Date:         Wed, 9 Sep 2009 09:15:04 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Brake Failure Warning Light
In-Reply-To:  <C6CD5541.861B%dave.arthur@nscc.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

  Warning light failures:  Those seem to consume a great deal of time and
energy.  Many vehicle warning light indications are from system failure of
the warning system itself, not what it is supposed to be warning about.  How
many times do we hear questions about or problems with warning lights?  A
lot.

 With newer vehicles you often need to pay a 'dealer fee' to plug into their
diagnostic terminal to find out you have nothing wrong.  In older vehicles,
a significant % of the warning light indications we get have no basis in
actual reality other than a malfunction of that warning light system or it's
various sensors or circuits.  Some vehicles are so "touchy" that the vehicle
won't even operate until you 'disarm' the warning..the CEL..
  Dunno whether this is good technology or not.  I guess if you always drive
a newish vehicle that is under warrantee, you just believe and frequent your
dealership as indicated..
  Hopefully, Dave felt the brake pedal go to the floor and didn't need that
warning light to tell him he had no brakes....or that his brake warning
light was broken..
  Don Hanson

On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 8:51 AM, Dave Arthur <dave.arthur@nscc.ca> wrote:

> > Last night I blew a steel line on my rear brakes. Išm replacing the steel
> line
> > today. My issue was that when the brake line failed and the rear brakes
> > started loosing fluid, my brake failure warning light didnšt activate.
> The
> > light does com one when using the parking brake.
> >
> > Is this normal (I think not)? Is there a procedure for resetting the
> warning
> > light if one of the circuits has failed?
> >
> > Best Regards
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > Œ86 Westy
>