Pretty much what the title says. I have a '98 Accord EX, the brakes seem just fine, but I noticed when I started the car to come home from work that the brake indicator on the dash is dimly lit. If you lift the E-brake handle it lights up brightly, but goes back to being dim when you put the brake handle back down. I checked the fluid level and it seems ok, and the float on the brake cap seems to be moving back and forth ok, if I flip the lid over the float immediately slides up against the bottom side of the cap. Anyone have any thoughts as to what might cause this? I have put almost 20,000 miles on the car since I bought it a little over a year ago, and it had a new brake job right before I bought it....

 

Ok, in a strange turn of events, I went out and started the car a few minutes ago and the brake light is now out.... like it should be. Weird.

 

could be a bad brake master cylinder switch ( part of the cap kit--- cap and strainer )

plenty of brake fluid in master cylinder reservoir??

 

It was just a little bit low, but not very... almost to the fill line. Depending on how sensitive the float and such are, I could see it maybe making the light go off, but how come the light still glowed the first time I started it after I topped the fluid off off? It sort of has me shaking my head. I drove it to church this morning, a 20 minute trip each way, and it seems to be functioning totally normal.

 

Well, I just ran out for an errand and the brake light was fine when I started. Stopped at a gas station and when I started it back up, the light is dimly glowing again... brakes still feel fine and the fluid level looks to be where it's supposed to be..... I dunno

 

That float acts as a switch when it is lowered to a certain level. The switch could be bad or possibly stuck in that cap and is causing the problem.

The e-brake has contact to turn on that lamp. There may be some buildup on it from stuff getting spilled over time?

If your fluid level is ok and your e-brake is released, you can still drive your car.

 

I know it's not the e-brake, when I pull it, the brake light gets bright red, and when I release it, the light either goes off or goes back to dim, depending on what mood the car seems to be in, LOL. I just went out and started the car, and the brake light is on again.... the cap/switch, can I get that at your typical parts place or will I have to get that from a Honda dealer? I might just buy one and see if it solves the issue. It's puzzling, I'll say that much. I can't tell ANY difference in how the brakes work, they seem totally normal.

 

Just to test, unplug the wires at the brake-fluid cap. If it still comes on dim, then you have a weak connection to ground somewhere in the wiring. In that case a new cap won't help.

 

Ok, I think it's the switch in the cap. I unhooked it with the motor running and the brake light went completely off. Next, I took the cap off with it hooked up and turned it upside down, which should (at least I would think) make the light go off too, as it would raise the sensor all the way up, but the light stayed on. If I had my meter here at home I'd set it for continuity and check the switch like that, but I don't have it here, and today is my day off. I'm quite sure that if I go in to the shop for something, I'll end up getting put to work on something at 4 in the afternoon.... so I'll either run in to the shop tonight after hours or else bring my meter home with me tomorrow.

I did notice that my brake fluid is a little darker than the fluid that I have that is new. It's not real dark, but it was dark enough that I noticed it. Could that be the cause of the light coming on?

 

brake fluid has nothing to do with it,, ( cap kit ) .. or try leaving the strainer out of the brake master for a while see if that helps