Parking brake light?

[kyngfish]

Hi All,

Parking brake light is coming on when I'm sitting at idle and cold. It's just blinking on and off, then once I'm moving it's gone, and leaves once I warm up. In my older cars the handbrake indicator also doubled up as an indicator that my brake pads were coming due for a change, is it the same on PCars?

Giving my pads a quick glance seems like they have a bit of life left. (I need to put it up in the air to check for sure).

Anything else it could be?

Best,
Martin

[gomezoneill]

Could be the switch at the parking brake lever. What year is your 911?

[universeman]

Martin, that little light is finicky. There's a switch at the back of the lever that can break off (I had a broken one, installed a new one, and it broke also due to maladjustment of brake cables to the rear wheels)

More than 5-6 clicks of play in the handbrake lever and you're flirting with breaking that switch contact.

If you are lucky and it's not broken, there's a flathead screw on the passenger side of the brake lever that lets you adjust the switch contact up or down, you can mess with that until it gets working/stops flickering - but if that doesn't work you have to pull the lever if you want to address the switch.

In later cars (Carrera+?) that is also a pad sensor I understand. It also registers a brakelight out and low fluid in some cars. In my SC it goes off for brake applied and brakelight out, and (apparently, I think in some cases, not confirmed) voltage spike from alternator.

[kyngfish]

I have a 1986 coupe. I'm getting a slight squeal on light braking lately so I think it might be the brake pads. Happy to check the fluid or anything else you recommend.

[universeman]

Check the fluid (easy) but even better, check the switch by moving the brake handle up and down to see if it goes on/off consistently - should be like clockwork.

Then inspect the pads - you can turn the front wheels all the way to one side and maybe get a mirror or phone camera back there to inspect, without removing the road wheels. Otherwise you have to get the wheels off to see the pads, or else get under the car with jackstands or a lift (removing wheels much easier.)

[darrin]

Originally Posted by kyngfish

I have a 1986 coupe. I'm getting a slight squeal on light braking lately so I think it might be the brake pads. Happy to check the fluid or anything else you recommend.

Kyngfish -- on my '86 targa, there's another light to the left of the brake warning light that illuminates when the pads are low. It's triggered by the rotor breaking continuity when the pad becomes low enough to expose the wires and should stay on once triggered. So, since yours seems to be going on and off (and involves the "other" brake warning light), I don't think your issue is being caused by low pads.

[DRACO A5OG]

The ground connector at the lever may be loose and causing a false reading.