Toyota Repair: Brake light, brake fluid reservoir, brake warning light

Question
October 22, 2004

Ted:

I have a 1999 Toyota Camry with 49,562 miles on it VIN #JT2BF22K2X0162555.

About 2 months ago when I started the vehicle in the morning the brake light came on for 30 seconds. This continued for two weeks so I took it to the Toyota dealer.

I took the vehicle to Ron Goode Toyota in Alameda, CA (where I purchased the vehicle) and they hooked it up to a computer and said it was my idle speed control valve, which cost $350.00

Well needless to say the next day when the brake light came on again when I started the car in the morning I was furious. I took it back to the Toyota dealer and they had their “master mechanic” take a look at it and he said he could not duplicate the problem, now 2 months later the brake light will come on and stays on from 30 minutes to an hour and it happens in the morning as well as the evening.

Toyota keeps insisting that I bring the vehicle back but as a working person who can't take off work on a whim I've let it go. They said the brake pads are fine, they checked the brake fluid level; they checked the emergency brake and they say all is well but they can't seem to figure out what the problem is.

Any help you provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Debbie Neal
dn622us@yahoo.com


Answer
I don't understand what the idle speed control valve would have to do with the brake warning light coming on but anyway, the problem is that the light comes on and there seems to be no obvious reason for it because they claim they have checked everything.
Are there any other warning lights on the dash on?
The next thing you should do is to open the hood and look at the brake fluid reservoir and make sure that the fluid is up to the "MAX" level. Add brake fluid if needed.
If that is not the problem the fluid level sensor in the reservoir may be the problem.