StarretBingum

No just kidding! New to the forum, first post. Trying to find out a few things on my brakes! First my parking brake light is always on second are the brakes supposed to go damn near to the floor before gaining pedal pressure third if these are issues and a thread out there that explains the issue and fix please point me in the direction or if you could answer me here great!

2001 Cherokee 4x4 4.0 sport everything stock!

Sig220

Unless you are leaking brake fluid.......
The light is on because you have low brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. As your brakes wear down, it takes more fluid in the pistons to keep them working. The solution is to check your brakes and replace the pads and if need be other parts like the rotors, the rear brake shoes, etc.
As you compress the pistons in your brakes to fit the new pads or new shoes in, it will displace brake fluid which will be pushed back up to the brake fluid reservoir which will cause the light to go out. Then you bleed your brakes if you have excessive brake pedal travel before your brakes engage. Once you have it all replaced and working, you can top off your brake fluid.

Sounds like your XJ is telling you she wants some attention and parts replaced!

BlueRidgeMark

Punctuation is free. Use some.

doublechaz

Generally the RED dash lights mean you should STOP for the safety of the car or your own safety. The orange ones are the ones where you can probably continue to drive and get it looked at as soon as you can. Kinda like how the lights at intersections have orange for "watch out, continue or stop as is safe", and red is just stop.

If your brakes are that worn down you'll want to look at how used up the brake fluid is. You shouldn't be able to detect any color in it if it is good. If it is slightly yellow see orange lights above. If it is slightly brown or darker it needs to be replaced. The color comes from water mixing in with it and that water will kill all the rest of your brake parts before their time. $100 spent now on brake fluid replace will save you $3,000 five years from now.

TrailerTrash

You should not drive it until you figure this out. You arent going to get one problem solving answer here as easily as youmight think. It's just not that simple and easy

If you do not know anything about brakes you should probably take it to a qualified mechanic.

If you do know about brakes and how vehicles work then...
Check if the lines are holding pressure
check the fluid
check the vacuum hose going to the booster
check ALL the lines for leaks. Every inch of line
pull the wheels and check the shoes and cylinders and the calipers pads and rotors

StarretBingum

Thanks! BlueRidgeMark! Didn’t realize I was in 9th grade English class!!!!!!!! Lol



To the other guys/gals appreciate it! I just needed a starting point, I wasn’t sure if the breaks were supposed to be squishy! Since never owning a Jeep I figured a “Jeep Forum” was the place to go! I’ll be back!

RockyMtn96XJ

No this isn't English class, but you ARE an adult like the rest of us here. So its just assumed that everyone here knows how to correctly convey the English language so it is understandable, including punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc...
It can be difficult to figure out what someone is talking about when there is no punctuation. I understand that is how a lot of the younger generations do it with their facebook and instagram or twitter or whatever, but its lazy, not to mention pretty annoying to see on a daily basis.
This is just good advice from people who frequent this forum and we do our best to help people, but that can't happen if we cant communicate efficiently.
All brake systems work damn near the same way, regardless of make/model. If the brake pedal goes to the floor in ANY vehicle, its not good.
You could have a leak in the hydraulic system. The brake light does double duty as an e-brake alert AND a pressure imbalance warning between the front and rear brake hydraulic systems. The switch for the pressure imbalance warning portion of the circuit is located on the brake proportioning valve just below the brake master cylinder. That switch, or the E-brake switch, can turn the light on.

RockyMtn96XJ

Also, see the 4th entry of BlueRidge's signature for a good idea of how to get the most help out of people. It didn't seem like you took too much offense from his comment, but you know.... more advice.
.

StarretBingum

Wow!
Glad I got a response from those who look past the “grammar”!
Oh wait should the exclamation point go before the parentheses or after?! Asking for a friend!

Keep on keeping on all you keyboard warriors y’all are the ones who give forums a crappy experience! No wonder I never ask y’all for help!

RockyMtn96XJ

Here is a very complete answer after the advice I gave.
We aren't being a-holes, just letting you know its appreciative to post questions and comments in a better fashion. You will still get some help if you must type the way you do, but trust me, not near as much help will come. No one likes to sit and read while trying to figure out what it is supposed to say because it's a run-on sentence. Just sayin'.
I'm not sure why EVERYONE takes offense to our request for better quality English.....

StarretBingum

I apologize for my run on sentence! I figured by numbering my questions the group would understand, apparently not! Since I do not frequent forums too often, I didn’t realize my grammar would freak people out! Obviously I am using a cell phone to create my post, signatures do not show up! Sorry my grammar, punctuation, and every other thing you see wrong with my thread isn’t up to standards! I’m just trying to get help if the “grammar police” have issues with my “grammar”! Keep your opinions to yourself and scroll to the next thread! Simple!!! I have no room for opinions just facts!

RockyMtn96XJ

Good luck.
And it isn't an opinion, its a fact.
We were also done with the "opinions" a few posts back and I began trying to help you with your problem, yet you continued to stay offended by our request and you kept complaining about it. So if you'd like more help, continue informing us of your issues and we'd be glad to help. If you'd like to stay butt hurt over nothing, then that's on you. I really dont understand how your tighty whities got into such a wad over a simple request. We didn't insult you, cuss at you, or anything of the nature. We just asked you to try and be a little more formal with the posts so WE have a better understanding of what is going on so we can help the best way possible.

So, let's move on.

StarretBingum

Thanks!

dave1123

Starret, you might want to check the adjustment of your rear brake shoes. Caliper pistons will stay the required distance from the rotors so the distance they have to move is minimal, but the rear shoes will retract all the way and if they are not adjusted to be close to the drums, the pedal will have to move a long way to activate them. If the front pads are worn down, excessive fluid will remain in the calipers, causing your low level light. This is all providing you don't have any leaks. As my Dad told me many years ago, the truck may not go fast, but it's GOT to be able to STOP! It's the most important system in any motor vehicle.

And yes, DOT classifys it as a truck because they didn't get catalytic converters until 20 years after cars did.

StarretBingum

Thank you!! I’ll pass this information to my kid I called it a truck he said it’s a Jeep, I said it’s a truck! Lol