When your vehicle’s onboard computer turns “on” the brake warning light, it’s a potentially serious situation. Unless your vehicle happens to be parked, and releasing the parking brake makes the light go off, you have no way of telling how severe is the problem. It is best to err on the side of caution, and to call your trusted auto repair professionals right away.
At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we recommend regular brake inspections, to keep the brake system performing as designed. While some vehicles may turn on the brake warning light to indicate burnt out brake light bulb, or the need to replace brake pads, it is usually difficult to ascertain the severity of the brake warning light without professional knowledge, experience and tools. So if you are concerned about your vehicle’s brake system, we recommend having the car towed to our San Carlos auto repair facility. Our technicians, certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), will perform a professional brake system inspection and will let you know exactly what is wrong and how it can be fixed. Upon your approval, they will repair your vehicle, including a test drive to make sure that the brake system functions correctly under real world conditions.
Here are some of the common reasons why the brake warning light could come “on”:
- Brake pads need replacement
- Brake fluid is low – could be due to brake line leak, or a leak at the calipers, or the master cylinder
- ABS (anti-lock brake system) problems
Whenever your vehicle’s on-board computer turns on the brake warning light, it is best to consider the car unsafe to drive and to call a professional auto repair shop for further guidance.