What does it mean when your brake light comes on

When the warning light on your dashboard appears, it might be a sign that your brakes need to be checked. But, you might not have completely broken yet. When this light comes on when you’re driving, does that mean your brakes have failed completely? Not likely, but it is a warning that it’s time for a brake inspection. Find out what’s causing your brake light to come on and how to fix it.

When you press the brake pedal in your car, force is created. The brakes need a lot of force to stop the car. With friction and resistance, the brakes take the energy from your foot and turn it into heat by using hydraulic fluid. 

This fluid moves through the lines in order to create pressure so that when you push down on the brake pads or shoes, they can push against something hard (the rotors) which will slow down or stop your car.

Brakes are a safety feature for your car. If the brake light is on, it means that either you need to put more brake fluid in your car, or you have something wrong with the emergency brake, or there's a problem with your ABS unit, or sensors.

Brake Fluid

The brake fluid is important for the brake system. If there isn't enough fluid, the sensor will turn on the brake light.

Parking Brake

When you're driving and your car is in park, it's a good idea to use the parking brake. This will keep your transmission from getting damaged. If you leave the parking brake on while you're driving, the brake light will come on and make a noise. 

ABS Malfunction

This is because your car has a sensor that checks to see if the parking brake is on. If it is, the sensor will make the light turn on and sound an alarm. It's not a good idea to drive with the parking brake on because it can damage your brakes.

If your car's brake light is on, you will need to find out why. Sometimes the brake fluid is low and there's no parking brake. If this is not the problem, an expert needs to look at how it works.

Defective Sensors

Defective Sensors may cause your brake light to turn on. The sensor in the brake master cylinder that measures how much brake fluid is there or the parking break sensor may not work. An expert can fix it and tell you which one needs a new part.

If a brake light comes on in your car, don't panic. Find a safe place to pull over and turn off the engine. After a few minutes, check the brake fluid level and add more if it seems low. Restart the car and check to see if the light has gone off. If it has, you can continue driving. 

But if the brake fluid level is normal but the light hasn't gone off, you should get help from an expert right away. It's not safe to keep driving with a brake light on, so you should have your car towed to an auto service center.

Brakes are important so your car stops. Sometimes they need to be fixed and sometimes they need new parts. Sun Devil Auto can help you! They have Certified Technicians who make sure your breaks work well and that there are no leaks in the hydraulic system. If you go to a brake shop, make sure it is certified by ASE (Automotive Service Excellence). You can find other articles on this topic at https://brakelightbulb.com/.