E-brake illuminating under hard acceleration
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Sumter South Carolina
E-brake illuminating under hard acceleration
This problem is baffling me. Under WOT or close to that, my e-brake light comes on until I stop heavy acceleration. I am not sure why this is coming on. Has anyone ran into this problem before? I've checked the e-brake connections, and I don't have any loose ones.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,940
Likes: 5
From: Chesapeake VA
I don't know how the late C4's are, but in the early C4's, the contact in the handle assembly that turns on the brake light in the dash can become bent over time, causing the light to stay on or flash under specific G loads or bouncy road conditions. The previous owner of my 86' put a piece of electrical tape between the contacts to keep the light off. After I bought the car, I found this, and fellow forum member Fozzy_Bear suggested I just take a pair of pliers and bend the contact back to a position that causes it to operate normally. I did that and it has worked fine ever since (about 1.5 years now). In the early C4's you can remove the cover plate for the brake handle and fix this without removing the door sill trim plate or the driver's seat.
HTH!
HTH!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Are you talking about the light in the DIC or the one to the right of the gauges? How much fluid is in the resivour? Is it full to the MAX mark??? I know on my 94 its very hard to tell where the fluid is at without taking the cap off.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Sumter South Carolina
It is the light on the right side of the gauges. I might check the fluid. Also for the first time last night, when I was accelerating, the ABS/ASR kicked off. Any other suggestions?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,705
Likes: 30
From: Chesapeake Beach Maryland
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
Mine started doing this a few weeks ago and just yesterday when hitting it hard out of a toll booth the (brake) light came on in the dash panel as usual, and both the ASR service, and ALB serice light came on together. The (brake) light went out but both the other service lights stayed on until I restarted the car. However, I can get them to light again by doing another hard acceleration.
It has been almost five years and about 65k miles since I replaced the pads and had the lines bled. So I guess it is time for rotors, pads, and new fluid.
It has been almost five years and about 65k miles since I replaced the pads and had the lines bled. So I guess it is time for rotors, pads, and new fluid.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Originally Posted by biggrizzly
It has been almost five years and about 65k miles since I replaced the pads and had the lines bled. So I guess it is time for rotors, pads, and new fluid.
Originally Posted by Irishpilot03
It is the light on the right side of the gauges. I might check the fluid. Also for the first time last night, when I was accelerating, the ABS/ASR kicked off. Any other suggestions?
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville AL
Case is correct, this happens to me every once in a while, it needs a little brake fluid. On mine, it looks like it comes out the back of the cap, a new cap didn't help.
Do you have a similar problem when running under a quarter tank of gas? Mine cuts out then. I hate that problem.
Do you have a similar problem when running under a quarter tank of gas? Mine cuts out then. I hate that problem.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Originally Posted by Wildcat1
Case is correct, this happens to me every once in a while, it needs a little brake fluid. On mine, it looks like it comes out the back of the cap, a new cap didn't help.
Do you have a similar problem when running under a quarter tank of gas? Mine cuts out then. I hate that problem.
Do you have a similar problem when running under a quarter tank of gas? Mine cuts out then. I hate that problem.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Sumter South Carolina
Sweet, the resevoir looks a tad low, but the car has 47,000 miles and I don't think the fluid has been changed in a while (if ever) so I'll go do that this weekend and get back to you all.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Originally Posted by Irishpilot03
Sweet, the resevoir looks a tad low, but the car has 47,000 miles and I don't think the fluid has been changed in a while (if ever) so I'll go do that this weekend and get back to you all.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,475
Likes: 2
From: Austin TX
St. Jude Donor '07
funny... the E-brake light had come on a couple of instances for me while under hard acceleration.... But I had always thought it meant to slow the hell down. 
You learn something new every day.
You learn something new every day.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville AL
Originally Posted by Casethecorvetteman
That sounds unusual, never seen one leak out the back of the cap before!! There must be something wrong on the reservoir-to-cap sealing surface allowing that.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Originally Posted by Wildcat1
Yep, it is a sealing problem. When I looked at replacing the seal, even a new one looks like a cheap part that wouldn't help. I think it's a plastic gasket. I don't see how it is supposed to provide a seal. Maybe I'm missing something, but that's what I saw on the stock part and on a replacement from autozone. I figured there should be a rubber gasket or something, but haven't seen one.