Ford focus brake warning light.

MuvverRussia · 29 Dec 2006 at 08:46

Right, got a 2002 facelift focus- as I was driving to work this morning the brake warning light was flashing on/off intermittently.

Am I right in assuming its probably a low fluid level? If so though i'm struggling to wonder where the fluid has gone :/

Only other culprits I can think of are a sticking drum (my car wasn't driven for nearly a week) or possibly another brake component?

Cheers.

dilated · 29 Dec 2006 at 08:53

usually means low front pads on most cars.

MuvverRussia · 29 Dec 2006 at 08:55

checked the pads the other day when I had a wheel off. They seem alright with a fair bit of meat on them (well, at least on nearside- don't know what kind of idiot would only change a pad at a time :/).

blueboy2001 · 29 Dec 2006 at 09:34

It's either low fluid which you need to check immediately, or a dodgy switch on the handbrake lever which is not so critical. If it's got drums on the back the cylinders inside these can leak fluid inside the drum so it may not be obvious that there is a leak.

MuvverRussia · 29 Dec 2006 at 09:38

going to check the fluid level immediately after i've finished work. Then its off to halfords to get some dot 4 (will check the handbook but think thats the right fluid?).

I really ought to get around to joining FFOC :/

Chronos-X · 29 Dec 2006 at 09:59

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Your fluid level should NOT be down. If it is then you have a leak somewhere which could reveal itself at a really inopportune moment. These are your BRAKES ffs.

Last year going up the M1 at xmas I had a few flickers on the light, just in the corner of my eye. Nothing serious you'd think. Next day went to pull off the driveway and the brake pedal hit the back of the footwell - cylinders had both leaked all over the shoes requiring replacement of both. Had absolutely no braking power, and to think the previous day I was doing upwards of 100mph is quite scary. Get it sorted now, is my advice.