What is wrong with my ebrake....?

JakeZ34

So I parked my car today and pulled the ebrake up and went to the gym for about 1 1/2 hours and when I left the parking garage I noticed that my "BRAKE" light was on in the dash so I thought to myself "crap...I left the ebrake on?" and I checked my handle only to find it released already and the lights were still on, so I parked my car real quick on the side and pulled the ebrake up and released it again to see if that takes care of the problem, DING the lights went out and than as soon as I started driving for about 2 min the lights came back up but the warning message on the little screen didn't come on. So....is there something wrong with my ebrake mechanism?

Cjanik

most of the time when that issue comes up, its low brake fluid in the fluid reservoir . check it.

JakeZ34

ok I'm going to check now. Funny thing is that I just checked it like 2 days ago and it was at the top off line.

JakeZ34

Okay so I'm sort of confused. When I popped the brake fluid cover off I see two containers, one with almost clear fluid in there and it's topped off at -MAX and the other small container (almost dark brown / yellow) fluid and it sits between -MAX and -MIN. So....is the second container for the ebrake? Sorry I'm a noob.

HKYStormFront

if i'm not mistaken, the second smaller container is the fluid used for the slave cylinder which is what opperates your clutch pedal much like the master cylinder does the brakes. i have no idea if a slightly low level would cause the light to come on in the salve reservoir but it may be nothing at all and never happen again. if it does keep happening, i would take note of as many things as i could such as: how long as the car been sitting before you drive it and the light stays on, how long had it been driven before the last time you stopped, does the BRAKE light clear every time you stop and pull the handle and put it back down, etc. then call a nissan dealer and ask them about it, chances are they will just tell you to bring the car in so they can check it out but at least you will have some info to give them. otherwise they'll just go out to the parking lot, turn the car on, see the light go away and say "cannot duplicate" and be done with it

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Patrick // 06 Frontier 6spd Nismosis // Mods: Uprev Tuned @ Z1 Motorsports: 257whp & 292 ft lbs
09 Pontiac G8 GXP // M6 // Sunroof // Tint... For now

Trips

That means you need to top off that reservoir, and this will stop the light from coming back on again. like shrute said

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kannibul

If the brake light is coming on from low fluid, that means there's air in the system and it should be purged.

It's very well likely that the OP has air in their brakes that need to be bled out (given that the reservoir is full & between add/full), or that there is something else amiss - ie, an ABS sensor.

semtex

I thought the ebrake worked on a cable. It is an emergency brake, after all. i.e., if you were to suffer a complete loss of fluid somehow, you'd still have a backup braking mechanism that isn't reliant on the fluid system.

__________________
"There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna
316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) | 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10)
Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

kannibul

It does, the brake warning light is an idiot light for anything wrong with the braking system, including the ebrake.

semtex

Just as I suspected, it's a cable system, there is no fluid involved. (Which is why you never have to bleed the e-brake system, and it's also why you can yank the handle up and down with the car turned off as many times as you want without the handle stiffening up, unlike what happens if you pump the brake pedal with the car turned off.)

__________________
"There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna
316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) | 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10)
Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

Trips

could just as well be a faulty switch at the ebrake.

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Cjanik

where is the switch located that turns on the "brake" light for the ebrake? possibly take a look at that, and if your brake needs adjustment. (i.e. - possibly very close to engaged when all the way down thus the car things its on).

Trips

In semtex's diagram that's item #3

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JakeZ34

what is very confusing to me is that I just bought the car about 3 weeks ago and I have been following all the break-in rules and including brake bed in rules as well. Never pushed pass 4K RPM and never have really been slamming on the brakes or heavy braking it. It's got about 700mi on the car and I'm just sort of mad at things like this happening to a brand new car lol

kannibul

Maybe you should have driven it like you stole it, like I did?