# Brake light on dash won't turn off



## Suburb Thuggin (Jul 23, 2009)

Today when I went for a drive my car started beeping. on the dash the odometer read brake letting me know I still had my e brake on and the brake light was on the dash but the e brake was all the way down. The car rolled backwards on a hill which leads me to believe that it's not actually on but after my drive I smelt a little bit of brakes burning. I have no idea whats happening


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## dirks67goat (Jan 15, 2010)

more than likey u are going to have to replace the rear rotors and parking brake shoe if it is the setup i am thinking about. the shoe is actually located inside the rotor. The parking brake works on the same principle as a drum brake except it is one circular shoe. The setup does not have much room for wear and adjustment. I have Replaced seveal of these types of setups on chevy trucks and SUV's if they are used frequently, especialy if used while the vehicle was in any type of motion.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Sounds like your brake handle was NOT all the way down. If the light comes on and you smelled brake, it was not fully released.


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## Suburb Thuggin (Jul 23, 2009)

I'm not that stupid, I've ripped the e-brake and put it down multiple times to make sure.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Perhaps your e-brake cable is siezed? I've had it happen to me on a couple different cars. Usually my solution is to simply take a wire or bolt cutter to the e-brake cable.

Alternately, get some WD40, disconnect the cable, and spray as much of it down the sheath as you can, then try working it, see if it breaks loose.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Suburb Thuggin said:


> I'm not that stupid, I've ripped the e-brake and put it down multiple times to make sure.


Of course not, you have to understand how it works. If your light comes on that means your parking brake is not fully down because the switch it located on it. If its not fully down that leads to your cable(s) is binding pretty badly. Are you mechanicly inclined? If so do it yourself. If I remember right the cable don't expose itself until it gets to your wheel area. I usally lube mine every six months. You may have to remove the wheel and rotor to get to the brake shoes. Give it a good cleaning and lube it up. Take your time because getting the rotor off is a pain in the butt because it gets rusted on. It takes plenty of WD-40/or break free stuff to get it off.

Also check your brake fluid..


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

My e-brake froze from the ice a few weeks ago. I was able to go backwards no problem. Couldn't move an inch foreward though. Sounds like your e-brake didn't fully disingage.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Poncho Dan said:


> Perhaps your e-brake cable is siezed? I've had it happen to me on a couple different cars. Usually my solution is to simply take a wire or bolt cutter to the e-brake cable.
> 
> Alternately, get some WD40, disconnect the cable, and spray as much of it down the sheath as you can, then try working it, see if it breaks loose.


Go to a motorcycle shop and buy some cable lube. Its like $10 or so. I use it on my throttle and clutch cable and have no binding. There is also a very fine tip you a get to spray though the sheeth.


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## Suburb Thuggin (Jul 23, 2009)

I took my car in today because I don't like messing around with the safety features of my car but halfway there, the brake light turned off and it works perfectly. I decided to leave it there for one day just in case but this confused me even more.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Drive your car a bit and feel your wheel wheels to see if they are hot. If so you def having some something dragging..


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## Suburb Thuggin (Jul 23, 2009)

When I got to the dealership I felt heat coming from the back and not the front. Maybe the caliper was sticking or something?


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

^ sounds like your on the right track.


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## racer3912 (Feb 10, 2010)

Suburb Thuggin said:


> Today when I went for a drive my car started beeping. on the dash the odometer read brake letting me know I still had my e brake on and the brake light was on the dash but the e brake was all the way down. The car rolled backwards on a hill which leads me to believe that it's not actually on but after my drive I smelt a little bit of brakes burning. I have no idea whats happening


Last fall my 06 had a similar problem but with no smell of brakes. Warning started beeping for no apparent reason, fluid was full, parking brake was released, and brakes felt good. Parking brake was not set, but when I got back in the car, the beeping started. I drove it 500 miles to my honeymoon destination, it came on approximately 3 of the seven days we were down there, never came on during the ride home, and never came on after that. It came on during the first year I had the car with about 2000 miles on it. And the next time was about a year and a half later at around 9000 miles. I am assuming it might be some type an I/P glitch?


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