Need Help! 69 Newport "Brake System Light" always on!

[Maymarmag]

I replaced the entire brake system. New everything. Then out of nowhere my Brake System Light came on. At first it went on and off - from strong to dim. At times it would go off completely. Now it is staying on and it is bright.

Re bled the brakes and they look good. I found that I had a leak at the rear axle brake line and I tightened that up. I thought that was the problem, but the light is still on. Now I found the leak after I bled the brakes. Thinking that I need to bleed them again.

Any thoughts, history, or ideas that I can use?

Is it an electrical problem? Maybe the switch on the proportioning valve?

Any help that could save me some time would be much appreciated.

 

[bajajoaquin]

Don't know if it's causing the light, but if you fixed a leak, you should bleed the brakes. If fluid can get out, air can get in

 

[Pete Kaczmarski]

Start simple: Can you gently lift up the emergency brake pedal? Pull on the release lever as you do this. Does the light go out? Sometimes the spring gets alitlle weak and the switch can be adjusted to compensate. I have had this happen to me.

 

[Polara_500]

Is there a wire going to the proportioning block? If so, the pressure switch in the block may have detected a fault while you were messing with things and need to be reset.

 

[Wildaugust]

Yeah, I would try bleeding the brakes again. If there was a leak, it could have put the valve off center making the light come on. I've noticed with some cars, it takes bleeding the brakes a couple of times to center the valve. You end up with valve going past center and have to bleed the opposite half of the system to bring it back to center.

 

[68Nwprt]

Yeah, I would try bleeding the brakes again. If there was a leak, it could have put the valve off center making the light come on. I've noticed with some cars, it takes bleeding the brakes a couple of times to center the valve. You end up with valve going past center and have to bleed the opposite half of the system to bring it back to center.

FCBO, the conduit to unlimited knowledge.

 

[68-300]

Yeah, I would try bleeding the brakes again. If there was a leak, it could have put the valve off center making the light come on. I've noticed with some cars, it takes bleeding the brakes a couple of times to center the valve. You end up with valve going past center and have to bleed the opposite half of the system to bring it back to center.

Second that, worst case valve is sticky, it has been in the same position for 20-30 years and has switched now into the unknown (dirt, rust?). Bleeding the front brakes will probably be the best cure.

Are you pressure bleeding or vacuum bleeding the brakes?

 

[bluefury361]

You may try disconnecting the wire at the distribution block, then reconnecting, Kind of like a reset.

If you have a good hard pedal and the brakes are working as they should then bleeding them probably won't help. (Won't hurt either).
You may be able to loosen the fittings at the block to re-center the piston also.

 

[440Sled]

My light just started coming on for no reason this week in my 68 NY'er. Gets brighter when I push the EM pedal down, and slightly dims when I disengage it. Bled the brakes a few months ago with no issues and fluid levels are ok. I'll try some of the ideas above. Thanks for the info.

Chris