Brake warning light intermittent.
Asked by davemel Dec 27, 2011 at 08:51 PM about the 1997 Mitsubishi Galant ES
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Brake warning light came on. Topped off brake fluid and light went out, for a week. It came back on and i removed and replaced the lid on the brake fluid and it once again put the light out. For a few more days. If i remove the lid it goes out each time?
2 Answers
You might want to have your parking brake line checked out.
Since the brake system is a closed system (it does not "use up" brake fluid), the level of your brake fluid reservoir should not go down noticeably in only a week. (It will go down over the course of the life of the pads, but it's supposed to do that). If you're experiencing fluid loss in the time frame of only a week or month, you probably have a leak somewhere. If you are not familiar with brake systems (I'd guess that you are not, since you're asking about this issue), you should bring it to a competent mechanic or brake shop to have them checked. Many times, it's a leaky seal in one of the calipers or wheel cylinders. Leaks there can cause diminished braking due to the fluid soaking into the pads, possibly causing an accident when you can't stop quickly.