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    having trouble...please help!!

    Ok, I am having a problem and since I don't know much about the breaks on my car, I need someone to help me. For the past couple of weeks, my e-break light will come on randomly while I'm driving. It's mostly if I just hit my breaks hard, it will come on until I let off of my breaks and then it goes away. But sometimes, it will stay on the entire time that I am driving, and its freaking me out. I've been told that I need new break pads and I have also been told that I need to check my break fluid. I have over 30K miles on my car, so my friends think that I need new pads. If anyone has any advice or answers, let me know.

    #2
    You may be low on brake fluid and that's what's causing the brake light to come on. I'd take it to the dealer and find out why it's low. Adding more fluid will fix it for now, but if there's a leak, the light will come back on sooner or later.
    Clint/1999 "Sport20"

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      #3
      top off with brake fluid (DOT3 for OE application), then find out why you were running low on it.

      I wouldn't change pads just yet...

      '04 Titanium RX-8

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        #4
        Originally posted by ZoomZoomH
        top off with brake fluid (DOT3 for OE application), then find out why you were running low on it.

        I wouldn't change pads just yet...

        lol, driving habits will determine how often to change the pads i've had to change mine about every 30k miles. i just changed mine again last night. but somehow i think i got air in the brake lines i didn't undo the bolt on the brakes to bleed them or anything since i got my car, so i don't get how i could get an air bubble in but my brakes are still very soft, and sometimes my e-brake light comes on too. so today my buddy is going to help me bleed my brakes and check everything. i don't know much about breaks, i just know that my driving habits and heavy ass systems force me to change my pads much more frequently than other people.

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          #5
          Thanks for the help guys. I checked my break fluid last night and its just at the minimum line, so I'm assuming that that might be one of the problems. Is it possible that I'm just running low, and that I dont have a leak? And I think that I might just change my break pads anyway. They havn't been changed since I've had the car, so i might as well do it now.

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            #6
            I had a similar problem with my seat belt light.... it would come on when ever the cars motion changed a little bit... even putting hte clutch in would make it comeone.... I figured out htat the clip under the seat was between the cushion and the wires taht hold the material tight... so everytime I moved my leg it would move the clip and break/connect the electrical connection... lol im done rambling now

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              #7
              Originally posted by P5Gurl
              Is it possible that I'm just running low, and that I dont have a leak?
              If your pads are pretty worn then the piston has to travel farther which requires more fluid which in turn lowers the fluid level in your tank.
              Personal 1/4 mile: 57 sec @ 14 mph
              Haven't tried with the pro yet...

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                #8
                update:

                turns out it was her brake pads being worn out and the caliper pistons pushing down, thus lowering brake fluid level in resevoir and triggering the ebrake light.

                her auto-mechanically-inclined boyfriend changed pads for her, and all is well now according to her.

                I'm just really curious how it went down THAT much in only 30k, and she has told me she doesn't work the brakes hard at all...

                I have over 43k on my original pads from factory and everything still looks/feels fine... and I actually work the brakes hard! (track day, autox)

                '04 Titanium RX-8

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                  #9
                  Eh, 30K is a decent amount. And people's interpretations of what being hard on the brakes means varies. I'm sure my mom would say she isn't hard on the brakes. I could say otherwise. Heh.
                  2006 Mazda 3 hatchback manual

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by blue LEDz
                    lol, driving habits will determine how often to change the pads i've had to change mine about every 30k miles. i just changed mine again last night. but somehow i think i got air in the brake lines i didn't undo the bolt on the brakes to bleed them or anything since i got my car, so i don't get how i could get an air bubble in but my brakes are still very soft, and sometimes my e-brake light comes on too. so today my buddy is going to help me bleed my brakes and check everything. i don't know much about breaks, i just know that my driving habits and heavy ass systems force me to change my pads much more frequently than other people.
                    Whoops, missed this post the first time around. Dude, brake fluid gets old, you need to bleed your brake lines!!!!!!!
                    2006 Mazda 3 hatchback manual

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by charles
                      Whoops, missed this post the first time around. Dude, brake fluid gets old, you need to bleed your brake lines!!!!!!!

                      that was my next course of action i didn't know brake fluid went bad, but i figure i'd bleed it thoroughly, just in case there was an air bubble. thanks for the tip.

                      i first changed my brake pads with under 30k on my car. it's just driving habits. i just changed out the pads and rotors, to see if that would help. the e-brake light stopped coming on, but the brakes are still squishy, so i'll bleed them out. i heard that it's not good to mix dot 3 and dot 4 fluid, is that true?

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by blue LEDz
                        that was my next course of action i didn't know brake fluid went bad, but i figure i'd bleed it thoroughly, just in case there was an air bubble. thanks for the tip.

                        i first changed my brake pads with under 30k on my car. it's just driving habits. i just changed out the pads and rotors, to see if that would help. the e-brake light stopped coming on, but the brakes are still squishy, so i'll bleed them out. i heard that it's not good to mix dot 3 and dot 4 fluid, is that true?
                        I don't think it would be bad to mix types as long as they are DOT3 and DOT 4, but if you are changing it, then just get one type. You would probably be best of with DOT 4 since DOT 3 is more for older cars with drums front and back.
                        Personal 1/4 mile: 57 sec @ 14 mph
                        Haven't tried with the pro yet...

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Rotors

                          Originally posted by blue LEDz
                          that was my next course of action i didn't know brake fluid went bad, but i figure i'd bleed it thoroughly, just in case there was an air bubble. thanks for the tip.

                          i first changed my brake pads with under 30k on my car. it's just driving habits. i just changed out the pads and rotors, to see if that would help. the e-brake light stopped coming on, but the brakes are still squishy, so i'll bleed them out. i heard that it's not good to mix dot 3 and dot 4 fluid, is that true?

                          Did you replace the rotors and pads w/OEM parts?

                          HuggyBear

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by HuggyBear
                            Did you replace the rotors and pads w/OEM parts?

                            HuggyBear

                            hell no, i don't have that kind of money to be spending on my brakes and i didn't want to wait and order powerslot rotors and dust free pads, although i'm already planning on getting those shortly

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Yes my car is fine now. My auto-mechanically-inclined boyfriend did change the pads and the old ones were worn about halfway down. After he changed the pads my break fluid went all the way up to a little above max in the
                              resevoir.

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