A few weeks ago I installed a Fastbrakes wilwood brake kit on my 97.

I had wheel chucks behind the rear wheels so the car would not roll backwards while I had the front jacked up. Once I was done I started it up and released the parking brake, while the chucks were still in place. A noise came from the rear and the car lurched forward. I took out the chucks and went for a drive.

Now my parking brake light is always on. The parking brake works fine. But I can't figure out why the light is on.

Could it be a sensor problem, maybe when I released the brake with the chucks in place something got messed up? Or maybe its a problem with the master cylinder?

Thanks,

Steve

 

I have it filled just above the max line. I guess I'll put more in, and see if that helps...

 

could have air in the line, might want to try rebleeding them again. If you havent bled them yet, well thats your problem right there.

 

I forgot how the BF reservoir sensor looked like but check that it isn't sticking in the lower position...

 

If you didn't do a full bleed of the system then that's your answer. Barring that, I'd go with Chunger's suggestion.

 

uhmmm

i fail to see how air in the system would cause the parking brake light to come on. Only other thing i can thnk of is the sensor that is on the end of the actual parking brake handle.

 

It's not a 'parking-brake light' it's a brake-system light. Yes, it indicates the parking brake is up or down and you may well be right that it's a sensor there. However, low fluid, low pressure, air in the lines, master cylinder failure, and so and so forth are also causes for the light to come on.

 

interesting....i will give you a free oil cap if you can show me proof that master cylinder failure or air in the lines will cause that brake light to come on on the Maxima. I believe your wrong, im also ASE certified in brakes.

 

I have bled the entire system 3 times, so I know thats not the problem. I will check the reservoir sensor...I never thought of that.

thanks

 

ABS complaint?? Is the ABS looking for front rotor timing/detection??

 

Low pressure Master cylinder failure or air cannot be detected by your brake system and will not turn on the brake light. You feel and detect these problems when your brake pedal is mushy or goes to the floor. That sort of tells you something is wrong.

Low brake fluid and the position of the parking brake are the only two sensors that will trip that light.

ABS is a completely different system and uses it's own warning light to indicate a system failure.

 

Does this car not have a dual braking system (one set of lines for RightFront and Left Rear, and another set of LeftFront and Right Rear) with a differential pressure sensor between them that activates a warning light when there is a pressure difference?

 

That would be on a disc and drum setup. We have 4 wheel disc brakes. It's divided front and rear. The pressure or braking force is determined by the size of the calipers, pads and rotors. System pressure is equal throughout.

 

4-disk systems use that too. Volvo 240, Ford Escort, Rover 827 and Vauxhall Cavalier to name a few. Heck, I'm pretty sure my Taurus was the same.

Mostly it's a true diagonal split, but the Volvo actual has 4-piston front calipers with one braking system actualtion both top pistons in BOTH fron calipers, plus one rear - the other system frun both bottom pistons in both front calipers plus the other rear. And they all use a brake pressure differential sensor. Anyone who's worked on brakes (and especially if you're ASE) will know the exact sensor type I'm talking about (you have to bleed in with a new MC or dry res) and can tell me if the maxima has one.

I dunno if the max has it - but if it does then that would explain a situation in which a braking system would light up the warning when there is air in the lines. Can I have my oil cap?

 

The fluid level was just above the Min line, so I filled it up and made sure the senor wasnt stuck.

I'm a dumba ss


Thanks for the replies

 

the Maxima is a diagonal split system as are alot of new cars nowadays. sorry no cap for you cause i specified for Nissan. Volvo, VW, Jaguar, those type companies always make things more complicated..haha

Front left and rear right is 1 system and front right and rear left is 1 system. In theory if 1 system fails youll still have use of front and rear brakes at the same time.

 

 

ownage in progress

 

Turtle - I defer to you and Tom and stand corrected/amended.

 

no prob, sorry if i sounded like a d ick, juss wanted to send out the right info, hey at least you learned something from it...

 

1) Does the max have a differential pressure sensor?

2) Does the max have a brake fluid level sensor in the res?

3) Would air or a leak in the lines allow the fluid reservior level to drop enough to trigger the fluid level sensor?


(If not, then Why is Nissan happy with you bleeding out all the fluid through the hole? It's a shared res, so you only need a hole in one place to drain the whole system. And with no warning at all until you step on the boring pedal and you don't actually stop...)

 

little OT, but any suggestions for bending hard lines and should I use lock-tite on the connections? (for the Mustang). I'm in the middle of replacing brakes for it and need to go pickup my pipe bender tommarrow.


edit: pick up my pipe/tubing bender later today

 

sounds like a bad sensor. Mine was on for about a week this past winter and since has never came back on!

Ant

 

 

you wouldnt need locktite on brake lines. there isnt enough vibration to cause them to come loose. as for bending. how much do you need to bend?