Hello all,

I just recently bought this 99 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9L Quad Cab truck and I notice that the brake warning light stays on in the instrument cluster so I thought maybe I engaged the parking brake and forgot about it. I pulled the release and hear nothing so I push on the pedal and I feel resistance and hear clicking noises but when I let up off the pedal and it comes right back up so I pull the release again and I can hear the mechanism disengaging but the light stays on in the dash. So today I stopped at a local Autozone and asked if they could do one of those check engine lights check so they did and found no problems. So anyway I was wondering if it could be a faulty parking brake switch or some other bigger problem ?

 

It might be, when my rear wheel speed sensor went out, my abs and that brake like both came on

 

Is your ABS light come on with it? If so its likely the abs sensor.

The backside of the parking brake engages the switch. If the parking brake doesn't release fully (mine doesn't after accidentally stomping on the pedal while driving) then it won't contact the switch to turn the light off on the dash.

Pull the release handle and at the same time pull up (towards you) on the parking brake pedal. Does the light go off then?

 

I don't think it is the ABS sensor because when I went to autozone they hooked up that scanner thing to my truck looking for faulty codes and there weren't any, plus the ABS doesn't come on. The parking brake pedal engages the parking brake but the pedal comes all the way back up when it is pressed down. When I pull the release handle I hear the mechanism disengaging so that is why I am wondering it has to do with the parking brake mechanism because the pedal doesn't stay down.

 

Pedal not staying down is probably normal. Its just a ratchet mechanism after all.

Does your cruise control work?

 

Yes but does it contact the switch when released? You can stick your head under there with a flash light and see the back of the mechanism and a little switch with a connector and a couple wires going to it. If it doesn't your light will stay on. Unplug the switch, see if the light goes off.

 

Good point Matt I will check that out tomorrow when I am planning on doing a tune up with new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Just not thrilled that each spark plug has a metal shield around it. On another note do I have to put those heat shields back on when replacing the plugs ? Or was this one of those useless factory things they just did ?

"Hey You" my cruise control does work but the light doesn't come on in the dash when it is on but I think that is just a bulb

 

I found that plug on the parking brake and unhooked it and the light stayed on (engine running) so not sure if it is the switch or is it something different. I also changed my back brakes shoes today and I did not see any ABS sensors so I don't think it is ABS related.

I guess I am going to order that parking brake switch and see if that fixes the "brake" light in the dash

 

I just use a 3" and 6" extension when changing plugs. Some guys just rip the heat shields off and leave them off.

 

Yep heat shields just let dirt and crap collect, rust the plug, and fall in the cylinder when you change them