Brake Light Comes On After Braking

[ktyrrell]

I have a 99 ES300 with about 63k miles on it. For about the past month my brake light on the dash has been coming on after I brake, usually at a stop sign or traffic light. It goes off when I start to accelerate again. It doesn't do it all the time and it seems to be worse as the temperature gets lower. When the temperature was in the teens a few weeks ago it came on a lot.

The dealer says the pads have about half their life left and couldn't find any thing wrong with the brakes. The stopping power doesn't seem to diminish and the brake fluid reservoir is full.

Any thoughts?

[camlex]

SORRY..

[CUMan]

The reservoir may look full, but add some fluid to it anyway. The sensor in the reservoir is apparently over-sensitive.

[steviej]

The reservoir may look full, but add some fluid to it anyway.  The sensor in the reservoir is apparently over-sensitive.

←

exactly.

very common with toyota and lexus. The fluid is well above MIN, but low enough to trip the sensor. Any DOT III fluid is acceptable and use only new.

steviej

[ktyrrell]

Thanks for the replies. It was 1 degree (F) this morning when I drove to work and the light was on almost conitnually for 15 miles. I picked up some brake fluid during lunch brought the fluid level up to the Max line, it was almost at the low mark after all. It was still about 15 deg. when I drove back to work and the didn't come on once.