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View Full Version : Parking brake light keeps coming on?


NotMatt
02-21-2004, 11:01 PM
Alright, here's a question for you guys. I have an 87 Cherokee Laredo with a drum brake D44 (factory, yeah!) in the rear and discs up front. Lately my parking brake light has been coming on intermittently, but I found out tonight that I can actually make it come on if I lean on the brakes and come to a quick stop. Vice-versa for making it turn off, all it takes is standing on the brakes in a parking lot and it will go out.

Now, my e-brake never has really worked correctly on this rig, I'm almost certain the lines just need an adjustment... it holds, but pretty much only on flat ground or slight inclines... I just leave it in gear mostly (5 spd.) The brakes themselves feel fine. They stop nice and quick, although sometimes it feels like the pedal goes too far towards the floor before they start grabbing... if I pump it a little, all is well.

Anyway, does anyone know what would be causing this? At first I thought it was maybe that the switch that turns the light on and off when the handle for the park brake is up or down was corroded or just junk, but after I did some tests in the lot and determined that I could control it, it makes me think otherwise.

I remember hearing something about the brake light also being tied into some kind of brake line pressure indicator as well, could this have anything to do with it, and what would cause the light to come on? low brake line pressure? high brake line pressure? Can someone explain this part to me?

Anyway, any ideas ya'll have would be greatly appreciated. It's not that big of a deal, but it's kind of annoying, and if it's an indicator that something else is wrong, then I need to pay some attention to my brakes.

65cruiser
02-21-2004, 11:13 PM
hey,
i don't know for sure but i just fixed my dad's little mazda pukup brake light (his was made to come on when the master cylender gets low) i filled the resavor and it went out

NotMatt
02-21-2004, 11:51 PM
Oh yeah, thanks for mentioning that cause I forgot to put it in the first post... I checked the master cylinder and all seems to be good there, no leaks or anything cause I haven't checked in ages and it was still full.

LAME
02-22-2004, 01:42 AM
Brake light? Fuck off.:flipoff2:

UZI 9mm
02-22-2004, 02:20 AM
Originally posted by LAME
Brake light? Fuck off.:flipoff2:



:laughing:bahahahaha

mike86xz
02-22-2004, 02:38 AM
from my haynes manual the brake indicator light is not tied in with any other systems so it's probably just the switch or the wiring
but maybe you could call a dealership or talk to someone with a different brand of service manual (I dont know how much to trust the schematics in haynes books)

If it's just for the e-brake just pull the bulb then it wont be annoying anymore

Mo
02-22-2004, 06:27 AM
:cow:

mda
02-22-2004, 09:20 AM
Our Dodge van did this. Checked the fluid and all looked good....until the brakes were applied. If you checked it just sitting there and did not apply the brakes you may still be low.

The Rockslut
02-22-2004, 09:50 AM
First, make sure there is no leaks in the rear wheel cylinders and the shoes have plenty of material on them. Then adjust rear brakes. Then adjust e-brake if necessary. Then if there is still a problem I would look at the master cylinder, it could be starting to fail.

papee
02-22-2004, 10:04 AM
I fixed mine with duct tape. yep.. I put a piece of duct tape over the light. fixed:flipoff2:

NotMatt
02-22-2004, 10:17 AM
Sorry guys, figured since this was a specific question about a Jeep, it belonged in "Jeep Talk". Guess not.

Anyway, I'll try out the suggestions today and see what I can come up with. I need to adjust the parking brake anyway, just haven't gotten around to it cause I'm a lazy SOB. :D

gumbojeepyj
02-22-2004, 10:44 AM
adjust your drum brakes and make usre there are no leaks. the light is tired into the emergency brake switch as well as the proportioning valve on teh hydraulic brakes. if hte sensor mounted on the prop valve senses a pressure differential that is out of spec the light will go off.... applying 450psi of line pressure resets it (which is what you did by standing on the brakes). it is probably that the auto adjusters in the rear quit working.