QuestionThis is a question regarding my 1998 Honda Accord. I know that your expertise lies with Toyota, but there are no Honda repair experts on Allexperts.com, so I thought you might be able to answer my question. I live in New Jersey, and in the very cold weather only (around 30 degrees or below), the dashboard handbrake light comes on. The handbrake lever is in the down position and there is absolutely no drag on the car, so I know the handbrake is not holding the car back. In fact, I don't even use the handbrake anymore during the winter, but the light still comes on when it's cold outside. After a while, depending upon the outside temperature, the light will either go off, or in frigid weather, it will stay on no matter how long I'm driving the car. Could you tell me what's causing this problem and how to fix it? The operation of the car is not affected at all, it's just very annoying. Thank you.
AnswerHello Alan, welcome to my expert page.
This normally happens because the brake fluid in the reservoir on top of the master cylinder is low, there is a sensor that turns on the light to let you know that there is a potential problem.
The brake fluid drops as the brake pads wear down, so this is a good indication that the brake pads may be low, so have the brakes checked, the reason there is a change with temperature is that like everything else liquid expands when hot and contracts when cold, raising and lowering the level just enough to cause this, very soon it will come on and stay on all the time.
