in brake or clutch operation (if thats what @AnnoyingPentiumis getting at). And thats with badly neglected fluid changes, many a car I owned in the past never had a fluid change in the 10+ years I generally own them).

 

I do acknowledge that a regular fluid change is a good thing to reduce the chances of internal corrosion in slave cylinders and piston/actuators and the increased but rare possibity of vapour lock. 

 

Incorrect bleeding when fluid is changed has the biggest effect of efficiency. Air is not something you want to have in a brake circuit. But once done as it should, not needed unless you open up the hydraulics.

 

World of difference? Placebo can be a wonderful thing. Or maybe it just wasn't bled right.

52 minutes ago, xman said:

 

 

Completely mystified about these "efficiency" related posts. In 50 years of motoring I've never experienced a "change of efficiency" in brake or clutch operation (if thats what @AnnoyingPentiumis getting at). And thats with badly neglected fluid changes, many a car I owned in the past never had a fluid change in the 10+ years I generally own them).

 

I do acknowledge that a regular fluid change is a good thing to reduce the chances of internal corrosion in slave cylinders and piston/actuators and the increased but rare possibity of vapour lock. 

 

Incorrect bleeding when fluid is changed has the biggest effect of efficiency. Air is not something you want to have in a brake circuit. But once done as it should, not needed unless you open up the hydraulics.

 

World of difference? Placebo can be a wonderful thing. Or maybe it just wasn't bled right.

 

Old brake fluid will have absorbed lots of water, brake fluid and water emulsion is more compressible than fresh brake fluid and reduces efficiency.

 

Now do be careful where you stick that placebo.

30 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Old brake fluid will have absorbed lots of water, brake fluid and water emulsion is more compressible than fresh brake fluid and reduces efficiency.

 

Now do be careful where you stick that placebo.

 

You obviously know more than me.

 

However, I always thought as you seem to state that conventional brake fluid absorbs water by virtue of it being hygroscopic (glycol). It does not form an emulsion which also requires an emulsifier component if I am not mistaken. So its still a fluid.

Last time I looked neither brake fluid nor water were compressible to any meaningful degree unless at temperatures that causes vapour lock i.e. boiling.

Yes the boiling point comes down with increasing water content, but unless you're doing track days thats rarely an issue.

 

Maybe @AnnoyingPentium changed his pads and discs and had a brake service when he got his fluid changed, which might have been bled properly too, that would make a "world of difference". As for gear change or clutch operation that part of the hydraulic circuit would not see any new fluid unless the garage removed the gearbox and uncoupled and drained the clutch slave cylinder I think otherwise any "emulsion" would be there to stay permanently.

 

Standing back now....beware the incoming Sepulchre flame thrower 🔥

6 hours ago, Murdockman said:

No need to book car into garage just check the brake fluid level with the car on the flat,there's a higher and lower level marker to guide you, DOT 4 brake fluid to top up if needed,, if level is ok the cap with the 2 wires on might be faulty or need cleaningor even be  loose check these and give them a clean a dab of silcone grease on the spades helps keep them free from corrosion also check wheels as a friend who had his brakes changed at a garage was loosing fluid from 2 bleed nipples that had been undone when brakes were changed but not tightened up enough when finished

Level sensor isn't connected through the cap, it's just behind, in the main part of reservoir, see e.g. second pic here Skoda Fabia Brake Master Cylinder 1.6 Diesel CAYC 2013 | eBay

 

Not sure if driving off without having released handbrake fully gives same warnings as OP experienced, I would suggest experimenting with that if - when checked - the brake fluid isn't very low.

 

Clutch circuit fluid would only get changed with brake fluid if the garage/person who did it was quite thorough and bled at the clutch slave, which I doubt happens widely.

Hasn't changed anything noticeable in brake or clutch function when I've changed out fluid, I'll say. Still worth doing if there's nothing recent in the service record about it.

7 hours ago, xman said:

Standing back now....beware the incoming Sepulchre flame thrower 🔥

 

No, you're right, it isn't technically an emulsion, it just looks like one.

 

Luckily this is still a self-help group for fixing cars and best advice is still to get that nine year old brake fluid changed and find out why the level was so low.

9 hours ago, Pete_Ex-Wino said:

Not sure if driving off without having released handbrake fully gives same warnings as OP experienced,

 

IIRC Handbrake warning lamp has a P in it. Low fluid / ABS fault warning lamp is different and has an exclamation mark !

 

 

3 beeps for low fluid, single beep for handbrake on, again IIRC

Edited 1 March, 20224 yr by xman