ALT-1 What to do when your Brake Fluid Low Light goes on
If you are driving down the road and your “brake fluid low” light comes on, the first thing to remember is don’t panic. It’s probably not as bad as you think.
On most vehicles, the brake fluid light is connected to a sensor in the brake master cylinder (the main hydraulic component of your braking system). This sensor will turn the light on when the brake fluid level in the master cylinder goes below a certain point. Your brake fluid level can become low for a number of reasons. All of them are important but most of them are not an emergency.
The most common reason for that light to come on is the natural wearing-down of your brake material (generally referred to as brake pads or brake shoes). As your brake pads slowly become thinner over the years, they have to travel a little bit further to make contact with the brake rotor. The extra distance the pads have to travel requires a little extra brake fluid, which lowers the overall level inside the master cylinder. In some cases, all that is required to make the light go away is for somebody to put a little more brake fluid in the master cylinder. However, it can also mean that your brake pads/shoes are getting too thin. The only way to know for sure is by having a competent mechanic perform a brake inspection on your vehicle.
Your brake fluid light may also be an indication that you have a leak in your hydraulic braking system. Brake fluid leaks can occur in many different components for many different reasons. You will need to find a trustworthy technician to fix this problem. Your mechanic will refill the brake fluid and inspect the entire braking system to see where the fluid is leaking from. The cost of repairs for a brake fluid leak can vary greatly depending on what needs to be replaced.
There are a few other oddball problems that can turn the “brake fluid low” light on. There could be a problem with your dashboard. Something might be wrong with the little “float” inside the master cylinder that indicates the level of brake fluid. But these scenarios are uncommon. Low brake fluid is not necessarily an emergency. But, due to the importance of having good working brakes, you should have your vehicle checked out by a trustworthy mechanic at your earliest opportunity.
Drive carefully.
