URGENT - Brake warning light - 2003 Nissan Almera N16

Kilty_2

The brake warning light ( (!) - same one that's on when the handbrake is engaged) has come on during my drive to work this morning. It was flickering on and off but as I came into the car park at work it came on steadily and now remains on when I start the engine and disengage the handbrake.

What should I do? I'm 15 miles from home :eek:. I have AA cover but only the basic roadside cover.

Can't check the brake fluid level at the moment because it's dark and I can't find a torch (but I will do as soon as it's light)

Browntoa

unless its the handbrake switch , its under the cover behind the handbrake , as you pull up the handbrake it presses the switch and puts on the light. It may have come loose and jammed is the closed position , leaving the light on

you can get the same with the brake pedal switch, it comes loose and the brake lights stay on all the time.

but to be safe I would wait for light and check the level of the fluid then make sure the brake pedal does not feel spongy

torbrex

Some cars are fitted with a switch in the brake pads that puts on a light when the pads/shoes need changing so it could be that you need new ones, nip into Kwik-fit and get a free brake check done.

Kilty_2

Browntoa wrote: »

but to be safe I would wait for light and check the level of the fluid then make sure the brake pedal does not feel spongy

Thanks - it's still not light enough yet :rotfl:.

torbrex wrote: »

Some cars are fitted with a switch in the brake pads that puts on a light when the pads/shoes need changing so it could be that you need new ones, nip into Kwik-fit and get a free brake check done.

They're < 5000 miles old, I'd hope they're not requiring changing again. Thanks though

Alias_Omega

I had a renault clio, the same day i bought it from the car dealer, i was going down a motorway sliproad, the road was banking over to join another motorway. I was travelling at 70mph.

As it went over, the brake light ( (!) ) would flash on and off with the word stop, upon straight and level again it would go out.

The brake fluid was low, as there was a sensor in the cap of the resevoir, as the car leaned, the fluid drained out of it. A top up a few weeks later and it stopped doing it.

Obviously they did check the levels when i bought it, the car was 6 months old when bought.

Kilty_2

I ended up calling the AA (decided I'd use the membership I pay for) who came out and diagnosed the problem - it was low brake fluid.

The patrolman checked the brake lines for signs of leakage and couldn't see anything obvious - so I'll be keeping an eye on the level every day. He topped up the fluid and the light's out :T:T

I guess it's a bit of a trivial thing to call them about but I had no real way of getting brake fluid if I had found it to be low myself (I'm a security assistant - can't leave the premises) and if there had been a leak somewhere I might not have noticed after topping it up :eek:

Must say the AA were fantastically efficient :j:T(even for a non-urgent call out - which I told the operator this certainly was since my car was in a car park and out of harm's way) and I'd recommend them. It only cost me £27 for the year online and I got £25 Quidco at the time :rotfl:

Alias_Omega

Kilty,

As the brake pads wear down, the pistons in the calipers push further out. With them coming out further, the fluid requires to fill a space. Therefore the fluid drains down from the resevoir.

Check it again in a week, and when the pads are changed again, the fluid should be drained a little as it would be over-filled again.

Regards,

Alias