Every morning when i leave to work my brake light begins to turn on, when i go over a bump or brake it shuts off. But only happens in the mornings when my car sits over night or long periods of time . What is the cause of this and how can it be replaced?
The first step is to check the level of the brake fluid in the master cylinder.
Have you done that?
Where is that located?
I’d be very surprised if that’s not covered in your owner’s manual. Have you looked there?
The master cylinder is located in the engine compartment, on the firewall, below the windshield, directly in front of the driver. The cap screws off. Make sure that you thoroughly clean all dirt and grease from that area, prior to removing the cap!
Please check your Owner’s Manual for specific details, including the type of brake fluid that is needed if the level is low. If the fluid level is up to the “full” line (or very close to it), then you really need to bring the car to a competent mechanic, as brake problems cannot be safely ignored.
If the brake fluid is near the minimum, you need to take it to a professional as well. As the pads wear down, more fluid is needed in the calipers to maintain the proper gap between the pads and the rotor, that fluid comes from the master cylinder reservoir. Generally when the fluid level is low enough to light up the brake light on the dash, the pads are at or very close to their minimum thickness and need to be replaced,
under the hood on the fire wall towards the driver side . BE CARE FULL WITH BRAKE FLUID IT CAN HARM YOUR PAINT JOB.
+1 to Keith’s thoughts.
I’ll add that I believe that the quantity of fluid designed into the brake fluid reservoir is based upon the amount of fluid required to fill two calipers, with the intention being such that low pads will trip the light.