Brake light and abs light on, my brakes are soft ( needs to be replaced ) if I replace brakes will both lights go off?
Brakes are soft they need replacing. ABS and BRAKE light coming on I know I'm playing with fire driving with them on.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
A soft brake pedal generally indicates a hydraulic issue with the brake system. If the hydraulic system has a leak or a faulty seal in components such as the brake master cylinder of ABS pump, the brake system will not operate with the correct pressure. Worn brake pads may make the brake pedal travel farther than say new brake pads, but this generally does not cause a "soft" brake pedal. Replacing brake pads may not turn the ABS and BRAKE lights off. An abs system inspection should be performed by a certified technician before replacing any parts that may or may not correct your issue. I cannot predict if you will have a further issue but as far as is it unsafe ? Yes, driving with a possible hydraulic fault with the brake system is very unsafe as the brakes may fail entirely.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
One reason your vehicle`s ABS light is on is that it may be sensing abnormally low levels of brake fluid. If your brake fluid is low, you will be able to notice through the quality of your car`s braking as it may seem soft or spongy. In some cases, you may need your car`s brake fluid replaced altogether.
The four common reasons that typically cause this light to turn on include a malfunctioning ABS module, low levels in the fluid reservoir, broken wheel speed sensors, or the system is turned off.
No. If your brake pedal feels spongy, your vehicle is not safe to drive. Identify and repair the underlying issue as quickly as possible. Spongy brakes are common and dangerous problems for any vehicle and indicative of a deeper problem.
When your ABS system malfunctions are can also cause a spongy brake pedal. Your ABS system is designed to allow the driver to maintain more control of the car in a high-speed stop.
If both the ABS and the brake system light come on at the same time, your vehicle is no longer safe to drive. This means there is a serious problem with the car`s braking system and continuing to drive puts yourself and others at risk.
In short, changes in the base brake system characteristics (hardware) may impact ABS/TCS/ESP performance in any or all of these three areas.
If your car has an antilock brake system (ABS), a leak in the ABS unit could also lead to the brake pedal sinking to the floor. If you suspect there is a problem with your braking system based on the above-mentioned signs, don`t ignore the problem and continue driving.
If the brakes are soft or spongy, this is a good time to change or flush the brake fluid. Flushing the brake fluid, commonly called bleeding the brakes, gets rid of the air. (Bleeding the brakes uses fluid to push air out of the brake system.) Over time, brake fluid absorbs moisture.
The most common reason for a soft brake pedal is simply air still in the system. The easiest way to diagnose this problem is to pump the brake pedal gently a few times. In doing so, the pedal should become firmer with each gentle press of the pedal.
Constant hard braking can trigger your ABS when it isn`t needed, wearing out and stressing the system prematurely. It can also reduce tyre traction and wear a flat spot onto one or more of your tyres and damage your drive shaft.
Pedal and hold
Hold. Bleed. Repeat. Loud callouts of “pump it up” or “pressure” and “hold it down” can make the garage or driveway sound like a Sunday morning at the Waffle House, but the two-person procedure is a tried and true way to get the brakes bled quickly.
In certain cases, depending on the model of vehicle, when the ABS module fails, the brake pedal may become unresponsive. This is an obvious problem, as an unresponsive brake pedal will not stop a vehicle, or will not be able to do so in an adequately safe manner. In most cases, this will happen slowly, over time.
There are many things you will have to do and purchase in order to fit a working ABS into your car. You will need things like pressure regulators, which distribute the brake fluid between all wheels. You will also need the sensors and triggers for the wheel, and probably the new rotors.
Resetting Your ABS Dashboard Warning Light
Step One: Disconnect the positive cable from your car battery. Then, hold down the brake pedal to drain the vehicle`s electrical system. This will result in a reset of the car`s central computer. Plug the cable back in to restore power.
In general, you can still continue driving even if your car`s ABS light is on. This is because your car`s brakes still function as usual and can still slow your vehicle down.
If your ABS Warning Light turns on frequently, your mechanic can try to reset the ABS control module (like resetting a computer) to see if it fixes the problem by: Disconnecting the positive cable from the vehicle battery. Holding down on the brake pedal to drain the vehicle`s electrical system.
The cup seals or the cylinder bore may be worn. Any time that the brake pedal of a vehicle is fading towards the floor, internal leaking or cup seals being bypassed must be considered. A fading pedal that has no external leak is one of the most common master cylinder symptoms caused by the cup seals.
ABS sensors are cylindrical magnets surrounded by a coil, and mounted inside the disc brake support. They are subject to collect metallic debris from the pads, which will degrade the generated signals to the ABS computer, causing it to actuate ABS inappropiately, evident by the brake pedal pulsating.
Typically, a problem with the brake lines is due to a leak somewhere in the system which is causing brake fluid loss or there is a bad seal in the master cylinder. There is also the possibility that air has gotten into the brake lines.
In most cases, stiff brakes are caused by problems with the brake booster. Brake boosters multiply the force applied to your brake pedal, and they work in tandem with the hydraulic fluid in the brake lines. This system, also known as power brakes, allows you to stop a two-ton vehicle with just your foot!
