brakes squeeking and now the brake light on the dash is coming on

[jhaas63]

Something tells me that this is most likely something dumb, like the I need to change the brakes or the master cylinder...but I figured I would run this past the pro's on here first.

Anyways, I noticed the brakes start squeaking the other day on my 1972 Dart Swinger. Today, I went for a short cruise and when I would come to a stop at a stop sign, the light will come on briefly. It seems like the pedal is basically going all the way to the floor as well. Any thoughts?

 

[slant6/4speed]

you are loosing pressure in the brakes some place-Need to find it now-do not drive. Find a clean level spot to park on and press on the brake pedal a few times. get out of car and look for brake fluid on the ground. Trace it back to the leak.

 

[jhaas63]

you are loosing pressure in the brakes some place-Need to find it now-do not drive. Find a clean level spot to park on and press on the brake pedal a few times. get out of car and look for brake fluid on the ground. Trace it back to the leak.

Interesting...I have not seen any fluid on the ground or in my garage.

 

[4spdragtop]

drums or brakes?? the squeak/squeal could be the pads or shoes are worn down...pull the tires/drums and have a look see

 

[2 Darts]

Definitely not a safe condition. Don't drive before you fix, please. The light is coming on when you brake to indicate an extremely low fluid situation. I know it seems kind of stupid to have a light that comes on to say "The brakes aren't working properly". Like you haven't figured that out already. But there it is.

You didn't say if you had drums on front or disk brakes. Check the inside of the rim and tire looking for oil. Finding oil will indicate a failed wheel cylinder or caliper piston seal. Neither is a big deal to fix, but things won't improve until it is fixed.

You should also clean the drum or rotor to remove oil residue. Because the lining of the brake pad or shoe has been contaminated, I'd recommend replacing the linings of both brakes on the axle.

 

[autoxcuda]

Did you check the brake fluid?

Did you see if one master cyl cavitity is higher than the other? If so, probaby bad master.

Check behind drum brake wheel cylinders dust cover to see if there is leakage.

 

[jhaas63]

I have drums on the front. Did not see any fluid there.

I checked the master cylinder and it was higher on one side than the other. Bad master cylinder?

 

[RedFish]

The linings and wear dust in a drum can absorb quite a lot of brake fluid before the leak appears on the outside. Saturated linings cause a squeak also.
if you just repeatedly add fluid until you have evidence all over the backside of a wheel you will have a real mess to clean up on the inside of the drum.

 

[jhaas63]

The linings and wear dust in a drum can absorb quite a lot of brake fluid before the leak appears on the outside. Saturated linings cause a squeak also.
if you just repeatedly add fluid until you have evidence all over the backside of a wheel you will have a real mess to clean up on the inside of the drum.

I put more fluid in the master cylinder and low and behold, it is much better. This leads me to believe that it most likely a leak and not a master cylinder. I have access to a hoist and will check this out later today/tonight and report back. Thanks for help.

 

[RedFish]

Take a good look at the rubber lines at each front wheel and above the rear differential ( 3 total ) also. Good luck

 

[cudamark]

The light coming on just indicates a difference in hydrolic pressure between the front and rear brakes. If there is no leak at any of the wheels or lines, the master cylinder is the culprit. Sometimes they leak internally between the front and rear section. Sometimes it leaks out the rear of the piston. If you have power brakes, that fluid leaks into the booster and will eventually rot the diaphram inside. If it's manual brakes, it will leak right down the firewall and under the carpet making a big mess and eating all the paint off everything. Brake squeeks are usually more annoying than dangerous. If it's a scraping sound, that indicates something it metal to metal and needs repair. Squeeks are usually rusty hardware, loose brake pads, or a combination of the two.