If your brake light comes on when accelerating it is not a good sign. You should inspect your brakes immediately and check for damage. More details in our article below
Sometimes when you are driving on a highway, your joy is suddenly squashed when you see a funny light on your dashboard. The light has an exclamation mark inside a circle and parentheses on both sides.
But do you know what this light is? The funny light is the brake light which indicates that there is some problem with your braking system.
Brakes are probably the most humble yet essential component of your vehicle because they stop and slow you down. Any problem with brakes is dangerous for the driver and other drivers and pedestrians around him. So, you should not take this problem lightly.
One common problem is that the brake light comes on when accelerating, and then it disappears after some time. The hide and seek of the brake light is dangerous and spoils the mood of the driver.
Well, there is no need to panic so much about brake lights. This article will discuss the causes of why brake lights appear on your vehicle and what you can do to resolve the issue.
Common Reasons For Triggering Brake light
#1. Low Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is the lifeblood of your braking system. Your car will never stop if you don’t have an adequate amount of brake fluid. Brake fluid is a hydraulic fluid that can convert the force that you apply on your brake pedals into pressure on the wheels.
This fluid has a high boiling point to withstand the heat when the brake pads touch the rotor or the brake shoe contacts the drum.
Low brake fluid is one of the most important reasons for triggering brake lights. You will find a sensor inside the master cylinder which measures the brake fluid in your vehicle. If it becomes low, the sensor alerts you by triggering the brake light.
Well, your brake fluid can become low because of several reasons. For instance, if your brake lines have become rusted or damaged in accidents, they may leak out the brake fluid.
Solution
- You need to check the brake fluid reservoir from time to time.
- Inspect the brake lines on your vehicle from time to time. If required, you need to change it as soon as possible.
- If you find the brake light triggering all of a sudden while accelerating, check the brake fluid reservoir immediately and, if required, fill it with some more brake fluid. Then check the brake light while accelerating. If it does not trigger, then you are safe on the road.
#2. Faulty Sensors
If there is a fault in the sensors of the master cylinder or parking brake sensor, then you may observe the brake light suddenly while accelerating.
Solution
You can take the help of a technician to check the fault in the sensor, and if he detects a faulty sensor, you need to change it as soon as possible.
#3. Parking Brake Engaged
The parking brake is the emergency brake that you need to use when the primary brake system fails. All the vehicles which are manufactured today have parking brakes, but they do not have a lot of stopping power.
People mainly use them to keep their car steady while in a parked position. The parking brake of your car usually engages while parking and disengages while driving. But if you leave the parking brake on and the emergency brake light comes on when accelerating, it is a red alert sign.
Driving with your parking brake on is very bad for your car. It will damage the brake shoe, lower the brake fluid level, or wear the lining present on the brake shoe. As a result, your primary braking system will not work effectively.
Solution
Deactivate your parking brake as soon as possible. For this, you need to push the brake pedal with your right feet firmly and press the control. The parking brake will release automatically.
#4. Worn Out Brake Pads
Brake pads are an essential component of disc brakes. They help stop your vehicle by converting the kinetic energy of the car into thermal energy by friction. You will find two brake pads on a disc brake.
Let me discuss with you the working of disc brakes along with brake pads.
In disc brakes, you will find a disc that attaches to the wheel of your car. The disc will have so many vents to dissipate the heat—the caliper clamps to the disc or rotor.
Whenever you apply brakes, the brake fluid from the master cylinder starts entering the caliper, which has a piston inside it.
The brake fluid exerts pressure on the piston, which finally puts pressure on brake pads. The brake pads are in contact with the disc or rotor, which causes the rotor or disc to stop at your desired location.
If the brake pads get wear and tear with time, you may find an emergency brake light comes on when accelerating.
Solution
Try to change the brake pads as soon as possible.
#5. Worn Brake Shoes
Like brake pads, brake shoes are an essential component found in drum brakes. You will find a pair of brake shoes on a single drum brake. The brake shoes have brake lining, which helps in stopping the vehicle.
In drum brakes, you will find a drum-like structure on the hub of the wheel of your car. Whenever you apply brakes, the brake fluid from the master cylinder goes into the slave cylinder, exerts pressure on pistons, and finally expands.
The pistons are attached to the brake shoe, so the brake shoe will also expand, and the shoe lining comes in contact with the drum. Finally, the drum retards the speed of your car.
If you notice the brake suddenly appearing while accelerating, then you need to inspect your brake shoes.
Solution
If your brake shoe has gone through severe wear and tear, then it’s best to buy a new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What should you do if, while driving, your brake warning light comes on?
If the brake warning light comes on suddenly while driving, you need to find a safe place where you can inspect your vehicle’s problem.
Next, check the brake fluid reservoir, and suppose you do not have sufficient brake fluid, then you need to add some brake fluid and check whether the brake warning light appears or not. There are other causes too for the brake light suddenly appearing while driving, like wear and tear of brake shoes or brake pads.
#2. Why does the brake light come on off while driving?
If your brake comes and goes away while accelerating, it indicates that the fluid reservoir has very low or almost no brake fluid. But if your brake light appears and stays on, it indicates that you have a severe problem with the braking system.
Wrap Up
A brake light suddenly appearing while driving is not a good sign. It indicates that there is some problem in your vehicle and you need to investigate it as soon as possible.
Well, in this article, I have listed some causes of brake lights suddenly appearing while accelerating and its solution with the hope that it will help you a lot while driving on the road.
Don’t forget to share your suggestions for this article in the comment section.
Happy Driving!
