There are several reasons why the brake light on your dashboard is on. Unfortunately, the fixes range from potential DIY’s – to repair work. To help you rule things out before making a repair appointment, I’ve outlined potential reasons your brake light is on, and what you can do to fix each one.
So, what are the reasons your brake light is on, and how can you fix it?
- The parking brake is engaged or stuck
- Low brake fluid
- See: Leaking Brakes
- Need new brake pads
- Brake light bulbs need replacing
- Problem with anti-lock brake system (ABS)
Continue reading tor the complete details on each of these problems and, more importantly, how to fix them.
5 Reasons Your Brake Light Is On (and How to Fix It)
The most common reason your brake light might be on is the parking brake is engaged or broken, low brake fluid, your car needs new brake pads, or your brake light bulbs need to be replaced.
If handled quickly and properly, these should be low cost, no problem fixes. And depending on who you are and what you know, you could potentially perform some of these fixes yourself!
Additionally, a problem with the anti-lock brake system (ABS) could also be the culprit of a dashboard brake light. However, I’d leave the diagnosing and fixing of ABS up to a technician.
Below, I detail the specifics of each reason your brake light might be on and offer potential fixes for each problem.
Reason 1: Parking Brake is Engaged or Stuck
Some vehicles have a separate dashboard light for the parking/ emergency brake, but in others, it’s the same as the general brake light signal. If you see your brake light on as you’re about to drive your car, make sure your parking brake is completely disengaged.
How to Fix: This goes without saying – put the e-brake down. However, if you suspect the emergency brake might be stuck or broken, try to get to a mechanic ASAP.
Driving with the parking brake on causes unnecessary damage and wear to brake pads and rotors, so if you suspect the brake itself is the problem, you should try to get it fixed as soon as you can.
Reason 2: Low Brake Fluid
The general brake light on the dashboard may indicate low brake fluid. In some vehicles, this is indicated by a yellow circle with an exclamation (!) mark in the middle of it.
When the light is yellow, it means the brake fluid is low but the vehicle still has enough to function. If it turns red, see a mechanic or professional. Additionally, a flashing red light could also signal low/no brake fluid, which causes a serious issue with the brake’s hydraulic system.
If the light comes on and stays on, you could end up having a potentially catastrophic brake failure – which might hurt more than just your bank account if it happens at the wrong time and place. (See: IF BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING)
How to Fix: To rule out brake fluid as a cause for the brake light signal, you can learn how to check your brake fluid here, so you don’t have to pay someone else to troubleshoot this for you.
If checking it yourself isn’t an option, any automotive repair shop can diagnose this, and change the brake fluid if need be. Many auto parts stores may also be willing to check your brake fluid and fill it for you if it just needs to be topped off (after you buy the brake fluid, of course).
Regardless of how you diagnose low/ old brake fluid as the cause, filling it or having it changed should fix the brake light problem immediately.
Leaking Brakes
It’s important to note that the underlying cause of low brake fluid may be leaking brakes. If you replace/ fill the brake fluid, and the dashboard light problem is resolved but comes back on after some time, consider having your brakes checked for a leak.
How to Fix: An automotive technician will have to diagnose and fix a brake leak. However, it’s usually a relatively easy and low-cost fix, depending on the location of the leak in the brake, and whether or not more damage has been sustained to the brake system.
Leaks can occur in brake hoses, brake lines, disc brake calipers, drum brake wheel cylinders, or the master cylinder itself, and wet spots at hose or line connections may indicate a leak that needs to be fixed, according to aa1car.com.
Due to the potential complexity of the problem, the leak location, and the severity of the damage that could be caused if not properly resolved, this fix is best left up to the professionals.
If you need a good auto repairman, Angie’s List is a great resource to find auto technicians and research average repair prices based on location and service needs.
REMEMBER: If you have a leak in your brakes, it’s important to have it fixed ASAP, as you may find yourself unable to stop your vehicle if all the fluid drains from the master cylinder (sudden brake failure).
