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Model specific boards => Golf mk1 => Topic started by: Madone_si on 06 January 2006, 13:10

Title: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Madone_si on 06 January 2006, 13:10
My hand brake light (right hand side of steering wheel) stays on when I put the hand brake down in my black cab - only started to do it the last week... not done any work on it - so not sure why its started.

What I have done so far to troubleshoot.

1. I've checked the switch itself with another one - all fine. 
2. I've taken the one cable off the hand brake switch - good connection and switch itself is fine as well.

Could this be a earth issue?

Anyone had this issue before and how to fit?

thanks Si
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Judderi on 06 January 2006, 13:15
As far as i know the wire or switch on the handbrake lever is just an earth wire. Usually its just a dodgy switch but i think you say you have already checked that. The wire might have worn down to the wire somewhere and be touching bare metal thus making an earth. Try the lever and light ends 1st before you go ripping y car apart mate.  :grin:
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Madone_si on 06 January 2006, 13:56
As far as i know the wire or switch on the handbrake lever is just an earth wire. Usually its just a dodgy switch but i think you say you have already checked that. The wire might have worn down to the wire somewhere and be touching bare metal thus making an earth. Try the lever and light ends 1st before you go ripping y car apart mate.  :grin:

Yeah I think that is the case too - will have to folllow the cables and find that broken part. cheers mate.

Another job to add to the on going list..... will it ever stop?!  :grin:
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Judderi on 06 January 2006, 14:01
I think the easy answer to that is NO. But we all love tinkering at the end of the day. If we didnt we would buy a new car and use it to get from a to b.  :grin:

P.S shoot me if that ever happens.
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: golfpro on 06 January 2006, 15:35
my hand brake stayed on for a while in my mk3, and i later found out it was coz i was out of brake fluid. Only just god away with it in the end, luckily i avoided death somehow in a big cloud of smoke.

Not sure if this has anything to do with it but thought id share my story anyhow.
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: mk1 on 06 January 2006, 21:00
What he said ^^^^^^^^.
Light doubles up as a low fluid level indicator.
Steve.
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Madone_si on 08 January 2006, 15:48
brake fuild level is a max - I'm going to have to check the cables as I think its earthing at some point alone the cables. Also I've tested the sensor in the brake fuild top cylinder and its working ok.

Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: alpesh on 09 January 2006, 13:11
On a MK1 the hand brake light is connected to a dual circuit.....
1st circuit: hand brake switch (located under the lever)
2nd circuit: Oil pressure switch. If the oil pressure is not right then the light will come on. I dont know if its means the oil pressure is too low or high.

Replace the pil pressure switch since these go faulty.

On some models the second circuit is the brake fluid level. So if the brake fluid is too low then the light turns on.
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: richandhazel on 16 January 2006, 20:34
Another problem that I'm sure you would have noticed can be the handbrake adjustment may be such that the lever isn't pulling down onto the switch properly. Pushing down on the lever would confirm that.
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Madone_si on 16 January 2006, 21:02
Another problem that I'm sure you would have noticed can be the handbrake adjustment may be such that the lever isn't pulling down onto the switch properly. Pushing down on the lever would confirm that.

I tried that Rich - the light isn't working at all now - will be looking at this properly at the weekend - spent this weekend completing the new suspension install - what fun that was..... NOT!
Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: Madone_si on 18 January 2006, 16:34
Well after getting a tad bored with working from home - I thought what the hell - lets fix that hand brake switch issue on the car.

Before I started to take the dash apart... (got that down to 20 minutes now  :grin: :grin:) I thought I would double check switch itself again and the dash board switch - all worked fine.

So I then thought lets check the brake fluid level - all OK up to Max level, then I noticed the cable onto of the brake fluid chamber was slightly off - so I pushed it back - checked the light switch in the dash and guess what????? The light went out - pulled the hand brake up and the light come on - took hand brake down - light turned off.......  :smiley: :smiley:

It's fixed and all due to cable on brake fluid chamber not being on correct.... happy again... another item off the list to do.

Title: Re: HELP - Hand brake light stays on all time
Post by: gibby on 19 January 2006, 13:32
Si, you got any tips on taking the dash out of a cab ? The bulb on the clock/mfa on mine has gone and it's only a minor niggle but you know how it is, it's like a dripping tap and it's starting to really piss me off now.  :angry: