Parking Brake Light

[prix]

Hi All -- (This is a pedal type brake on a 1st gen and the release is located on the far left side of the front dash). After I've released the parking break, the parking brake warning light comes on and stays on (or flickers on and off) for a few minutes, even after I've started driving. Very annoying. Tonight, I pulled out the owner's manual, and read up, so know enough to check the brake tomorrow for the 5 to 8 clicks. There were no instructions on how to adjust it. It wouldn't matter if there were, because if a fix involved any tool more advanced than a screwdriver, then I couldn't do it. The other thing I can do tomorrow is to try what SKPerformance recommended in another forum (about driving in reverse and braking hard).

Can anyone tell from my description whether this is 'just' an adjustment problem? The most recent development: The last couple of mornings, when I first started to accelerate, I felt a few seconds of 'drag' on the engine. I am thinking that that is caused by the parking brake on a drum or rotor, but I am not sure. Does that make sense?

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.

[AzHotLS]

It could be the spring that pulls the brake lever up after you release it isn't pulling it back far enough causing the light to stay on. My 90 did that some and by putting my foot in back of the lever and pulling back would get it so the light would go out. Try that to see if that's what happening to you.

Check the brake fluid level to make sure you're not low on fluid.

[jaswood]

Hi All -- (This is a pedal type brake on a 1st gen and the release is located on the far left side of the front dash). After I've released the parking break, the parking brake warning light comes on and stays on (or flickers on and off) for a few minutes, even after I've started driving. Very annoying. Tonight, I pulled out the owner's manual, and read up, so know enough to check the brake tomorrow for the 5 to 8 clicks. There were no instructions on how to adjust it. It wouldn't matter if there were, because if a fix involved any tool more advanced than a screwdriver, then I couldn't do it. The other thing I can do tomorrow is to try what SKPerformance recommended in another forum (about driving in reverse and braking hard).

Can anyone tell from my description whether this is 'just' an adjustment problem? The most recent development: The last couple of mornings, when I first started to accelerate, I felt a few seconds of 'drag' on the engine. I am thinking that that is caused by the parking brake on a drum or rotor, but I am not sure. Does that make sense?

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.

Brake fluid is low, volume expands as it warms up from engine heat.

[prix]

OK, thank you both. I will try these suggestions, check fluid, etc. Hopefully, it's as simple as topping off fluid.

[landar]

I have had this happen on ocassion and I believe it is fairly common. On mine, it was always the parking brake lever switch. I just needed to pull the lever out again to reseat the switch.

[prix]

When you say 'lever' is that the same as 'pedal'? Put my foot in back of the pedal and pull up? Tx.

It could be the spring that pulls the brake lever up after you release it isn't pulling it back far enough causing the light to stay on. My 90 did that some and by putting my foot in back of the lever and pulling back would get it so the light would go out. Try that to see if that's what happening to you.

Check the brake fluid level to make sure you're not low on fluid.

[prix]

Ok, I seem to be mixed up by the terminology (see my other reply). If by the lever switch you mean the 'release' that I yank on to release the parking brake, when I see the light come on, I do pull on the release again if the light stays on. The other day the light stayed on (solid, not even flickering) for about an eighth of a mile. No matter how many times I yanked the parking brake release, the light would not go off. At other times though, pulling on the release did seem to make the light go off. Also, why am I noticing this 'drag' on the engine? It lasted only a few seconds, but it does feel like a brake or something is 'on'. That's happened a couple of times now. We are in the midst of a big storm (tons of rain). I am going to wait for it to lighten up before I take the car out to try a few things. Tx.

I have had this happen on ocassion and I believe it is fairly common. On mine, it was always the parking brake lever switch. I just needed to pull the lever out again to reseat the switch.

[landar]

Can't speak for AzHotLS but for me the lever is the release lever. The one above the pedal that you pull to release the parking brake.