If Brake Light Comes on While Driving
If you’re out driving and your brake light spontaneously comes on, don’t panic, but be aware that you’ll need to get out of the flow of traffic and parked as quickly and safely as possible.
Since vehicles have two separate brake hydraulic systems that connect the brake pedal to the wheels, you should still be able to safely bring your car to a stop if you’re having a problem with one of the systems.
Keep in mind that your car may not stop as quickly when operating on one hydraulic system.
How to Fix: Once you’re out of the flow of traffic and safely parked, make arrangements for a tow-truck to take your vehicle to your favorite auto repair shop, and call yourself an Uber (or a great friend!).
An automotive technician will be able to diagnose the cause of the spontaneous brake light sensor, and quickly fix it for you, so you can get back on the road safely.
In this situation, continuing to drive your vehicle while the brake light sensor is alerted puts you at risk for sudden brake failure if both hydraulic systems which operate the brakes stop working. If one goes out, the other is sure to follow if the problem isn’t resolved quickly.
Reason 3: Need New Brake Pads
Since the dashboard brake light indicates a problem with the entire braking system, in some vehicles the brake light will indicate worn-out brake pads or another problem with them. A handy feature!
How to Fix: Make an appointment with the car doc to have the brake pads checked and replaced. If you have any car mechanic friends, this is something they could easily do in the driveway with the right tools and a car jack, should you find yourself needing to save some cash.
Keep in mind that ensuring the integrity of your brake pads helps ensure the safety of yourself, your passengers, and those you share the road with, so if this is the problem, have it taken care of sooner than later.
Reason 4: Brake Light Bulbs Need Replacing
Many vehicles cue the dashboard brake warning light if/when the rear brake lights are dim or burned out. Very helpful!
How to Fix: To check for this issue, have a friend stand behind your car (when in park) while you press on the brake pedal. If both red brake lights don’t come on, one or both need to be replaced!
You can find out what kind of brake light bulbs your car needs in the owner’s manual, but this information is also google-able. In fact, this website helps you find exactly the right bulb for your car, just type in the general specs of your car and select which type of light bulb you need, and voilá!
Once you have the proper bulb, replacing a brake light is no problem – check out this short video for how to easily change brake light bulbs yourself!
However, if you aren’t up for the DIY task, no worries. When you buy the bulb from the auto parts store, you might be able to talk one of the employees into showing you how to replace it, if they have time.
If not, this is a 5-minute repair anyone at an auto repair shop should be able to help you with, at potentially little to no cost to you.
Reason 5: Problem With Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Most modern vehicles have anti-lock brake systems that prevent the wheels from locking up or tires from losing traction when driving in slick conditions. Depending on the vehicle, the dashboard light for this may be a separate ABS light, but it could also be the same as the general brake warning light.
An electrical malfunction or problem with the wheel speed sensor would cause a problem with the anti-lock brake system, which would signal a general brake system warning.
How to Fix: An automotive technician will be able to run a diagnostic test to determine if there is an issue with the ABS and find a solution.
REMEMBER: If the brake light on your dash is on, you’re either experiencing a malfunction in the car’s braking system, or you’re about to. It is generally unsafe to drive your car with the brake light on, and it should be addressed immediately.
Furthermore, a problem with the vehicle’s master brake system may also impact the performance of your brake lights, potentially causing them to malfunction. Or, as mentioned above, the dashboard light may be alerting you to a problem with the brake light bulbs.
If you’re experiencing problems with the brake lights themselves, below I’ve outlined potential reasons why your brake lights aren’t working, and how to fit it.
Common brake light problems include brake lights being stuck on, perpetually being off, or working intermittently.
If Your Brake Lights Are Stuck On
If your brake light is stuck on, it is likely due to a bad brake light switch or a blown fuse.
Fortunately, these are both simple problems that you may be able to potentially fix yourself. And if you can’t “DIY it,” the repair should be very quick and very low cost, especially if you purchase the parts yourself from an auto parts store, and then pay someone to fix it for you.
