CR-V (98) - brake warning light indicates - what?

On the dash warning light panel to our 98 CR-V (AWD, stick), there’s an oil warning light. This is more than a “your parking brake is set” warning, right? What other brake problems might it indicate, if any? Background: wife drove about 2 mi. to client the other day, brake warning light was on. This is in N. Calif., midsummer, temp. prob. in mid 60s at about 9a, and no it didn’t snow or rain the nite before, so it’s unlikely the brakes were frozen. When she left at 5:30p the same day, the light was out. It has not lit up again & we just went 160 mi. to S.F. & environs in 1 day, as well & didn’t light up then either. Car just had its 100k service. The brakes “feel good”, no pedal-to-the-floor, they grip well with just a little push, no sponginess or other signs of funkiness, & no service was needed on them. Thank you.

Could be low brake fluid. Check your owner’s manual. Don’t take any brake light “lightly”, it could cost you your life and others too. Even if the fluid is low you will have to have it checked for leaks, not top it off only.

Do you mean “oil warning” light, as you stated, or “brake” light? They aren’t the same.

An oil warning is usually triggered by low oil pressure. A brake warning can be caused by many things relating to the brakes (bad parking brake switch, bad master cylinder, low brake fluid, etc. In either case, don’t assume nothing is wrong simply because the light isn’t on right now. Get things checked out right away.