Help with QX4 Brake Light

[AlabamaDan]

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've written as I've been moving, changing jobs and all that goes along with those two things. I need some help.

My QX4 brake light stays on all the time. Actually, I can fook with the parking brake and get it to go off, but it only goes off for a short time. I can't tell that anything is working (or not working) differently, but feel that this light must mean something. Can y'all help me figure out what's going on and what I can do to fix it?

Thanks guys.

Danny

[AlabamaDan]

Am I posting in the wrong forum? Can a guy get a little help?

[metaverse3]

If you have a factory service manual see how the parking circuit works. If it is ground activated, them something is shorting to ground leaving it on.. If it is positive activated, then check the switch. I can almost guarantee it is brake switch related.. Usually the brake circuit is tied into the cruise control circuitry. Take your car for a drive and set the cruise control on..then try to tap on the brakes gently and check to see if the cruise cuts out.. If it is working, then the switch circuitry is sending a cancel signal to the cruise ECU through the brake switch. If it does not, then the brake switch is in question. Good luck and post results..

[AlabamaDan]

Thanks metaverse. Everything seems to be working fine, cruise control included. There was a time I could mess with the parking brake, you know up and down, up and down, etc..., and get it to go off. So, I think there's a connection somewhere not working, but I don't know where.

The dealership wants $100 just to pull it in the bay. I might could live with it, but my wife drives the QX4 and is driving me crazy.

[AlabamaDan]

So metaverse3 are you saying to just start looking around at wires around the parking brake and look for one that appears to be working incorrectly, broken, etc....

[elwesso]

ON the Q there are actually 2 brake switches... One for the brake lights and one for the cruise control and other things like that...

Probably one of the switches is bad, or its stuck..

Cheap part form joe as its just a simple swtich....

[DAEDALUS]

Cruise control brake switch?

I assume you mean the brake LED isn't going off, since it's not a major problem, and not the brake lamps. If fiddling with the parking brake switch turns it off then that's the culprit. Otherwise, make sure you're topped off on brake fluid, cause low fluid will set if off too.