Brake warning on startup

  • Thread starter imported_VaulterTim
  • Start date
I

imported_VaulterTim

Guest
Hi all,

As subject I have the brake warning light come on at startup. The exclamation mark with three loud chimes.

Brakes work fine. ABS works fine, I tested /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

This all seemed to start when I picked my car up from the bodyshop a few weeks ago and to be fair has only happened a handful of times since...

Does anyone know what may be causing it?

Dirty/dusty sensor somewhere? Maybe the cold weather? The battery went flat at the bodyshop, maybe that..?

Cheers

Tim
 
Low Brake fluid ? Brake pad sensors now visible...... ?

A couple of obvious suggestions I know......
 
When you get warining does the yellow ABS light remain on?
 
It's not the ABS, no yellow light. It's the red exclamation mark that beeps three times.

It only presents when the engine starts too... not when the ignition is turned on /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Strangely enough, I'm having the same problem. I thought it might have been the wear sensors on the pads too.

Be just my luck, it'll be summat that'll cost more than the car to repair (about a tenner!).
 
No.

Does your handbrake light have an exclamation mark and chime at you three times?
 
let me guess, iff you turn the ignition off and back on again (even without starting the engine), it doesnt happen again, nor for the rest of the day...
 
Correct.

Although I'm sure there was at least one occasion when it did.

Odd.
 
[ QUOTE ]
No.

Does your handbrake light have an exclamation mark and chime at you three times?

[/ QUOTE ]

i know in fords they do, and seeing as i am yet to purchase my audi, i wouldnt know
 
This happens to me once in a while. Nothing to worry about. I think sometimes the ABD ECU doesnt boot up properly before the ECU does a check on it.

Rich
 
happened to me all the time on my old A4. Especially when it had been a cold night, and then again if there had been a dramatic temperature change during the day.

I never did get to the bottom of it. To be honest, i didn't try too hard at diagnosing it either, as the brakes were still working fine. In addition, i assumed that if it was a real problem, it would tell me every time i started the car, not just in certain conditions.
 
I got this too for a while. Started flashing every now and again then it began doing it every 30 seconds and beeping. Went and put some brake fluid in and it went away. Be sure that when you put the fluid in you have a screwdriver to push between the plastics at the mouth of the resevouir which will allow it to drain down otherwise it doesn't. Thats what happened to me anyway at the dealers. Good luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I am pretty sure its the level sensor. I had this on my A4 and took it into the dealership and apparently it happens a lot on A4's.
Just check that the warning comes one on a flat surface rather than a slope. Sounds obvious I know, but I just topped it up slightly and it fixed it!.
 
I had this problem about a year ago. Turned out to be a dodgy battery of all things.

Something to do with the voltage level being too low in the controller and tripping the error.

I would have the error everytime I left the car for more than a day or if it has been a particularly cold night.

Anyway, I changed my battery and it's been fine ever since...

Hope that helps,

Chris.
 
Hmmm, interesting.

The car is always parked on a flat surface so I doubt it's related to the level.

As I said before, the battery went completely flat at the bodyshop whilst the car was in having it's bit's 'n' pieces done and the fault appeared for the first time the day I picked it up from there...

I'm not sure if they completely recharged it because I remember them having problems with their charger. I'll charge it myself then see how we go, although the fault is so intermittent that I may not see it again.

Thanks for everyone's input, nice to know I'm not the only one with this problem.

Best wishes

Tim
 
Cheers for that fellas, couple of easy fixes to try there. I'm leaning towards the low battery charge as I've only been doing shortish trips recently and with the cold & frost, had heater/heated screen, lights etc on, also park on a level.

Many thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ok.gif
 
I was told to check my voltmeter level before starting the car. It should show just over 12 volts, anything lower and the battery is not charging properly/wearing out. Whether that is fact or not, I have no idea.

I think mine was reading not much over 11 volts by the time I changed the battery. Although the car would start okay, it had gotten to the point where I was always getting the 3 chimes/DIS symbol if I left the car for anything more than a few hours.

Chris.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif Did it again this morning...

It was freezing again though so no surprise... going to charge the battery over the weekend to see if that makes any difference. With snow forecast I guess I'll get to test out my theory! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cheers

Tim
 
funnily enough my mums smart forfour and a guy at works 1 series bmw do exactly the same.
 
Didn't think of that!

Cheers bud, next time I'm down that way we'll ruffle her feathers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Well... she's still doing it (intermittently still) and after a lot of investigating I have found this (stumbled across it actually)...


WARNING LAMP FOR BRAKE SYSTEM

FAULT: Warning lamp for the brake system comes on after cold start.

CAUSE: In the ABS control unit is a poor recognition of low voltage and the acoustic and optical warning is activated by unsatisfactory indication suppression in the instrument cluster.

SOLUTION: Fit the ABS unit with a low voltage relay.



This seems to be a fairly practical solution... but we're back at the low voltage problem again. Just as a note, I haven't actually charged my battery yet /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush2.gif Voltage levels are fine so I didn't see any point...

Thoughts?

T
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

2.8 30v
brake light warning light on
Replies
0
Views
854
2.8 30v
2.8 30v
G
brake lights dash warning light on
Replies
12
Views
2K
shineydave
shineydave
Sulli79
Noise on startup
Replies
7
Views
784
Broken Byzan
Broken Byzan
S
Blue/White smoke on startup
Replies
3
Views
1K
steady jay
S
W
Brake warning light!
Replies
4
Views
2K
Road Razor
Road Razor
Top
Back