Cold Morning Parking Brake Light

[Byrd-Shooter]

Hey guys,

New to the forum, so if this needs to go somewhere else then let me know.

2004 Tacoma, on cold days the parking brake light will come on when I start the truck or if I hit the brakes hard when driving. Nothing engages, and I have checked the lines, everything seems normal. Is this a common issue with these trucks or is mine just short-bus special?

Thanks
Byrd

 

[blackbox]

Toyota decided it would be a good idea to re-use the parking brake light to indicate low brake fluid. Sounds like your brake fluid is right at the line....

 

[ExploringNH]

Toyota decided it would be a good idea to re-use the parking brake light to indicate low brake fluid. Sounds like your brake fluid is right at the line....

x2. Check the fluid level.

 

[austintaco]

Mine does this too, and it's not the fluid. I will release the brake, and it retracts, but it has a bit of play in it. The light stays on, but the brakes are not engaged. If I push on the e brake handle toward the dash, it goes off. After about 5 minutes, its good.
I have tried e brake adjustments, and it still does this.

I have had the light come on when the fluid was low after some work was performed.

 

[keystone]

Funny you should bring it up. My '99 Tacoma was doing this too, for months until yesterday, when I took it in to trusted independent mechanic. austintaco describes the symptoms perfectly. Mechanic claims it needed only adjustment, not fluid. It's cold this morning, and the e-brake now works as it should. I'm happy.

 

[SNOWDOZER]

Mine does this too, and it's not the fluid. I will release the brake, and it retracts, but it has a bit of play in it. The light stays on, but the brakes are not engaged. If I push on the e brake handle toward the dash, it goes off. After about 5 minutes, its good.
I have tried e brake adjustments, and it still does this.

I have had the light come on when the fluid was low after some work was performed.

My 03" DC has been doing this for overa year now. New brakes all four corners and fluid is fine. The parking brake has been adjusted and there is still "the light" when released. It's probably just the switch at the end of the parking brake, I bet if you were to put a wad of tape on the end of the release it would extend it to the switch. Toyota's are great trucks but they do ware out over time.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Low fluid is often the case (it always has been on my 3rd gen truck). It gets worse the longer you let it go, which is the pads and shoes wearing down and lower the level in the master cylinder.

Next step if adding a little fluid doesn't fix it is to check the two switches in the circuit. One is a float level switch on the master cylinder and the other is the parking brake switch.

If it's neither of those then you have a short to track down.

 

[Byrd-Shooter]

Interesting, I appreciate the guidance. I'll report back with my findings once I have some time away from work to check the fluid and adjustments. Hopefully it's not a circuit issue.