03 Accord V6 'brake' light on after brake work...

[columnshift]

I recently acquired a 2003 Honda Accord V6 EX which i'd previously helped do a brake job on. (the guy decided he didn't want to keep the car due to some other problems) When I finished the brakes though, the BRAKE light was on on the dash, the one that comes on with the parking brake normally I think it is... yet I didn't see any signs of brakes dragging. It just seems like something got miscalibrated somehow.

The thing had a failure in the hydraulic piston seal thingie (yes i'm not a professional mechanic, I just pretend to be) and run low on fluid causing brake failure, it sat for awhile before I could work on it. Replaced piston calipers, discs, pads, bled the brakes properly til there was no sign of air bubbles and the car seemed to stop just fine afterwards. But now the stupid brake light is always on. Even after powering off the battery and such tho i didnt know if that would be related or not.

I'm pretty sure it's not dragging or if it was is negligible.

 

[Colt45ws]

Low brake fluid or the float is stuck

 

[Hall]

The light also indicates low brake fluid. The cap on the master cylinder has a float switch with a wired connection to it. Double-check the fluid level.

 

[mk378]

If the fluid level is OK, unplug the switch to see if the light goes out. That would mean the switch is stuck.

 

[SatinSilver]

Check the rear tail/brake lights and make sure of them didn't burn out.

 

[eljefino]

Some cars (like mopars) have a "gizmo" with two lines going in and two out. If one side loses brake fluid pressure, a plunger moves, blocks the offender off, and turns the light on. This car may have a similar philosophy if not gadgetry.

Does the ABS light come on during key-on self-test? A BRAKE light can be a backup for a burned out or disabled ABS bulb.

 

[BigD1]

^^^^^^^^
Proportioning valve=gizmo.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Bash it out with a ball peen hammer.
Or check the brake fluid.
Better yet, flush it.
Just sayin'...

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by eljefino
Some cars (like mopars) have a "gizmo" with two lines going in and two out. If one side loses brake fluid pressure, a plunger moves, blocks the offender off, and turns the light on. This car may have a similar philosophy if not gadgetry.

Does the ABS light come on during key-on self-test? A BRAKE light can be a backup for a burned out or disabled ABS bulb.

Proportioning valve setup to achieve diagonal split of the hydraulic circuits in the event a wheel or line is leaking past the P-valve. Older American systems have that.

If the brake fluid level is OK, I think the float is stuck - some Hondas have the brake fluid level float/switch as part of the reservoir. That Accord does. Unplug the wiring at the fluid reservoir to see if it turns off. If not, the only other thing is the switch at the E-brake mechanism is going out.