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Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?

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Offline Jookycola

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Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« on: September 18, 2007, 11:43:24 PM »
Recently my 1995 2-door track kick has stumbled upon what I think is an oddity.  When ever I make a hard left turn or, hard left U-turn the "BRAKE" light in the cluster lights up.  Then when I straighten out it goes off again.  Why I think it's strange is my brake fluid reservoir is filled and my brakes actually work fine.

So I don’t know if I should just shrug this off as a small short in the light it’s self…or worry that this is a code and it’s trying to tell me something is wrong with my brakes.  But if it’s the latter, why does it only come on when making left turns?  Anybody else ever have this problem?  Does it mean something?
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Offline Digger

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2007, 11:58:27 PM »
Push your e-brake handle sideways to the right and see if the light comes on. My guess is that your leg is resting against the console or your seatbelt buckle is resting against the ebrake housing and when you go around a left hand turn, your body is pushing the handle to the right making the light come on. I do that in my ZJ every once in a while...
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Ira

Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2007, 03:03:54 AM »
It's a pisser talking with people with the same vehicle:

I've had my Tracker about 2 months, and the same thing. Started after about a week. Only on left-hand turns.

The reservoir looked "sufficiently" filled, and in the begnning, it only happened on semi-sharp left turns. Then MOST left turns. Then all of them.

I chalked it up to oh crap, gonna need brakes. But I can't really tell if the brakes are bad because I don't any reference point for this vehicle, and my mechanic didn't mention seeing anything bad there.

It has always stopped fine, no noise, but this pedal requires more pressure to "stay" stopped than my prior vehicles. She would roll if I didn't apply enough pressure.

Well, just yesterday, I filled the reservoir to overflow--and no more light. Also SEEMS to need less pressure to stay stopped.

We'll see how long this lasts.

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Rodzilla

Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2007, 03:49:00 AM »
Sorry I dont have any help with your problem, my '95 hasn't done that. But on another note, I discovered your horn and rear brakelights are on the same fuse. So if the horn stops working, then your rear brake lights have too. Just a little info.
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Offline bentparts

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2007, 03:51:47 AM »
OK, this is too WEIRD! I swear, my 95 Tracker started doing the same thing in left hand turns this weekend. Got home and checked the brake fluid, sure enough it was at the bottom mark on the resevior. Refilled it and got no more light, and better pedal feel too. Mine also requires more pressure on the pedal to hold it stopped than other vehicles I drive. Must be a trackick thing.
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Ira

Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2007, 05:36:02 AM »
Hey--I forgot to mention that mine is a 95 too!!! (2-door.)
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Offline geeeeoooo

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2007, 09:01:05 AM »
ive had that same problem on my 95 2 dr. but it really didnt matter what way i turned, as long as i was turning sharply, and my brake fluid was topped off, but i also overfilled it....just a crotch hair above the line and it quit...this was last december or so, right after i did the front brakes/calipers, hopefully its the same thing goin on with you guys....
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Offline bentparts

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2007, 01:50:40 PM »
Weird, sombody cue the Twilight Zone music...
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Ira

Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2007, 03:17:57 PM »
I'm thinking that since the brake cylinder is on the driver's side, the left, when you MAKE a left, the fluid is centrifugally pushed to the right, and that left side is reading low.

Probably doesn't happen as often on right turns because that pushes the fluid back to the cylinder, and closer to whatever sensor makes that light thingy light up in the first place.

I hope I didn't get too techincal for you all here.
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Offline geeeeoooo

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2007, 06:51:12 PM »
i agree with bill nye the science guy....lol....
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Offline echojeff

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2007, 08:46:21 PM »
Quote from: bentparts on September 19, 2007, 01:50:40 PM
Weird, sombody cue the Twilight Zone music...

Ok here's another one.  My 95 4dr has pretty much always had the brake light on since I got it 2.5 years ago.  I replaced the front pads, and had the back shoes checked and the e-brake adjusted.  It is not always on.  Somtimes it goes off for a while, but it is usually on.  The fluid is just above the high mark.  I will try filling up the neck. 
Jeff
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Offline ROSS

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Re: Bizzare brake light malfunction...or is it a code?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2007, 08:49:23 PM »
the float switch in the res. is not working.  pull the cap off and check it out
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