93 VW Golf handbrake light intermittently on after MOT

[oliver47]

my 93 golf mk3 failed it's MOT on rear brake problems so I bit the bullet and paid for them to be fixed with new rear wheel cylinders and brake shoes. Driving home, the handbrake light came on once or twice and then seemed to settle down.
The handbrake mechanism is now a lot easier to pull ON and OFF and the brakes stop the car OK but I wonder if it is brake fluid being low and I will have to take it back to the garage.
thanks for any help - you guys are a mine of useful information so I know what to say to the mechanic.

[itavaltalainen]

Three possible causes come to mind:
1) brake fluid low
2) hand brake switch
3) brake fluid level switch or cable to it

If it's 1) top up fluid and watch for a while (days, weeks) may only be that it was not fully topped up after change, if it goes down again however that would indicate a leak and then the mechanic would hear from me if it was my car!
If the level is OK it will most likely be 2) could be that the thing is just loose or cable not on properly, it located under the hand brake lever, so some trim would need to come off to see.

3) Could be the brake fluid level switch as well if other two don't apply, but that's more rare. Most likely the cable would have broken or the "switch" is f4ck3d - "Switch" is a disc and two pins in top part...

I have marked the brake fluid reservoir on the photo below, it should be between min and max, that you can check yourself. The other points can also be checked by someone with a screwdriver and a left and a right hand

2012-04-22_14-00-28_51 - Copy.jpg

[oliver47]

thank you for your help. I am taking the car into garage tomorrow for them to have a look - will post the outcome in case it helps someone else with this model and its peculiar niggles.

[itavaltalainen]

What was the outcome? Did you manage to check the fluid level yourself at least?

[oliver47]

What was the outcome? Did you manage to check the fluid level yourself at least?

the fluid level was low (hence the going up hill problem) went into see the garage to check there were no leaks and to get them to top up with brake fluid. Apparently no leaks and I have checked since they topped it up and all seems to be well. Always good when the solution is the simplest one