brake light came on in my 88 k1500 but why?

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Swims350

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Got word earlier from my dad, who's been driving my truck all winter, that the brake light in dash came on, it's an 88 moonie setup and it's the bottom right side, light closest to the steering column. I can't read what it says.

Well here's the thing, e- brake cables have been cut for awhile now, and I unhooked the plugin to the e-brake pedal since it kept falling and setting the light.

New calipers, and pads on the front, new wheel cylinders and shoes in the back, they've been on maybe a year. All the lines are in good shape, no leaks, no low fluid in the MC.

It's always had a somewhat soft or far pedal travel, but it stops good. It just goes about halfway down before it catches and starts slowing down. Also just sitting in the driveway, hit the brakes with it running and hold them they seem to drop all the way down to me. or I should say the pedal does.
 

Swims350

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nobody?
 

nxtlevl

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That's odd...you pretty much covered everything I was going to suggest................................
 

Swims350

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LOl sometimes I know what I'm doing lol.

No it was my first thing on the truck, good brakes to drive and make sure all the sterring was in good shape, after I rebuilt the motor and put in a new trans LOL.

Had a guy on another forum tell me to unplug the RWAl box and see if it goes off, said his got stuck on, so I'll try it tomorrow.
 

nxtlevl

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LOl sometimes I know what I'm doing lol.


:roflbow: I just meant that it was odd what your truck was doing...not that it was odd that you already checked/replaced everything.......Hopefully it's just a fluke, and unplugging it will get rid of the light...
 

Swims350

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yea I'll find out tomorrow hopefully. I wantd to ditch all that crap anyways.
 

davbell22602

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:roflbow: I just meant that it was odd what your truck was doing...not that it was odd that you already checked/replaced everything.......Hopefully it's just a fluke, and unplugging it will get rid of the light...

He would have to unplug all 4 abs sensors. There's one for each wheel on 4wd.
 

Swims350

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NOPE, RWAL rear wheel antilock, no wheel sensors on mine.

2wd or 4wd doesn't matter. The newer trucks had 4wal mines only got rwal.
 

davbell22602

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Well if its 4wd there on all 4 wheels 88-98 according to the haynes manual. Rwal was just for 2wd.
 

Irishman999

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I had a 96 and 2000 dodge that did the same thing. In one case it was a speed sensor in the rear that caused the ABS light to come on, usually when it would come on I would disconnect the battery and it would go away.

Sorray dude I doubt this helps.
 

Swims350

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yea I can assure you that hayes manual is BS I got the same one but mine says nothing about 4wal and rwal being 2wd and 4wd specific. From what I saw online the early trucks 2wd or 4wd have rwal ONLY and the newer ones have full four wheel abs or 4wal.

Mines a 4x4 and it has rwal only.

Now I'm gonna go re-read that because I swear it didn't say 2wd was rwal and 4wd was all wheel just said 4wal is 4 wheel antilock. That doesn't mean 4 wheel drive antilock just 4 wheels have it. 2wds had it as well.
 

Swims350

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mine clearly says on page 9-20 middle paragraph on that page for speed sensors and I quote.....

on 4wal systems each wheel has a speed sensor on rwal systems a rear speed sensor is located in the transmission extension housing on 2wd models....

and in the transfer case on 4wd models


It does say codes are stored and can be pulled by a tech. but damnit I want to pull them and it doesn't say how.
 

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Swims, Is this 88 ABS??? I'm thinking not. But anyway, I just wanted to throw in that you need to check the wire on proportioning valve in the front frame crossmember. Kinda close to the lower left of the radiator. There is a wire there, and that also works the brake light control just as the E brake switch does too. You mention pedal travel, if its to far, or if your proportioning valve isn't working right it will set off the brake tell tale light. Also, I have seen that light stay on before AFTER brakes were corrected for low pedal travel. Then after brake bleed it went off. Something to do with the prop valve going full direction one way, then back to where it supposed to be. If you have done all you can with the E brake, then I say your issue is at the prop valve. That doesn't mean I'm saying the prop valve is bad. I am saying the problem is at the prop valve.
 

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