Brake questions

[ASD]

78 sc, I pulled the brake pads as the warning light had been on.
all pads looked ok to me, lots of meat left. I cleaned the brakes front and rear with brake clean spray. Reassembled and test drove. Now the rears are making all kinds of squeaky noises. I had zero noise before this.
Does it matter if I maybe switched the inside pad to the outside? Or what the heck else could I have done? Can't drive it like this....

[emcon5]

30 seconds of searching would come up with the answer to the brake warning light question.

On an SC, the brake warning light comes on when the parking brake is on, or if there is a problem with the brake system. It has nothing to do with the pads.

There are 2 pressure operated brake light switches on the Master Cylinder, one for the front circuit, one for the rear. The are wired so that if the position of the two switches does not agree, (both open or both closed) the logic in the light assumes one of the brake circuits has failed, and turns on the warning light.

If your brakes are in good shape, and properly maintained, the problem is usually one of the switches has become gummed up with old nasty brake fluid, and either doesn't work, or works slower than the other. The switches are inexpensive, and fairly easy to swap, but you must disconnect the battery to reset the light.

Tom

[ASD]

Thanks for that info (I did a few searches but never saw a reference to the pad wear and the light issue)
the light doesn't bother me too much & I can disconnect it, but the pad noise has got me bugged. I will pull them and see what I find.
Also-?? the little spring clip that holds down the pins--- seems really hard to get in over the pins, is this how it is? I kinda had to bend it a bit to snap it in, felt like I might break the rivet.

[emcon5]

Originally posted by ASD
the light doesn't bother me too much & I can disconnect it,

Good plan. That is a much better idea than actually determining the cause, and correcting it.

Tom

[ASD]

real funny, as I understand these lights are not always reliable. If you ain't gonna contribute why post?

[emcon5]

Originally posted by ASD
real funny, as I understand these lights are not always reliable.

OK, just so I understand your logic, you heard the brake warning light is not always reliable, so you immediately assume that because it is on, it can't possibly be working properly, and plan to disable it, without even bothering to determine why it came on? Would you make the same assumptions for your alternator or oil pressure lights?

As I mentioned, the probable cause is the brake light switches on the master cylinder. You know, the same brake light switches that light those pretty red lights on the back of your car to let the latte-drinking-cell-phone-jabbering-following-too-close jackass in the SUV behind you know you are slowing down.

Do a search for brake warning light and read some of the 26 threads on the topic (search "brake warning light" check "search titles only" and this forum, gets 26 threads), most of which include instructions for resetting the light. Follow them. When you reset the light, turn on the ignition with the parking brake off, and step on the brake. If the warning light comes back on, it is for a reason. Find out what that reason is, most likely one of the two ~$6 pressure switches in the master cylinder. It is unlikely, but the warning light could also indicate a pressure differential between the front and rear brake circuits, which could be dangerous.

For all the times this subject has come up over the years, I don't remember "lights are not always reliable" ever coming up.

If you ain't gonna contribute why post?

For your stated course of action, ridicule is the apropriate contribution.

Tom

[ASD]

well I appreciate the re-post. I had never said I was going to turn the light off, only that I could.
This is my second 911, I have owned it for 15 years...so a little background.... I have worked with and around sports and exotic cars since the 60's. Having owned and rebuilt everything from TR3 to XK140 and Corvettes also...I usually don't shortcut, but then again there is a reason that those lights are called idiot lights.