Parking Brake light wont go out..

[rbford]

I have had my Delorean since 1995 and have never had this problem before, with the parking brake (emergency brake) fully released the parking brake light wont go out, I tried pulling the bulb, replacing it and cleaning the connection but the light stays on...I know that the simple solution is to just remove the bulb, but I like having the bulb working just as a reminder.

I have noticed when driving the car of you make a sharp left turn, the light will go out....straighten out the wheel or make a right turn and the light comes back on again. This test can be done over and over again with the same results.

I'm going to remove the rear wheels and take a look this weekend...but the emergency brake absolutely does still work when the handle is pulled up, so I'm guessing it's not a cable.

Does it sound like something is sticking somewhere or most likely a adjustment to the emergency brake adjustment screw ?

Thanks,

Rob

[krs09]

Not even sure if this applies but with newer cars (I think the D too) the light can come on if your low on brake fluid. The light being intermittent while driving and making turns also makes me thinks it could be a low fluid issue (fluid moving around in resviour)

[Jonathan]

Hi Rob,

Two things come to mind:

- check your brake fluid level and overall condition of the reservoir (EDIT: what Chris said! Didn't see that in time... lol).

and

- check the switch at the lever beside the drivers seat.

Both of those two things can and will turn your bulb on for the BRAKE.

If the brake fluid is low, the light is also supposed to come on. It is the same warning light for the emergency brake being engaged so can be a little confusing. When you describe the turning left and right to make it go on and off, it might be just a bit too low and the sloshing around is potentially making the sensor see low, high, low or something like that.

The switch that engages or disengages when you pull up on the lever beside the seat may also be loose or not quite in the proper position and when you push down on the lever to put it back into the disengaged position, there is a metal part of the lever (under the rubber sleeve and under the carpeting piece which you can easily remove) that is supposed to push the plunger on the switch in and turn the light off. If something isn't right, or connected well with the wiring, it might be doing what you are seeing.

Check both of those first perhaps as they are each easier than pulling wheels off and inspecting your parking brake calipers (which there is no electrical nor pneumatic going back to, so not much feedback to the switch nor bulb that could be making the bulb stay on). Let us know how you do.

[rbford]

Not even sure if this applies but with newer cars (I think the D too) the light can come on if your low on brake fluid. The light being intermittent while driving and making turns also makes me thinks it could be a low fluid issue (fluid moving around in resviour)

Well, it seems the most simple solution is the last one that comes to mind...You were right, it was just a hair low on brake fluid...added a little and it looks like the problem is solved, I was doing everything BUT the most obvious...Thanks very much for the help.

[Jonathan]

Well, it seems the most simple solution is the last one that comes to mind...You were right, it was just a hair low on brake fluid...added a little and it looks like the problem is solved, I was doing everything BUT the most obvious...Thanks very much for the help.

Good news Rob. Glad you found it.

Now, why was it low? You can check for leaks under the car or at the wheels, and definitely at and under the master cylinder (as the epoxy on your frame will thank you for that).

If it's not leaks, it's perhaps just a function of brake pads getting thinner over time and thus the pistons need to push just a tiny bit further and need a bit more fluid to make up that space. That could be why the fluid got low over time. If you take it a step further, you may also want to consider doing a brake fluid flush or change out. Most of our cars get driven infrequently enough to make brake pad thicknesses last a long time. As a guess, if this is the case with the age of your pads and the fluid with it, you might want to at least have a look in the reservoir for any gunk and/or flush all the fluid out to each wheel and fill it back up with new stuff.

Just a suggestion of course. You know your brake system condition better than I do.

[krs09]

Well, it seems the most simple solution is the last one that comes to mind...You were right, it was just a hair low on brake fluid...added a little and it looks like the problem is solved, I was doing everything BUT the most obvious...Thanks very much for the help.

No problem. That's why we're here. +1 for checking for minor leaks. My master cylinder was leaking where it meets with the booster (running down onto the frame). My first sign was my fuel tank cover plate epoxy was bubbling.

[David T]

No problem. That's why we're here. +1 for checking for minor leaks. My master cylinder was leaking where it meets with the booster (running down onto the frame). My first sign was my fuel tank cover plate epoxy was bubbling.

Have you been flushing your brake fluid? It needs to be flushed and replaced every 2 years. If it is dark and thick looking you are way past due. You should be checking the level at least once a year. The level does go down as the pads wear but it happens very slowly especially if you do not drive the car a lot. A leak is more likely.