“The key ingredient to any brake system is line pressure,” Dickson comments. “That pressure determines the clamping force of the calipers. We recommend at least 1,200 psi as the ultimate line pressure under severe braking conditions.”
The easiest way is with the brake pads in situ. Simply push a flat blade screwdriver in between the brake pads and twist. This will separate the brake pads and, in turn, push back the pistons to the reset position.
Essentially, the system pumps the brakes automatically for you, preventing them from locking up. Therefore, according to the experts: You do not have to pump your brakes. In fact, if you pump them while braking hard, you will lose the benefits of the ABS.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Brake light and abs light on, my brakes are soft ( needs to be replaced ) if I replace brakes will both lights go off?
ANSWER : A soft brake pedal generally indicates a hydraulic issue with the brake system. If the hydraulic system has a leak or a faulty seal in components such as the brake master cylinder of ABS pump, the brake system will not operate with the correct pressure. Worn brake pads may make the brake pedal travel farther than say new brake pads, but this generally does not cause a "soft" brake pedal. Replacing brake pads may not turn the ABS and BRAKE lights off. An abs system inspection should be performed by a certified technician before replacing any parts that may or may not correct your issue. I cannot predict if you will have a further issue but as far as is it unsafe ? Yes, driving with a possible hydraulic fault with the brake system is very unsafe as the brakes may fail entirely.
Abs light, emergency brake light, steering wheel assist light, engine light, EPC light, traction control light
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The vehicle does utilize a lot of the same sensors for these systems. Are there any other codes that are coming up when this code appears? If so you will want to take these into consideration when processing the repair and making a diagnosis. The module may be bad, and replacing it should fix the problem. The lights should turn off once the main computer recognizes the new module and the sensors sync up. If you believe the sensors need to be cleaned you may do so. Do as minimal as possible to make sure you are not damaging the sensor or disrupting the wiring inside. A bad connection would make the lights stay on. With so many lights that are effected by the module being illuminated, the module is likely bad or does not have a connection. Check the connection first and then resort to replacing the unit. For more help with these electrical tests, contact our service department.
EPC light on 2004 Jetta. Code said brake switch faulty, but brakes lights worked. Replaced brake switch, now no brake lights.
ANSWER : Hi there. The first thing that pops in my mind beyond of what you have listed is perhaps the electrical harness attached to the brake switch. Perhaps the harness itself is damaged or you have an exposed wire, loose ground wire somewhere. You might want to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a brake lights not working inspection to help you diagnose this issue.
Brake lights are not working. replaced brake light swtch still no brake lights. the third brake light the connection was melted at
ANSWER : The first thing to do is to repair third brake light and replace the brake light fuse and then see if the third brake lights work and the lower lights start working? If only the 3rd brake light starts working then you may need a further checks on the turn signal flasher or switch could be bad.
abs light on brake line broke have been replace I bleed brake line but brake pad still go to the floor now wheels lock up
ANSWER : Hello. If the brake pedal is going to the floor then that means that it is not building pressure. If the brake system has been fully bled and there is no air in it then most of the time it is a bad master cylinder or it can be caused by a bad ABS module. If the brake fluid was low and if air got into the system then the only way to properly bleed it is with a scan tool that would allow you to open and close the valves in the ABS unit. Air gets trapped in these easily if the brake fluid gets low. This can also explain why the brakes are locking up. I would usually use my scan tool to bleed the system out first before going any further. I would also scan the brake control module to see what it is reading as a fault. If there is no air in the system and if there is no prominent code then I would replace the master cylinder first. If you want to check out why your brakes are locking up, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose and repair this.
When I put my foot on the brake my back left brake light goes off, when I take it off the brake the brake light comes on
ANSWER : I would suggest trying to disconnect and reconnect the wiring to the rear lights. I have seen these older Toyota vehicles rear lighting short out on the lights themselves due to the way the light circuit was made on the lamp housing. Look at the housing circuit on the light to see if one is touching another, and that could tell you why it is malfunctioning. There could also be a problem with the brake light switch. If you are not comfortable dealing with wires, I recommend getting in touch with a certified mechanic who can look at your brake light issue for you to see what’s going on.
I replaced the brake light switch. Gear lever unlocked because it had locked. Now the brakes feel hard.
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. You need to check the brake switch install adjustment. You may have the switch adjusted too tight and it is holding the the brake pedal partly down. This will cause the brake master cylinder to not release the brakes when you let off the pedal. Readjust the switch away from the pedal until you feel some free play again in the pedal. This should fix the problem. If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect and diagnose this issue for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.
brake and abs light won’t go off after replaceing brake pads and ft. rotors.
ANSWER : Your car is equipped with wheel speed sensors at each of the four wheels which monitor wheel speed while relaying this information constantly to the ABS and traction control system which are controlled by the car’s ECU. When the ECU senses an abnormal speed given specific conditions, it engages the ABS or traction control as needed to control the vehicle properly and safely. In your case these sensors may have been bumped or need to be reset due to the movement when the brakes were replaced. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose your ABS and traction control system.
