95 Legend Brake, TCS, ABS Light Problem

BlackRabbit · Newbie Joined: Feb 15, 2004 Posts: 3

Hi, I have an 1995 Legend that seems to have some type of electrical disturbance. First let me state that this car is in VERY excellent condition, I'm talkin' tip top here, inside outside and the engine + compartment are spotless. The only reason I state this is to let it be known the car is very well taken care of and all fluids seem to be at recommended levels. With that in mind I'll get to the situation. About a month ago I noticed the parking brake light would occasionally come on whilst driving or just not go off for a few minutes upon starting the car, this is obviously while the brake is down. Well just recently the light didn't go off at all when I started and drove the car and still persists to stay on. Now I have stopped and left the car in drive, put the parking brake on and just sat without pressing the acceleration or anything and the car will drift seemingly with no resistance other than you can slightly hear the parking brake on. I'm not sure if it has a mechanism to attempt to release the parking brake if the car is in drive but I doubt it highly, so I'm not even sure if it is working properly other than you can barely hear a slight rubbing, like the P-brake isn't engaging all the way. Also after around two minutes of driving, or it seems when you slow down, the ABS and TCS lights will come on and not go off. If you turn off the car and restart they will go away until you have been driving for a few minutes and they only started this almost immediately when the brake light wouldn't go off.
So before I go and get overcharged by the Honda Garage can anyone tell me if they've heard of anything like this or any small procedures I could check and maybe get a better understanding of what it might be. Also the car runs perfectly, exactly the same as prior to the problem, not one aspect of its ability has changed or ceased to work or making any strange noises at all. And just in case it would help the only thing I did prior to the problem was get the car washed on a around freezing day and then drove on the highway for about an hour, I only mention it because the only post I read even similar was the mans brake light wouldn't go off because he washed his car on a cold day and thought a sensor was frozen so he kept the car in a heated garage and said the problem went away, except we have had fairly warm days here lately and the problem persists. Thanks all for reading my book and let me know what you think about this problem, all help is greatly appreciated.

pedroman · Newbie Joined: Feb 08, 2004 Posts: 4

I have a similar problem where my Brake and SRS light stay on sometimes in my 90 Legend. It started about 8 months ago right after I bought the car from a guy in FL, and I thought it was weird too. I did not pay it much mind at first becasue it went away a few days later, but eventually what it started doing was coming back and then one day it progressed to where after I turned the car off, some of the other dash lights would stay on and flicker overnight...I posted something about this last week under the heading, dash lights flickering. So it would eventually drain my battery and i would have to get jumped the next day, and I soon had to disconnect my battery every night. Eventually the problem would go away, but then would come back a few days or weeks later.
Well after this going for a while, I came toi the conclusion that it only happens after it rains. I don't know why, and I am waiting for it to happen again so I can take it inot the Acura dealer near me, and hopefully they can fix it up.
Hope that lets you know you are not alone with these electrical problems, and maybe will help you with some info. I will let you know what it was when i get it fixed, and would appreciate any info you find out.

BlackRabbit · Newbie Joined: Feb 15, 2004 Posts: 3

Thanks I appreciate the response. And that does sound eeriely familar, I find it so weird that the only reasons we can come up with are weather related. I mean these cars rank up there at the top with NOT having to get them fixed because of strange mechanical failures, but alas I guess they really had no chance of competing with mother nature. Well I am gonna hold out another couple weeks and hope someone reads these posts thats maybe a mechanic or someone whos had another similar situation. I just want to be prepared with some type of a realistic idea when I go to the Ac garage, otherwise I know I have a 50-50 chance of actually being told what the true problem is, instead of them saying a circuit board is shot or the electric system is failed, or some other 900 dollar fix when they'll just replace some little switch. And I'm 90% positive it's not anything that extreme since it hasn't affected anything else or the abilities of the car like I said. I also recently read a similar post where the response was that it was a plastic or rubber device behind the brake pedal that was broke and so cheap to fix the dealer should just do it for free. The word free just doesn't sound very realistic though, but if anyone knows of this part could they please enlighten on where/how to find it and check for damage. I can't locate it in either of the "Chilton" like guides I have. It's not paying a lot to fix the car, I'd shit 900 dollars for breakfast, I'd just rather not if I don't have to. Thanks ahead for any response.

