Page 1 of prob with car - anyone help??

Hi Guyz
i gotta 306td & today the red light which comes on when u put the handbrake on just stayed on when i took the brake off :o
so there i am drivin along with this light on & i can`t figure out why its still on.
hand brake works fine. n theres no other probs.
Any ideas??


KaTz
my site

Stuck switch on the handbrake.




There are 10 types of people in the world - Those who understand binary and those who don`t.

is that something i can sort out myself, or will it cost $£££$$£$£ ?

KaTz
my site

You could try pulling the handbrake up and down a few times ( when your parked up :D ) and see if that cures it.

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Yeah, sounds like the switch is stuck...can you see it?..its usually visable when the handbrake is up under the lever if you look in the hole in the carpet. Try pressing it a few times and see - maybe give it a squirt of WD40 ..might be a dry connection

if that didnt work and the light is annoying you, just disconnect the wire to the switch LOL

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"If I had time....and a hammer, I`d track down every bootleg copy and smash it........"
- George Lucas

My DVD collection

Or dependant on the braking system, the switch trigger might be linked to the brake pads/shoes.

If it`s the handbrake, it`ll be the rear brakes to check.
The other thing though, is this the sort of circle with an " i " type shap in it as if it`s surrounded by brackets?
Thats also the brake wear indicator light, and I think the Peugots have it, meaning you need to get the cars brakes checked.
Lots of half decent garages do that for nect to nothing, or Kwik Fit`s "free" inspection...but if they come out with loads of stuff to be done, get someone else to chekc the car actually does need the work!

Jimbo : oÞ
PS: Haynes manuals, about £10 to £15 absolutely invaluable accessory

This light will also come on if your brake fluid is low, usually a sign you need new brake pads, these last 20,000 to 35,000 miles depending on use. As the pads wear the caliper moves further forward making the fluid level drop.

Have a look under the bonnet for a funny small square looking bottle, sometimes on top of a large round black thing near the windscreen (master cylinder) it will look similar to the power steering fluid bottle as uses same type of fluid, it is hard to check the level as the bottle is not clear, it is a special plastic as fluid is very corrosive, easist way to check is to take the top off and dip a piece of paper in then compare it to the max and min markings on the side of the bottle.

If it is low and pads recently changed, top it up with dot 4 brake fluid to the max mark, check it very regularly as if it is running down you are loosing fluid, can be serious.

If you are it is usualy just the seals gone on the bleed valves, very simple to replace, 10p worth or parts £50 labour :/ . Although could be a faulty hose so worth getting an expert to check it out.

If you do need pads they are very easy to change, cost about £10-£15 per set from local motor factors, main dealer will charge around £100 per set to replace them so better off getting a friend or local garage to do them.

All the best

Ger.



Mmmmmm Donuts

I`d agree with what others have said, could be a sticky switch, but more likely, as the handbrake is always in use, so less liable to seize, is that it`s also your brake warning light. So best to get your brake pads/shoes checked.

Quote:
Have a look under the bonnet for a funny small square looking bottle, sometimes on top of a large round black thing near the windscreen (master cylinder) it will look similar to the power steering fluid bottle as uses same type of fluid,

Sorry to be pedantic, but this is wrong, and dangerous advice. The brake fluid reservoir doesn`t use the same fluid as the power steering. The brakes use brake fluid (be careful of where you spill it as it can take your paint off). Power steering uses power steering fluid, which is actually oil of a grade specified by the vehicle manufacturer. The other place you could find brake fluid used is in the clutch reservoir if you have a hydraulic clutch (rather than cable operated).

On no account put power steering fluid in your brake fluid reservoir, as you could find you brakes not right when you need them !!

The brake fluid reservoir sits on top of the master cylinder (tube type casting with pipes coming out of it), which in turn sits on the front of the servo (the round black thing). The servo uses vacuum from the inlet manifold to give you `power assistance` to apply the brakes easier.

Mark
Light / Heavy Vehicle Mechanic

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Mark. :)

This item was edited on Wednesday, 20th October 2004, 20:31

Quote:
Mark
Light / Heavy Vehicle Mechanic

Don`t suppose yer good at diagnosing VW Gearbox problems are ya matey? :D

Oh, and to the other note, yeah, and dipping anything (even paper) into a brake fluid resevoir is asking for trouble as it could lead to dirt ingress.

If you are unsure about the braking system on the car, stay well away from it and leave it to either one of your pals who knows, or a mechanic.

Jimbo : oÞ

Quote:
Don`t suppose yer good at diagnosing VW Gearbox problems are ya matey? :D

Not particularly, buses are my main line of work. But what`s your problem, and I`ll see if I have any ideas?

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Mark. :)