Brake light flash? (1 Viewer)

[Vitesse_6]

Hi all.
While driving the 55 home last night, I noticed that there is a red light on the lower(left IIRC) speedometer gauge that would flash/blink once when I took my foot off the brakes, Any idea what it may be about? I know its not the parking brake light, But the other one.
Thoughts?

 

[PabloCruise]

My '74 cluster has one idiot light for brakes, one for electrical system - charging/amp, etc

They are both at the 6 o'clock position in the left hand gauge where the oil, temp, gas gauges are.

Any electrical gremlins?

 

[Vitesse_6]

Hard to say...
I havent put many miles on it, But of course there are the PO wired in items Im removing.
Everything seems to be working, I will keep an eye on it though.
Thanks for the reply

 

[Ming89FJ62]

The brake light in the gauge cluster is hooked up to two different circuits - the first is the parking brake (small switch under the dash that senses the brake fully home/retracted) the second is the brake master cylinder (two sensors on the bottom w/ a red wire).

Check you brake fluid level then make sure that the parking brake is fully retracted.

 

[Vitesse_6]

Thanks Ming.
The fluid level is up to spec. But on occasion the brakes are a little weak and I need to pump it once, I wonder if there may be some air in the line?!? And the parking brake is/has been fully retracted.
I will keep an eye on it, I wont really drive it till the weekend, I drive my dad into work every day and he wasnt too impressed with the 55 ;p Dont get me wrong, He likes Toyota's, But the 55 is kind of a beast to put it lightly.
Thanks again

 

[Eric Ellis]

Thanks Ming.
The fluid level is up to spec. But on occasion the brakes are a little weak and I need to pump it once, I wonder if there may be some air in the line?!? And the parking brake is/has been fully retracted.
I will keep an eye on it, I wont really drive it till the weekend, I drive my dad into work every day and he wasnt too impressed with the 55 ;p Dont get me wrong, He likes Toyota's, But the 55 is kind of a beast to put it lightly.
Thanks again

You likely just need to adjust your ebrake light switch. But also, you shouldn't need to pump your brakes so you need to bleed and adjust them I would think and make sure you have no leaks in the system.

 

[Vitesse_6]

Thanks Eric, Generally I dont need to pump them, But once in a while it needs just a little more pressure, I do need to adjust the brakes, On hard braking it pulls slightly to the right.
The PO installed a electric brake box/switch for towing, So I dont know if this would cause any issues.
Thinking of e-brakes, I was going to adjust the parking brake and I couldnt find the adjuster on the drum?!? But the parking brake works when fully pulled, But just barely, Time to call Kurt @ cruiseroutfitters again...

 

[Ming89FJ62]

Drums or disks in the front?

Keep in mind that you need to adjust the 55's rear brakes manually since the parking brake is seperate from the brakes in the wheels. The parking brake is a seperate drum style brake behind the transfer case with it's own adjustment. Kurt should be able to tell you if you have a stuck brake cylinder or if you're getting some seeping in the master. It only takes an hour or so to pull the rear drums for a visual inspection

If the master is seeping that would explain the brake light in the gauge cluster coming on occasionally when you brake.

 

[Gumby]

My light flashes from time time time. I push the e-brake handle in a little and that solves it. There are also pressure sensors that cause the light to go on, but they are supposed to only light in the absence of pressure like if you had a leak. That would be pretty darn obvious. The later Cruisers also had level warning lights, but not until well after the 55s, I think.

If the p-brake is out of adjustment it would be easy for it to move enough that it could cause the light to go on. There is an adjuster wheel in the p-brake drum.

 

[Vitesse_6]

Thanks guys.
Ming, 4 wheel drum, Ive adjusted them before, My 40 use to have drums and FJZ80 has rear drum, I just rebuilt my parking brake on the 40 and know what it has, I wasnt 100% sure if the 55 was different, Im sure Kurt has all the good, I have him on speed dial
Gumby,


EDIT...
The light on the dash is just a 1/2 second flash not really on... Make sense?

 

[PabloCruise]

The PO installed a electric brake box/switch for towing, So I dont know if this would cause any issues....

EDIT...
The light on the dash is just a 1/2 second flash not really on... Make sense?

I am wondering if these are connected, as when I read your orig post it sounded like your charging system idiot light was coming on, not your brake light...