C

c18rch

Member
Hi,

The handbrake warning light on my TD5 90 is constantly flickering when I'm driving. It has done this before on a couple of occasions.

The first was when the front pads needed changing. Which is understandable.

The second was due to a wire to the ECU from the alternator shorting to the body through the bulkhead.

Both these problems have been sorted and the rear pads are not worn enough to be causing it.

Anyone got any ideas or had a silimar problem?

Cheers.
 
Seems a fairly common problem, I believe usually connected with the switch. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but keep a closer eye on things like fluid level, just like you do on a series motor which doesn't have Christmas tree lights to save you doing maintenance.
 
same as you - tried everything and in the end just stuck a sticker over the light that says "diesel".

Obviously the diesel bit's not so important but having missfuelled twice I find it kills 2 birds with one stone
 
had the sane prob & slight juddering on take off the handbrake was slightly on ghanged the h/brake cable solved both
 
I just had the same fault on ours. Assuming the handbrake is not springing up and activating the switch (meaning it needs adjusting or, as on ours, the cable had siezed) take the rubber gaiter off the handbrake, remove the switch (one screw and one spade connector) and either replace it or dismantle it and clean it up.
 
Not sure if it's the same arrangement as a TDI but if there are two wires going to the top of the brake fluid resevoir take the cap off, careully remove the plastic bits from underneath and wash it with clean brake fluid. It's a low fluid level warning device which seems to stick from time to time. Hence the flickering.
 
To check whether it's the cap or the h/brake switch, simply disconnect one of the wires to the reservoir cap and see if the fault persists. If it does, above the gearbox is a black rubber connector where the h/b switch wire connects to the main harness(you'll see the wire coming through the seatbase next to the hand brake cable). Disconnect it and see if it persists. If it's stopped you'll know that it's the swich. if it continues, the fault is in the main harness
 
had exactly the same problem on my td5 90 the handbrake wasnt releasing fully.
Changed the handbrake cable problem solved
 

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dont forget to check yer break fluid level in the reservoir as theres a sensor in that to warn you the fluid is low and works the same light on the dash as the handbrake
 
Had the same combined with cold start problems, turned out to be a relay. Fixed cold start and no flickers now
 
flickering can be due to connections inside brake fluid reservior,take lid off and peel the rubber cap off, clean connections as there often rusty, put it back together, it worked for me
 
Another solution here. I've been suffering from this on and off for a while and every time I think I've cured it for a couple of days it comes back. This morning I had a fiddle with the float switch in the reservoir. There's a cylinder that covers the float that clips on to the underside of the cap, I took this off and realised that the hole in the bottom was a) very small and b) blocked. I've reamed the hole out larger so the brake fluid level inside the cylinder can equalise with the rest of the reservoir more rapidly. Out for a test run with heavy braking and not a trace of flicker. Hope I've fixed it this time.

I'm hoping it's not a short deep in the wiring loom and that this has solved it.
 
I just had the same problem - and stupidly, it didn't occur to me to check the fluid reservoir before Googling the problem. Where the light was flickering for me, it was flickering and and it's behaviour was changing as the car was being driven, and I eventually noticed that when we were driving up an incline and giving it some wellie, the light would come on permanently until the road levelled off and then it went back to a flicker. Going downhill, the light went off. Logically, this is the behaviour of fluid moving around and causing a sensor to react.

I checked the resevoir, and it was low. Below the "seam" of the reservoir in the engine bay, so I popped in what little fluid I had left (which wasn't enough to bring it anywhere near the max line on the reservoir) and re-checked it. Light had gone out. For me, it was simply a very useful reminder and warning to check.

Our mechanic advised us that the brake lines that feed to the rear brakes were pretty crusty and needed replacing sooner rather than later. My suspicion is that I have a small weep from somewhere in the piping which is telling me to get those damn pipes replaced asap!

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