My wife has a 2001 Honda CRV 2 wheel drive. It's BRAKE light is ON intermittently. It turns ON for 10 minutes, 15, minutes; or an hour then turns OFF. It stays OFF for an uncertain amonut of time (10 minutes, 15, minutes; or an hour) then turns ON again. The sympton has been for 3 weeks. I checked the brake fluid: full; brake pads: good. What else do I need to check? Thanks.

 

It may be your emergency brake switch. Sometimes these go out and don't make full contact and do not release correctly.

 

Check out the brake light switch that is actuated when the brake pedal is stepped on. I had a similar issue and that was what it was. Some are adjustable and some are not. If it's adjustable, the lock nut may be a bit loose and the switch just needs to be readjusted and tightened down. Mine was not adjustable and either worked or didn't. I replaced it and have been fine since.

 

You say "brake light" singular, do you mean all three brake lights???

 

HotinOKC and Smokey49,

I will check the switch on the weekend.

Bill,

That is the light on panel that would go RED if I pull the hand brake level.

Thanks.

 

If you're talking about a dash light, my suggestion may not be of any use to you. I thought you were talking about brake light as in the rear brake lights.

 

My first thought was a bad sensor in the ABS system or master cylinder sensor.
My brake light has been on for a year but there is nothing wrong with my brakes. It happens to be a bad master cylinder sensor but I haven't gotten round to fixing it yet.
Mabey if you put an anylizer on it, it will produce a code.

 

The light was OFF when my wife took the car to a shop. They performed visual check and driving test. Nothing was wrong and the light was OFF all the time. They didn't use a code reader, or they just thought it was a woman error. And the light has been off for 2 days since Thurday. Dan it, I drove the car to Vegas last week and the light was on and off freaking me. I will pay attention to the sensors.

Thanks.

 

Im thinking maybe you should have the shop bleed your brake lines. If that isn't the problem other malfunctions beyond the do it yourselfer.

 

May sound stupid, but you may want to check your alternator... I've found sometimes when the alternator is failing or has stopped charging, the brake light came on.

Don't have a clue why, but it just happened on the girlfriends tercel. Alternator died, brake light came on. Not the first time ive seen it.

 

Thanks everyone. I will check them all.

 

If alternator is going, "usually" the Charge and Brake lights will illuminate.

 

Right you are hot, but where it's intermittent, it's worth a shot.

 

^ I agree.

Have autozone test the alternator, but, if it's intermitant, the test will probably say the alt is good.

 

It could be a bad float in the master cylinder. There is a TSB on this problem that might help. Go to http://www.bedlib.org/ebsco.html , click on the ARRC icon and check it out.