2002 Ford Windstar brake light coming on....

[BigWadeS]

Hello Everyone,

Just had this happen this previous weekend. Driving for 250 miles and my brake light and abs light come on and stay on. I get to my destination (15 miles) and shut off my vehicle. Then 1/2 hour later go out and start it up and the lights are off. Did minor driving the rest of the weekend nothing came back on. On our way home yesterday they came back on again around 200 miles of travel. Once we got home I started it back up again about 20 min later and they stayed off. This is the first I have had them come up and also both times were driving with cruise control on and without cruise control and never hit the brakes to initiate the brakes.

I know for the diagnostic test the check engine light needs to be on or the lights need to remain on at all times. Could these be a short somewhere? Does this have something in the memory that it knows the rotors or pads need to be replaced? For instance this model does for low tires a light comes on.

[Shack]

BigwadeS,

Do you have loss of brake pressure in peddle at any time?

Check the brake fluid level. If it slightly low, it can trigger a dash brake light to come on. As the pads wear down, the calp. push out to compensate for the pad loss, which in turn draws fluid from the reservoir and causes the red brake light and possibly the A.B.S. light to come on. Most times right after a corner.

If the brake fluid is not low, then a diag. might be in order.

[BigWadeS]

Not a loss in pressure, but just can tell they are getting close to the replacement time frame, just not as tight as they once were. I will double check the fluid again to make sure it is good.

[Scott K]

If the red light came on there is only a few things that will turn it on, low fluid, parking brake on, or the cruise control deactivation switch is bad. Check the fluid, make sure the parking brake is all the way released, down. Unplug the deact switch on the master cylender see if there is brake fluid on the connector, if there is replace the switch and connector.

[fishing tech]

Exactly!! If the fluid is low, get your brakes checked. The front pads are probably worn but they also had problems with the rear wheel cylinders, leaking and/or siezing.

[Jeremy airjer W]

If the ABS light is on it will also turn on the brake light. Likely there is a code stored if the ABS light was on. The brake light will not turn on the ABS light. I think the reasoning behind that it people are more likely to be concerned if the brake light is on rather than just having the ABS light on. Other manufacturer will turn on a combination of the brake, traction control, VSS, and check engine light if the ABS malfunctions.