Periodical handbrake RED warning icon on dash

[chris blue]

Hi. The red dash light, with the exclamation mark in the middle. Comes on now and again, like a dimmer switch. Sometimes bright, sometimes not, sometimes not on. No other lights.

Done a fair bit of searching on here, and on line, and the general advice is brake fluid needs topping up, possibly the sensor on the brake fluid reservoir, handbrake switch, brake pads low, ABS sensor??? , handbrake cables (I do have to reach for the sky when pulling handbrake up, but its been like that for years and even passed MOT)

Anything else to check? (Already checked to fluid level- looks fine, but will top up tomorrow)
Will check if theres any drag on rear wheels- but checked this only couple weeks ago and they seemed fine

Front slider pins recently lubed up with brake grease

Its a phase 1, so handbrake adjustment is under the exhaust shielding under the car.... not at handbrake? Is that right

Comments appreciated.

Thanks

 

[JamesBryan]

Could be a dodgy contact on the handbrake sensor or brake fluid as you've mentioned.

Not heard of it coming on for abs related issues.

Handbrake adjustment is underneath the heat shield yeah.

 

[Brigsy]

Will be related to fluid level/sensor or wiring to the sensor on the handbrake lever. It wont be handbrake cables as the lever needs to be pulled to activate the sensor.

Cant see it being anything to do with abs as a fault in that system should trigger abs/serv lights.

 

[chris blue]

Thanks all. Nice to have feedback on a small job that you arent quite certain about

It was the brake fluid level for now, anyway. A few mm left on the pads as yet- will wipe them out at Brands in November, and fit a spare set i have at the track

Will blled the brakes as soon as weather is good, and a litre of 5.1 turns up

Isnt the brake fluid reservoir really difficult to see the level of fluid in?
I just filled to within an inch of the top, after removing what i could with a turkey baster.

The sensor mechanism (under the top lid of the brake reservoir) sounds like some sort of slider pin in a tube, which i guess floats when inserted into the fluid, and when the fluid runs lower, the slider pin connects with the lower part of the sensor to make the warning light live. Just a guess, i know what i mean. lol

Anyone tell me if you can do the handrake cable on axle stands- or is it a lift needed>

 

[JamesBryan]

Thanks all. Nice to have feedback on a small job that you arent quite certain about

It was the brake fluid level for now, anyway. A few mm left on the pads as yet- will wipe them out at Brands in November, and fit a spare set i have at the track

Will blled the brakes as soon as weather is good, and a litre of 5.1 turns up

Isnt the brake fluid reservoir really difficult to see the level of fluid in?
I just filled to within an inch of the top, after removing what i could with a turkey baster.

The sensor mechanism (under the top lid of the brake reservoir) sounds like some sort of slider pin in a tube, which i guess floats when inserted into the fluid, and when the fluid runs lower, the slider pin connects with the lower part of the sensor to make the warning light live. Just a guess, i know what i mean. lol

Anyone tell me if you can do the handrake cable on axle stands- or is it a lift needed>

Yeah the fluid is hard to tell where it's at and also the tube of the cap displaces fluid as it's inserted, so it doesn't need as much as you think sometimes.

The sensor is just a float pretty much yeah.

You can do the cables on stands easy enough, the higher the better though so it's comfortable.