Parking brake light coming on

[CHROMEDCRUISER]

In the last couple days or so, my parking brake light has come on when I do a good hard acceleration. It only comes on for a quick second, and a short chime will sound. I've got 16,500 miles on my 2003. I try not to use the brake really hard, opting for the tansmission to help slow me down as well (5 spd). I did a search and found that it's the brake pads that are wearing out. Is this the case, or could it be a short in the wiring?

[2step]

Yes...pad wear and low fluid level will do that. In my own case, I continued to drive a few more weeks and the warning light stayed on for a progressively longer time. After brake job, all is well.

[PTurbed]

quote:Originally posted by CHROMEDCRUISER

I Is this the case, or could it be a short in the wiring?

Check your brake fluid & add as necessary until you get the brakes done. Probably not a short.

[Cal Cruzer]

Yeah, just low fluid. I would have your brakes inspected. You probably have quite a few miles left on the current pads, this is just an early warning shot over the bow.

There seems to be a wide disparity in the pad life on these cars. I inspect my brakes every time I rotate my tires and at 23,000 miles I have more than half of the pads left. I wonder why some are wearing out so soon? Some people are doing brakes before they ever reach 20,000.

[bigtommy83]

Driving habits or differents pads from different suppliers at different times. Ust like electrical products. They can look the exact same and have the same part number but they can be made by two or more different companies. Depends on who had the lowest bid, but mainly it is driving habits. Like two fotting it or catching the brakes as soon as you can read the warning label on the stop sign.

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by 2step

Yes...pad wear and low fluid level will do that. In my own case, I continued to drive a few more weeks and the warning light stayed on for a progressively longer time. After brake job, all is well.

That's what it was with mine. If you add fluid, when you push the pistons back when you do change pads, the master cylinder may overflow.
I changed pads instead & found the originals had about 1/2 thickness left. I don't regret it - put in Raybestos ceramic pads and NO DUST.

[Cal Cruzer]

quote:[ If you add fluid, when you push the pistons back when you do change pads, the master cylinder may overflow.

This is just part of doing brakes. Just bleed out the extra or use a vacuum pump and take it out of the MC. I don't like to waste anything so I use 'em up before I replace things.

[Hooligan]

[quote]quote:Originally posted by quicksilverdon

Originally posted by 2step

In my own case,
I changed pads instead & found the originals had about 1/2 thickness left. I don't regret it - put in Raybestos ceramic pads and NO DUST.

I changed mine at 28K to NAPA ceramics, had over 1/2 pad left. Once changed, NO DUST, just like they day.

[SuGamer]

Hey guys. If you have a PT with ABS, the service manual states not to push the brake fluid back into the master cylinder. You're supposed to add alittle fluid first, then open the bleeder screw so the extra fluid in the piston can come out while you push the piston back into the caliper. Do that on both sides of the brakes you are changing (ie., fronts or rears) then top off the brake fluid when then job is done.