Badly behaved 406 D9 - Brake Fluid Warning...

[dissolved]

Hi all

long time since I've posted here and could do with some advice.

I have a 1.8 petrol 406 D9 saloon pulling the handbrake up gives the warning message "BRAKE FLUID LEVEL LOW".

Checked the rear shoes, had the handbrake readjusted and changed the front pads - plenty of fluid in the reservoir.

Having seen the new MOT guidelines I'm now looking at an MOT failure next time for a fault that two garages can't find - has anyone else had this and found a workaround?

[V6Exec]

This is a very common issue

Try this thread -> viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19218&p=190842&hili ... ow#p190842

Which give the following advice

5. This is the handbrake microswitch, needs replacing.

[dissolved]

thanks - much appreciated

[k_f]

My car is playing up with the same Brake Fluid Low warning so thanks for the information. Has anyone here actually had the error, replaced the handbrake microswitch and cured the problem ? How difficult a job is it ? I know these are french electrics but I fail to see how a handbrake microswitch can kick off the brake fluid level warning - any ideas what's happening here ?

[Welly]

The easiest thing to try is to work the handbrake lever up/down like an idiot for 30 seconds or so, this normally clears the fault for weeks on end. The microswitch just gets slow to react after a few years.

[KozmoNaut]

My car is playing up with the same Brake Fluid Low warning so thanks for the information. Has anyone here actually had the error, replaced the handbrake microswitch and cured the problem ? How difficult a job is it ? I know these are french electrics but I fail to see how a handbrake microswitch can kick off the brake fluid level warning - any ideas what's happening here ?

I think the "brake fluid low" is used as a general brake system warning of sorts. The handbrake microswitch can set it off, as can the brake pad wear sensors for some reason and obviously low fluid level as well.

I got the error a couple of weeks ago when applying the handbrake. Parked at home, saw that there was plenty of fluid in the reservoir, checked pads for wear, scratched the back of my head in confusion, then I found a thread here that explained it and stopped worrying. Hasn't happened since.

[trufflehunt]

First time I had this message, it was all... "OMG.., disaster..".

Took the advice on here about giving the handbrake a good working up and down. That cleared it for a while.
Now appears occasionally. Put it in for an MOT, crossed my fingers that the message woud not appear.

All, OK.

I think I'm starting to develop a.. "Well, it's French, you know..." kind of attitude...

[scotty73]

It is the switch i had the problem myself it does go if you wiggle the handbrake for a while but will come back.

Tbh the cost from Peugeot is under a fiver and it's not that hard to change "i changed one" ... The consol can be lifted up between the seats too if i remember right leaving you just enough room to do the job.

[k_f]

My car is still playing up and the circumstances aren't straightforward. As the car is an auto I rarely use the handbrake - Park does the job. I only use the handbrake on a slope. On most occasions when on a slope, when I pull the handbrake the "Brake fluid level" warning is displayed when the handbrake is pulled right up. The actual level of fluid in the reservoir is fine and I don't want to top it up again. Whenever I use the handbrake when the car is on the level it works fine without any warning. Is there some other brake problem (i.e. not the handbrake switch) which could trigger this message ?

[Welly]

It's probably just a quirk of the micro-switch being fussy about level ground or not but it will not be the fluid itself just this switch under the handbrake, it has been discussed here many many times.

[k_f]

The easiest thing to try is to work the handbrake lever up/down like an idiot for 30 seconds or so, this normally clears the fault for weeks on end.

I did this and the fault has gone away. Hope it has disappeared permanently. Thanks all for your responses.

[Welly]

It will come back unless you do 'the exercise' regularly but you'd only really need to do this once a month or so. I used to attack the handbrake like this whenever I remembered to, fault or not, just make sure no-one's looking at the time

[scotty73]

It will come back unless you do 'the exercise' regularly but you'd only really need to do this once a month or so. I used to attack the handbrake like this whenever I remembered to, fault or not, just make sure no-one's looking at the time

Compulsive yanker The fault came back on mine but it was a nice change in excercise routine for the old left arm... Up and down instead of....