Brake warning light

What I assume is the brake warning light (I have no owner's manual - I
do know it's not the handbrake light) has come on, on my 1995 Ford
Maverick. The brake fluid reservoir is full, so what else could it be?

It's just passed an MOT, so I assume the brake pads are all OK (but I
will check), and I don't think it has sensors for those anyway.

Faulty sensor?
--
Steve Loft

>
> It's just passed an MOT, so I assume the brake pads are all OK (but I
> will check), and I don't think it has sensors for those anyway.
>
> Faulty sensor?

MoT only checks state on the day. The brake test does'nt check pad depth
only whether they work to a certain degree. Possibly the sensor warning you
the depth is on the margin for the pad.

Hirsty's wrote:
> MoT only checks state on the day. The brake test does'nt check pad depth
> only whether they work to a certain degree. Possibly the sensor warning you
> the depth is on the margin for the pad.

I've checked and there are no sensors on the pads.

I've disconnected the plug from the fluid sensor and the light stays on.
I've shorted the contacts on the plug and the light stays on. So I guess
that discounts the fluid sensor.

I don't know if the warning light is for problems other than the fluid
level, if not then maybe the warning system itself is faulty. I could do
with a wiring diagram.
--
Steve Loft

> I've checked and there are no sensors on the pads.


Is it possible that there should be sensors and some muppet at MoT damaged
them, removed them and caused a fault to show ?

"Hirsty's" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> > I've checked and there are no sensors on the pads.
>
>
> Is it possible that there should be sensors and some muppet at MoT damaged
> them, removed them and caused a fault to show ?
>
>

The sensor wire that is.

In message <[email protected]>, Steve Loft
<[email protected]> writes
>Hirsty's wrote:
>> MoT only checks state on the day. The brake test does'nt check pad depth
>> only whether they work to a certain degree. Possibly the sensor warning you
>> the depth is on the margin for the pad.
>
>I've checked and there are no sensors on the pads.
>
>I've disconnected the plug from the fluid sensor and the light stays
>on. I've shorted the contacts on the plug and the light stays on. So I
>guess that discounts the fluid sensor.
>
>I don't know if the warning light is for problems other than the fluid
>level, if not then maybe the warning system itself is faulty. I could
>do with a wiring diagram.
Does it think the hand brake is on?
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

Hirsty's wrote:

> Is it possible that there should be sensors and some muppet at MoT damaged
> them, removed them and caused a fault to show ?

No, I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have them.

--
Steve Loft

hugh wrote:

> Does it think the hand brake is on?

There's a separate light for the handbrake (which is going off OK), so I
assume the handbrake doesn't affect the other brake light.
--
Steve Loft

On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 13:30:02 GMT, Steve Loft wrote:

> It's just passed an MOT, so I assume the brake pads are all OK

That's a bloody stupid assumption. An MoT doesn't test pad wear, all it
tests is brake efficiency on the day.

It could be a pad wear warning, once triggered these usually have to be
reset or it could be an ABS failure.

Steve Firth wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 13:30:02 GMT, Steve Loft wrote:
>
>> It's just passed an MOT, so I assume the brake pads are all OK
>
> That's a bloody stupid assumption. An MoT doesn't test pad wear, all it
> tests is brake efficiency on the day.

Must just be the garage I use, then. Every time I've put a car in for an
MOT, they've told me if the pads will need replacing soon.

> It could be a pad wear warning, once triggered these usually have to be
> reset or it could be an ABS failure.

It has no pad sensors, nor ABS.
--
Steve Loft

Steve Loft wrote:
> Hirsty's wrote:
>
>> MoT only checks state on the day. The brake test does'nt check pad depth
>> only whether they work to a certain degree. Possibly the sensor
>> warning you
>> the depth is on the margin for the pad.
>
>
> I've checked and there are no sensors on the pads.
>
> I've disconnected the plug from the fluid sensor and the light stays on.
> I've shorted the contacts on the plug and the light stays on. So I guess
> that discounts the fluid sensor.

Not so sure. If the sensor triggers by breaking the circuit
rather than making it, removing the plug from the senosr
would not tell you whether it's the sensor at fault. You
need to find out which way round it is, or test with a known
good sensor (perhaps from a friend's car?).

>
> I don't know if the warning light is for problems other than the fluid
> level, if not then maybe the warning system itself is faulty. I could do
> with a wiring diagram.


Tim A

"Tim Adlam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Steve Loft wrote:
> > Hirsty's wrote:
> >
> >> MoT only checks state on the day. The brake test does'nt check pad
depth
> >> only whether they work to a certain degree. Possibly the sensor
> >> warning you
> >> the depth is on the margin for the pad.
> >
> >
> > I've checked and there are no sensors on the pads.
> >
> > I've disconnected the plug from the fluid sensor and the light stays on.
> > I've shorted the contacts on the plug and the light stays on. So I guess
> > that discounts the fluid sensor.
>
> Not so sure. If the sensor triggers by breaking the circuit
> rather than making it, removing the plug from the senosr
> would not tell you whether it's the sensor at fault. You
> need to find out which way round it is, or test with a known
> good sensor (perhaps from a friend's car?).
>
> >
> > I don't know if the warning light is for problems other than the fluid
> > level, if not then maybe the warning system itself is faulty. I could do
> > with a wiring diagram.
>
>
> Tim A

Remove the bulb