My car was towed due to a burned out coil (it lasted over 299,000 miles!). After I got it running again, the parking brake/brake warninglight on the dashboard has been on. I checked the brake fluid and noticed it was adversely low so I topped it off (no idea why, there are no leaks in the system), however the brake light was still on.

My parking brake has been unused for several years and is completely siezed up, so I don't think the tow truck driver would have pulled it to trigger the warning light.

Is there any otherevent that would cause the light to come on like this? I normally wouldn't care as the car is about worn out but this light prevents me from engaging the cruise control, and I need to get my car e-checked (Ohio emissions check) and they refuse to check the car with the light on. I need to get this done beforethe end of the month.

The car is a 1992 Camry. This light comes on when you pull the parking brake lever, and has also come on to signify low or high brake fluid in the master cylinder.

Any leads would help!

 

The Brake Light is connected in parallel to the following switches:

Emergency brake handle or foot switch via a Red/White wire.

Brake fluid level switch via a Red/Yellow wire.

All switch have White/Black ground wires.

One or more switches need to be closed to ground the power coming from the brake dashlight and turn it on.

To attempt to locate the the switch. Disconnect the wiring going to the fluid level switch. The switch is located in the lid having a float type switch. Unplug the wiring going to the switch. If the light is still on then the problem is the emergency brake switch.

The tow truck operator may have attempted to apply the E-brake. Perhaps they were able to get it to move just a little closing the switch.

If this is the case you will need to attempt to push or pull the handle or pedal back to fully retracted position.

If you have a E-brake pedal the switch is easily located under the dash near the top of the handle.

If you have a frozen E-brake handle the task of accessing the switch is more difficult. The handle needs to be lifted up to allow the console to move up and be removed to access the switch.

You should be able to access the E-brake handle pivot joint at its base by pushing away the flexable covering on the center console. Then spraying WD-40 using the long small pipe the comes with the can to direct the fluid onto the pivot joint and free it up.

Once done there are screws in the glove compartment that when removed will allow the back of the center console to be lifted up and out.

 

Actually, the ebrake should definitely have been put on if it was towed on a flatbed, thats what they did with mine. Put it in park and rip the ebrake. I'd definitely check that.

If it wasnt a flatbed, forget I said anything

 

Thanks guys for the pointers, turns out it's the fluid level switch. On my car it's on the side of the master cylinder, and that sensor must be bad. Disconnecting it turned the light off, so now I can go get e-checked without getting hassled.

In all the years I've been under my hood, I never noticed that wire! Of course I never looked for it before either.

I still have no idea how I lost brake fluid during the tow, it was fine before and I have lost no fluid since I topped it off after the tow. Maybe with the car tilted I lost some through the cap?

Oh, the car was not towed on a flatbed, so no pulling on the e-brake lever which is on the console in my car. I'm guessing the float must be stuck at a low level indicator, which I'll have to get in there and see if I can pop it loose from inside, or maybe just replace it. I'll look into that in the spring (if I still have the car, it has 301099 miles on it, so I hope to have a replacment by then).

 

If the float is in the cap might remove it to work on. Use an ohmmeter to test it for switch continuity.

 

We have two generation 2 Camrys in our family (XLI '87 and GLI '91) both with the same problem. In both cars the brake warning light goes on as soon as I push the brake pedal for the first time after the car is running.

Fluid levels are ok. If I use the hand brake (located in the central console) the light is lit and shut off when I release it - as it should. But when I use the brake pedal the light turns on and stays on until I stop the engine.

The problem emerged in my car (2.0 GLI '91) after I had a brake fluid pipe changed at my local repairshop. The previous pipe was rusted which caused a leak. But when the pipe was changed and the leak was fixed the brake warning light stayed on. As I said earlier, brake fluid levels are ok.

What to do? It's really irritating to have the brake warning light constantly on...

 

I'm also experiencing the brake light remianing on in my '92 Camry following repaining the left front brake flex line for a leak. With leak fixed, lines bled, and fluid reservoir full, the light remains on. Reading the above posts and analysis from Toyomoho, I suspect the problem is the brake fluid reservoir float switch. I'll try disconnecting the switch wire to confirm. My theory is since this switch almost never activates, it is failing to re-open after activating after almost 20 years. I'll report back.

 

My theory appears correct. I jiggled the brake fluid reservoir and pumped the rubber cap. The light extinguished and remained so. The only way to test and be sure is to drain fluid from the system and see if the light comes on. I'm not enthused about that! I'll leave sleeping dogs lie.

 

The only connection to the brake light is the E-brake and brake reservoir switches.

Typically the cap has a float switch incorporated. If you move the float the light should turn on and off with the movement that is simulating the brake fluid level.

 

There is a switch located under the dash, where the brake peddle-arm comes down. That switch is probably stuck. It’s, usually a spring-loaded switch, that the brake peddle-arm makes contact with. Follow the brake-peddle arm up underneath the dash and feel for the switch. Jiggle the switch and it’ll probably come loose and your lights will go off. If it’s an older car, it may be dirty. If that’s the case. go to an auto-parts store and buy some contact cleaner. If your flexible, you can get your head underneath the dash, so that you can see the switch.