brake light problem

[Graham]

I had a problem with my brakes and the light came on. I have replaced just about everything in the brake system and the light is still on. any ideas on how to make it go out? other than removing the light or unplugging the sensor. Thanks

 

[Gearworks]

its the sensors fault. its located in the proportioning valve directly below the master cylinder, bolted to a bracket on the frame rail. replace that and the problem should go byebye

 

[Graham]

thank you, I will try to find a new sensor. also the front brakes pull to the left. do I have a weak caliper? I replaced the front brake lines.

 

[Gearworks]

sounds like it to me. but keep in mind with these cars it may be a stuck caliper on the side that its pulling toward.

 

[Graham]

on the passenger side one of the brake pads came off of the caliper and got stuck in the rotor. think that could be the side that has the problem? could it be because there is air in the line? this is on the cougar

 

[Graham]

well I changed the sensor and the light is still on I dont know what else to try.

 

[Josh Joseph]

Watch out, definitely check if it could be a stuck caliper.... I had the same pulling prob when I first got my T-Bird on the road. A day later, it was raining, I had to stop, got whipped around and ended up in a 3 foot ditch with the rear wheels off the ground. When I got the car home, I did a brake analyisis, and the caliper that had been pulling froze on me. The car wasn't damaged at all, but I learned about those sticky calipers the hard way.

 

[Gearworks]

maybe check for a shorted wire. other than that unplug it. its something you can tell with the "seat of youre pants" feel quicker than a light can tell you anyway!

 

[Graham]

I noticed a grinding sound coming from the right front brake. so I removed the wheel to find that my rotor was allmost completly worn through on the back side. I replaced the rotor and the caliper and the pulling went away but the light is still on I think its time to unplug it.

 

[Sean Boyle]

When your brakes go out I think there is a piston in your proportioning valve assembly that moves to one side or the other which triggers the light to come on. The piston is normally centered because there is equivalent hydraulic pressure on both sides of the piston. After you fixed the problem the piston is supposed to recenter itself. I think your piston is stuck to one side. To fix it you could possibly remove, clean, and rebuild the proportioning valve. Don't know what you can do with it never needed to mess with it. Just a thought but you could also fix it by diableing the brakes (front or rear) that did not go out last time which would then push the piston to the other side and hopefully get it unstuck. These are just my thoughts here. I've never had a need to touch the proportioning valve.

Sean

 

[Gearworks]

honestly sean, thats a very good idea! i didn't even think of that. but for the time it takes and the absolute HASSLE involved, just unplug. its not worth the headache, unless its just gonna eat at you until you beat it!