Bad Brake Light Switch
A broken brake light switch is commonly associated with brake lights being stuck on. If the brake light switch shorts internally, it can cause the brake lights to stay lit, without the brake pedal being pressed.
If left unchecked, this will cause your brake lights to burn out sooner than they should, and will slowly drain your battery.
How to Fix: I would personally make an appointment for my car, but if you’re in a fix-it-yourself mood, here’s a how-to article on diagnosing and fixing brake light switches.
If you want to know more about brake light switches, check out this article, and remember that your vehicle is unsafe to drive if it has a faulty brake light switch!
Blown Fuse
A blown or broken fuse could be the culprit of a stuck brake light. It could also be the cause for a brake light that doesn’t work, even after replacing the bulb.
How to Fix: Replace the fuse. The owner’s manual will tell you which fuse box houses the fuse for your brake lights, and which type of fuse to replace it with.
If you’re not feeling confident replacing it yourself, ask around for someone to help you. Chances are someone in your family, or a friend or co-worker can easily help you replace a blown fuse.
If Your Brake Lights Are Out
Similarly, if your brake lights are out, common reasons are:
- Burnt out bulb
- Bad or broken brake light switch
- Blown fuse
- Bad socket
- No power – poor ground connection
Burnt Out Bulb
This is by far the most common reason your brake light is out, which makes sense when you think about how long the bulb is being illuminated when we press the brake pedal (the entire time), and how infrequently we change our brake lights.
How to Fix: Replace the bad or broken bulb. The owner’s manual will tell you what kind of bulb your car needs, but this is also information an auto parts shop can look up for you, or you can use this website to do a bulb search by vehicle.
If you plan on changing the bulb yourself but need some guidance – click here to view an in-depth written pictorial guide on how to change a brake light bulb. Click here to watch a YouTube video on it.
Again, Bad Brake Light Switch
The brake light switch – the same thing that can cause a brake light to be stuck on, can cause it to be perpetually “out,” despite newly changed bulbs.
How to Fix: Replace the brake light switch. Like I said earlier, I’d personally find someone to do this for me, but this video provides a great how-to for doing it yourself if you’re interested in doing so.
Blown Fuse
A blown fuse can be the cause for a brake light that doesn’t work, even after the light bulb has been replaced.
How to Fix: Replace the fuse. The owner’s manual will tell you which fuse box houses the fuse for your brake lights, and which type of fuse to replace it with.
Bad Socket
If a single brake light is out, but the bulb is good, there might be a problem with the light socket itself. Over time the connections in the sockets become dirty or corroded, or the wiring becomes worn to the point of making only intermittent connections.
This minor electrical problem would cause a brake light not to illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed, which is a ticket or fender-bender waiting to happen.
How to Fix: Anyone at a local automotive repair shop should be able to replace the bad socket by cutting out the old socket and bad wires and splicing in the new part.
No Power – Poor Ground Connection
A poor or broken brake light ground connection will result in the brake lights not working, or power cross-feeding through the tail light circuit, which will keep the tail and brake lights from operating at the same time.
How to Fix: If you’re a car or electrical savvy person and have the right tools, you may be able to perform this fix yourself – check out this article for a DIY outline.
For the rest of us, it’s probably time to make an appointment at the car repair shop and let a technician diagnose and fix this for us.
The braking system in our cars is one of the most important components of our vehicles, as being able to safely stop when we want and need to, is just as important as being able to get to the places we need to go.
When it comes to dashboard alert signals, the brake warning light is not one to be ignored or taken lightly. In this circumstance, it’s much better to be safe than sorry, so get your vehicle serviced soon! For the longevity of our vehicles and the safety of ourselves, our passengers, and those we share the roadway with, it’s important to have any potential brake issues checked out by a professional, to make sure the problem(s) is adequately resolved before putting yourself and others at risk.