Brake warning light, astra g.

[AndyR]

Hi everyone. I was out and about with the family yesterday, when I noticed the handbrake light on the dash was flashing intermittently. It did it s while ago and I replaced front pads and it stopped. Is it telling me to check rear shoes? Or is there a wire shorting out somewhere? 

All advice would be much appreciated thanks. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Sometimes the light will flicker if the handbrake lever is bouncing slight off the stop and it may need taking up the slack on the cables to compensate for this.

 

[AndyR]

That's a relief, had a feeling it was going to be a sensor somewhere breaking down, or a wire. Looks like I'm going to be getting the tools out later. Is the adjuster underneath or below the handbrake lever? 

Thanks in advance. 

Andy.

 

[AndyR]

Now all sorted. Took up the slack at the handbrake lever, and its all good to go. No more flickering light. 

That's one of the jobs on the "To do" list ticked off. Next is sorting out the electric fan. Don't think it actually works......

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

the list is getting shorter then

worth trying a paperclip in the temperature sender unit on the radiator to bypass it to power up the fan...that would then suggest that the fan is working and that the sensor is at fault

[AndyR]

Thanks, will give that a go, but I've got my brake warning light problem back. So could this be letting me know to change the rear shoes?

Thinking of doing them anyway, as I have no idea when they were last done. Are they easy to do, as I have not got a manual yet.

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Rear shoes are always easy to do as long as you don't lose any springs, clips or anything else.

Use a good selection of pliers to remove and replace clips and springs and only do one side at a time so if you can't remember where all the bits go back then you can refer to the other side.

Good luck!

[AndyR]

Now I am at a loss.....................................................................

Have replaced rear shoes this week, adjusted handbrake to about 3-4 clicks. And all is working well, except the brake warning light on the dash is still flickering whilst driving along. 

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can cure this please. My Astra is non ABS , so its not as i thought, a sensor breaking down. Now at wits end trying to sort this out. 

Thanks in advance, Andy.      

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

The only other potential cause is the pad wear sensor on the front brake pads.

If this is chaffed through and earthing out which could cause the light to flicker.

Worth checking it has rubbed through anywhere and if so, insulate and relocate the lead

[AndyR]

Had front wheels off this morning replacing top suspension bearings. There are no wires anywhere near the brake pads. So where do I go from here??

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

are you able to post up a photo of the lamp in question?

[AndyR]

here goes, hope this works...

Oops its upside down. 

This is also the handbrake light, it is bottom left on the dash, below the temp gauge. Has a tendency to flicker as you are driving along. Is quite annoying at night. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

I still believe the switch contacts are faulty.

If you could locate the handbrake switch connectors and disconnect them / bridge them and see if that makes any difference ..... it would almost certainly eliminate it at the least

[AndyR]

That sounds like a good step to try. I was wondering if it could be anything to do with the brake fluid reservoir/level. Or whether the fluid may need refreshing? 

Must admit that the brakes, (although are all new front and rear), don't seem as sharp as they were when i first got the car. Could that be a fluid problem? 

I will try the switch idea tomorrow though, and let you know the outcome.  

Thanks for the advice. 

Andy.

[AndyR]

Well i thought i'd found the problem friday, but after last nights journey in the rain, no i hadn't.  

I noticed that the earth lead on the battery was loose. So i tightened it up, and the light stayed off, well until last nights trip out in heavy rain. I found quite a few deep puddles, and the light came back on and off and on, not as bright as when the handbrake is on, but enough to be noticeable. 

Could there be wiring under the car slightly exposed to the elements??  I'm thinking along the lines of a bad earth.  

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

a bad earth will most definitely play havoc with warning lamps.....