Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes handbrake switch

Gents,

My ebrake suddenly feels like crap and I'm working to fix it. One thing I need your help with is figuring out why the ebrake light on my instrument cluster won't go out. The switch works fine, but I must be missing a bumpstop of some kind or something. See these pics:





Can anyone check to see if there is some sort of bump stop at location 1 or 2 (in the first image) on their ebrake? Notice when the handbrake is all the way in the "down" position (as in the second image) that the switch is merely touched, not depressed.... I'm thinking something is supposed to be there to push it down or something.... I checked the Ford Service Manual but the pics aren't detailed enough to answer this question

Have you check your brake fluid level yet? The light functions for both the park brake and for the brake fluid level.

If indeed you are missing something in the consol, try adding a rubber vacuum plug or even a piece of vacuum hose cut down the the right length to extend the switch plunger.

Yes he's right - check the fluid.

You may find that the handbrake switch just needs to be depressed slightly to break the switch contact and the low fluid may be the real culprit here.

Mine came on right after I bought the car. Revised e-brake cable was installed and the light has never returned. It would flicker on when I went over bumps.

I dont think its the fluid becuase if I manually push the button down in there the light goes out.

The handbrake works so easily I think one of the rear calipers is disconnected or something. I'll jack the car up this weekend and get behind that heatshield to inspect the cable hookups.

What's tweakin my brain is that I can push the handbrake all the way down to its "down" position, and it wont go any further because of a bumpstop somewhere on that lever. I mean when I say "down" I mean it hits something solid and will not go down any lower. I dont think something is jammed in there either though because looking at it, its indeed down like I always remember.

Its retarded. One day out of the blue my handbrake seems to only engage one of the rear calipers making it super easy to pull it up, and the switch isn't being depressed.... grrr wtf

Needs more Landwind!

LMGDAO!