I have had my miata now for just over 18 months....
The handbrake warning light now comes on when the handbrake is fully off. A quick trip to the garage clears this but, but the mechanic just says "It's a common problem!"
Is there an easy fix to save me going to the garage every time this happens....
Cheers,
Gez.
In addition to indicating the handbrake status, that light alerts to any imbalance in the brake hydraulic system, usually eaither a leak or a worn master cylinder. It's not a common, "ignore it" issue.
You probably need to rebuild the master cylinder, not a big deal.
Simply put, the brake warning light circuit monitors two things... the handbrake lever, and the fluid level in the reservoir at the master brake cylinder. It is likely your fluid level is low, perhaps because of a leak somewhere in the system, or perhaps because your brake pads are considerably worn and the reservoir wasn't topped up the last time your brakes were serviced. The level doesn't have to be particularly low to trigger the warning light. Inspect the master cylinder area and the calipers for leaks, and top up the master cylinder reservoir for now if no leaks are found. When you do your next brake job (this is likely imminent), replacing the brake fluid and careful inspection of the whole brake system is probably a good idea.
Pete
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