95Type2Cpe · Newbie Joined: Feb 13, 2004 Posts: 7

BlackRabbit,

The ABS system in the Legend is designed to go into a "fail-safe" mode whenever the brake lamp is illuminated for 30 seconds above 15-20mph (until the car is re-started). The mode essentially shuts down the ABS system and illuminates the light to both indicate a problem and alert you that the ABS is inactive.

TCS relies on ABS as it applies the brake to whichever wheel the ABS sensor indicates spinning faster than the other. When ABS is inactive, so is TCS.

Make sense?

So...could be a few things...

1. Check your brake fluid level, unless you have already. Low levels will pop the light when it is cold or when cornering.

2. Check to make sure the parking brake indicator switch (tells the 'puter when the p-brake is on) isn't dirty or sticking.

3. Could be a faulty brake fluid level float, but I've never heard of one failing...doesn't mean it's impossible!

Since the brake light is on, it sounds as though this whole problem is surrounding the things that I mentioned above, items like ABS wheel speed sensors will pop the ABS and TCS light, but shouldn't illuminate the brake light.

Hope this helps!

~E

BlackRabbit · Newbie Joined: Feb 15, 2004 Posts: 3

Alright man I gotta say despite my gloating in my first topic post, you did with out a doubt hit the nail on the head there. I'll explain then I have one more small question it sounds like you could answer. Well, everything you said was 100 per-cent correct so I gotta first say thanks a lot, a whole lot. I haven't had the car that long, so it was really worrying me, and I have been disgustingly busy and haven't had the timeframe to drop it off, plus like I said I know I would get charged out the ass. Anyways, The ABS and TCS lights were coming on in unison but the ABS first then like five seconds later the TCS, so you were right about them working together, I kind of figured something like this since I doubted both would go bad at the same time. So I followed your instructions and found that while the brake level was slightly low ( not really that much but probably enough to due something) the ABS reservoir, which I didn't know had it's own fluid container, I know "how thorough I must have been", was below the "low" indicator on the side.
So I got some premium DOT4 fluid and cleaned that bad boy and filled both up to the marker. Started the car and all lights were off, nothing, it was the greatest moment of my life, I almost cried, I drove for about an hour to make sure everything was peachy and it's straight now.
So huge thanks to you for helping me on something that really was minor, but my question now is this which you sort of referred to in your post. What other than a leak would make the levels drop like that? You said they do so in cold weather, well thats definately been here lately, and the car was garage kept before I got it, now its just covered but outside. And is this alright for a temp fix, when it gets warmer in about a month I'll have the lines drained and replaced with premium DOT4, should they be bled now or can it wait til then also? Anyways did I remember to say thank you, I feel so much better now it's one more thing off my mind, I tell you when I started and there was no lights it was better than ten orgasms. Just kidding, alright later.
Rabbit.

95Type2Cpe · Newbie Joined: Feb 13, 2004 Posts: 7

Rabbit,

It's great to hear that you got it fixed! I'm sure it's a great sense of relief to know that you won't hafta' take it to a dealer $.

Things should be fine when it starts to warm up, provided there isn't an actual leak.

As your brake pads wear, the calipers have to extend further in order to be effective, and the fluid drops accordingly. I've been told that when all of the brakes are new, and the fluid is full, the brake lamp will come on about the time that the brakes need to be replaced, just before you hear the wear indicators.

Good luck, and I'm glad to know that is was a simple fix...you're more than welcome.

~E

jestre · Newbie Joined: Jan 27, 2005 Posts: 1