# 1988 VW Fox Wagon dash brake light stays on ?



## dryenko (Mar 30, 2002)

Looking for sources for issue or other cause of the Fox Wagon dash brake indiactor light stying on.
Have disconnected the hand brake light switch and the low fluid switch and light still stays on.
Suspect MC has been replaced with OEM part and I know rear brakes are all new.
Is there a low brake pressure warning switch somewhere in or on the car that can be reset?
Looked all over and don't see one...
The brakes themselves work just fine.
Ideas?
Thanks,
BC


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

If you're thinking of the front/rear pressure-differential switch that domestic cars have (or, had)... we don't have those.

You have checked the brake fluid level, yes? It's correct?

The BRAKE warning light is ground-switched by two things: the switch under the parking brake lever (BTW: those things just don't fail. They're too simple to fail), and the switch (float) in the brake reservior cap. If either the parking brake is lifted, or the fluid level falls too low, the respective switch closes, completing the circuit.

If disconnecting the handbrake switch didn't fix it, and the fluid level is correct, then unplug the reservior cap. Light goes out = need new cap. Light not goes out = one of those two wires is shorted to ground somewhere.
(Bentley manual has the circuit schematic; IIRC, a Haynes manual also has that same schematic.)


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## dryenko (Mar 30, 2002)

*Thanks, yes I tried those,light still on..*

First, thanks for the ijnfo about the pressure switch not being present, and confirming that the handbrake switch is a ground type 
Second , yes I have checked the fluid level [OK] and swapped in a known good switch, as I suspected.
The light is still on.
I will next tear up the carpet to trace the wire from the handbrake switch to check for possible grounding, since no other causes / suggestions have been made.
Other than selling me a dash, a spare of which [ with tach] I already have.
BC


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