BMW 320d handbrake light stays on?

[ben1000000]

My BMW 320d handbrake light stays on even when the handbrake is down. The dashboard says 'braking system drive moderately' with the handbrake sign next to it, the brake pads need doing & it says that on the vehicle status so not sure if the dashboard message has anything to do with that? It did recently have an MOT done with one of the advisories being 'parking brake travel getting high'. Any ideas what this could be?

[stevieturbo]

often handbrake and fluid level etc warning light are the same.

[Demelitia]

ben1000000 said:

My BMW 320d handbrake light stays on even when the handbrake is down. The dashboard says 'braking system drive moderately' with the handbrake sign next to it, the brake pads need doing & it says that on the vehicle status so not sure if the dashboard message has anything to do with that? It did recently have an MOT done with one of the advisories being 'parking brake travel getting high'. Any ideas what this could be?

The handbrake can be sorted just by adjusting the mechanism through one of the wheel bolt holes usually. Unless you’re ripping the handbrake up to do sick skids the shoes last forever.
The dash light might be because of the pad warning sensor having been set off, or the pads have got thin enough that they’ve let the pistons come out a decent way and the fluid in the reservoir has dropped in level.

[Pica-Pica]

Demelitia said:

ben1000000 said:

My BMW 320d handbrake light stays on even when the handbrake is down. The dashboard says 'braking system drive moderately' with the handbrake sign next to it, the brake pads need doing & it says that on the vehicle status so not sure if the dashboard message has anything to do with that? It did recently have an MOT done with one of the advisories being 'parking brake travel getting high'. Any ideas what this could be?

The handbrake can be sorted just by adjusting the mechanism through one of the wheel bolt holes usually. Unless you’re ripping the handbrake up to do sick skids the shoes last forever.
The dash light might be because of the pad warning sensor having been set off, or the pads have got thin enough that they’ve let the pistons come out a decent way and the fluid in the reservoir has dropped in level.

Yes, the parking brake shoes should last the vehicle life. One thing recommended to keep the shoe friction faces in good fettle, is to occasionally apply the parking brake lever (knob pressed in) just as you come to a halt. Just to give the shoes a bit of a work out. That won’t solve your issue, but is worth doing.
Another issue I had on my E36 is that the steel backplates do corrode at the brake shoe retaining pin holes. The pins become loose, and the shoes become misaligned and contact the drum. That’s another one to keep an eye on, unless the shoe fixings and materials have been adequately improved.

[E-bmw]

ben1000000 said:

My BMW 320d handbrake light stays on even when the handbrake is down. The dashboard says 'braking system drive moderately' with the handbrake sign next to it, the brake pads need doing & it says that on the vehicle status so not sure if the dashboard message has anything to do with that? It did recently have an MOT done with one of the advisories being 'parking brake travel getting high'. Any ideas what this could be?

OK, so let me get this straight.

You KNOW you have 2 brake problems that you haven't sorted out.

You think you may have another but don't see the need to get that sorted out properly either.

You just want to ask the internet what could be the problem.

Take it to a garage and get the brakes fixed ASAP before you REALLY need them.

[Pica-Pica]

E-bmw said:

ben1000000 said:

My BMW 320d handbrake light stays on even when the handbrake is down. The dashboard says 'braking system drive moderately' with the handbrake sign next to it, the brake pads need doing & it says that on the vehicle status so not sure if the dashboard message has anything to do with that? It did recently have an MOT done with one of the advisories being 'parking brake travel getting high'. Any ideas what this could be?

OK, so let me get this straight.

You KNOW you have 2 brake problems that you haven't sorted out.

You think you may have another but don't see the need to get that sorted out properly either.

You just want to ask the internet what could be the problem.

Take it to a garage and get the brakes fixed ASAP before you REALLY need them.

I would add ‘make sure you turn your wheels towards a kerb, in the direction of the slope, when parking!’
I get paranoid when I see people parked on steep slopes with wheels straight ahead.

[ben1000000]

E-bmw said:

OK, so let me get this straight.

You KNOW you have 2 brake problems that you haven't sorted out.

You think you may have another but don't see the need to get that sorted out properly either.

You just want to ask the internet what could be the problem.

Take it to a garage and get the brakes fixed ASAP before you REALLY need them.

I'm not ignoring anything or not seeing the need to get sorted properly either, of course I will take it to a garage. These issues have only just come up along with the MOT advisory within the last few days & then yesterday the light on the dash came up, I was just wondering if they were linked so I don't 'just want to ask the internet what could be the problem'.