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Location Of Parking Brake Sensor

by kbrews, March 24, 2007



My wife just called reporting a problem with my mother-in-law's Corolla (ca. 2000, ca. 45,000 miles) and it looks like I may have go over there soon and do a little troubleshooting. The panel light for "brakes" came on intermittently and she reports she was able to make it go out (at least temporarily) by fiddling with the parking brake handle. She reports normal operation of the brakes with no squeaking or change from normal pedal pressure being required.

So, I first suspect its a problem with the parking brake switch or sensor. Where is that located, near the console/handle, along the cable, or near the rear brake itself? Yes, we will also consider that it may be an actual brake problem.

The problem is that the brake pads are ready to be changed. The brake fluid level went down, that is why you see te brake light on the dash going off.

DO not add the brake fluid, maybe just a bit and get a brake expection.

Bikeman982

I would check both the front brake pads and the rear brake shoes.

One or both are worn to the point where they need replacing.

Normally the parking break switch does not need adjustment.

g'day,

check the brake fluid level, before proceeding to troubleshoot further. i got this experience w/ one of mates toyota rav-4 complaining to me that the parking brake light is coming on/off intermittently. i check the parking brake switch but it still doing the same problem when the car is running but when it is at a stop the light went off.

i found the problem later that the level of the brake fluid is low that when the car is running it got this sloshing effect on the brake fluid level sensor triggering the problem.

hope this will help.

rey t

Bikeman982

Check the fluid level, but if it is correct, check the brake pad/shoe wear.

Check the fluid level, but if it is correct, check the brake pad/shoe wear.

Follow-up. This was my mother-in-law's car about 40 miles from my house. Being that I was quite busy, swamped acutally, at work it turns out I didn't have time to run up there and look at it myself anyway so I suggested she have some preventative maintenance done that was coming due and at the same time have the mechanic check the brake fluid and pads. It turned out the fluid was a little low and he said the brake pads were fine. Good that she has an honest independent mechanic to service her Corolla.



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