Brake Light On?
11-10-2003, 07:21 AM
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Brake Light On?
Hey Guys... past couple days my brake light in my 88 Civic DX Sedan comes on for about 5 mins or so when i first start driving... It then shuts off and stays off? Brakes work fine. Anybody have any ideas?
11-12-2003, 07:54 PM
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yep kai probably hit it, there is a sensor inside the brake cylinder resevoir, and if it gets low that brake light will light up. very simple fix top off ur brake fluid, with some good dot 3 or dot 3/4 fluid and i bet u ur gonna find ur problem, and if u want to see where its going check the brake lines, and the connections at each of the nuckle/hub assemblies possibly uve got a slightly lose connection but honestly if ur brakes work then its a REALLY slow leak or possibly ur system is in need of a good flush and fill with new brake fluid. which any brake place can do for pretty cheap or have one of ur friends come over to empty/refill/ and bleed the brake system.
11-12-2003, 07:56 PM
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and just to throw it out there the only other possibility that it could be is... On the emergency brake there is a plate that when it comes in contact with the frame of the car completes a circuit loop and triggers a sensor to light up that light, anyone who has installed a turbo timer knows what im talking about, and if u take off ur e brake boot and activate it a few times u will also see if that plate is possibly off a little or needs tightenned or loosened but this is VERY rare.
11-17-2003, 11:30 AM
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My 88 CRX started doing this a few days ago. The light would come on and then go off for no apparent reason. I checked the brake fluid level and it was towards the low end so I put in some and it hasn't come on since. Be careful though, because it may mean you just need to change your pads. Actually, I think that's what I should really do too.
11-30-2003, 06:50 AM
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that is how it works...when the pads get really low they require much more fluid to compress the pistons to effectively stop the car creating the low brake fluid signal...everytime i change out pads though i always flush the system with new fluid...usually atx super blue (dot 5)...it works well for street and can handle track days easily
12-09-2003, 12:34 PM
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There is another possibility. Although the brake lights would stay on for longer periods of time. If you go under your dash, follow your brake all the way up. There will be a spring next to where the brake pedal ends. Attached to that spring is a little blue piece of plastic (looks like a small cone). Sometimes these will break off or slightly come out of position. This little piece of plastic fits into a hole that tells the car that the brakes are released. If the piece moves are falls out the car still thinks the brakes are on and the lights will stay on. This is a common problem with older civics and integras.