Handbrake warning light; what it means and what to do

The handbrake warning light on indicates a problem with the brake system. Let’s see what the causes may be.

Knowing your car allows you to travel in complete safety and immediately notice any anomalies signaled by the instrument panel. Among the various indications that can be detected from the dashboard, one of the lesser known is the handbrake warning light on . Let’s see what it means.

When you sit behind the wheel of your car, the first thing you notice as soon as you turn the key are the numerous lights that illuminate the instrument panel. Their switching on acts as a check to verify that the various devices are working regularly, but if one of these remains on then there is a problem.

The abs light , orange in color, indicates the correct functioning of the anti-lock braking system which prevents the brakes from locking the wheels in an emergency situation, thus allowing progressive deceleration without loss of direction.

If the abs light is on, the system may not work properly. For this reason it is always advisable, if this problem occurs, to go immediately to a trusted workshop in order to carry out an analysis on the problem and to remedy it immediately.

In some cases it is possible that in addition to the abs light there is also the hand brake light on . In this hypothesis, a failure of the anti-lock braking system should not be found, but a jamming of the handbrake itself is often indicated.

Ignoring the abs warning light on and continuing to drive safely could put your own and others’ safety at risk because you would have no fundamental system in preventing accidents.

Handbrake warning light always on

Another warning not to be taken lightly is the presence of the handbrake warning light on in the dashboard. Usually this remains active when you engage the parking brake when you park your car, but once the handbrake has been removed, the red warning disappears from the instrument panel.

If the handbrake warning light stays on when the parking brake is off then there is a problem with the brake system .

In this case, caution must be maximum because driving a car with a braking system that is not in perfect working order can be really dangerous and have serious consequences.

Handbrake warning light on: what to do

First, immediately look for a space where you can stop the car and check the brake fluid level by opening the bonnet and looking for the appropriate reservoir. If the fluid is missing, top up immediately and then check that the handbrake warning light on no longer appears in the instrument panel.

If this is still active, it means that there is a leak in the braking system and it is therefore necessary to take your car to a specialized workshop to carry out the necessary repairs.

In some cases the handbrake warning light on may be due to futile reasons such as a false contact or to the float in the fluid tank not working properly. In the latter case (especially relating to cars with several years on their shoulders) you can try to disconnect one of the two wires that go to the brake fluid reservoir cap and check if the handbrake warning light remains on or not. In the second case it will be sufficient to replace the float.