88 silverado + red brake light on

wolcott · February 2, 2007

i posted a question on my friends 88 silverado the other day-about the red brake light being on and any bleeding tips. I am now down in Texas with my friend. The truck does indeed have only RAWL. He had a chilton's manual which is not to specific about the ABS system. Okay, so my friend, Larry put on new wheel cylinders on the back with new shoes and new pads in the front. He bled the whole sytem. He thinks that the red brake light came on after he bled the brakes but he's not really sure as he on medications. He does remember that after 6 months or so, the red brake came on and stayed on. So, he bled the brakes again and the red brake light was still on. So, he disconnected the battery. Then, the brake light went out for a couple of months and then came on.

1) Is it possible that some trapped air in the brake system is turning on the brake light.

3)Upon reading the chilton's manual, we find out that the metering pin on the combination valve should have been pushed in during the bleeding process. So, we are gonna try bleeding it again with the metering pin held in. Do you agree?

4)After bleeding brakes properly this time (with metering pin held in) should the red brake light go off by itself without disconnecting the battery?

5)He has another RAWL brake assembly (black abs thin square box, combination valve, and what I believe to be the isolation/dump valve. If bleeding does not get this dang light to go out- would you recommend putting on that spare black abs box? Then, maybe if that doesn't do it, the combination valve?

I feel guilty asking all these questions of you folks, but any advice is appreciated as both my friend and myself are disabled and on disablity with limited funds. Thanks for your help!

iron_786 · February 3, 2007

i posted a question on my friends 88 silverado the other day-about the red brake light being on and any bleeding tips. I am now down in Texas with my friend. The truck does indeed have only RAWL. He had a chilton's manual which is not to specific about the ABS system. Okay, so my friend, Larry put on new wheel cylinders on the back with new shoes and new pads in the front. He bled the whole sytem. He thinks that the red brake light came on after he bled the brakes but he's not really sure as he on medications. He does remember that after 6 months or so, the red brake came on and stayed on. So, he bled the brakes again and the red brake light was still on. So, he disconnected the battery. Then, the brake light went out for a couple of months and then came on.
1) Is it possible that some trapped air in the brake system is turning on the brake light.

3)Upon reading the chilton's manual, we find out that the metering pin on the combination valve should have been pushed in during the bleeding process. So, we are gonna try bleeding it again with the metering pin held in. Do you agree?

4)After bleeding brakes properly this time (with metering pin held in) should the red brake light go off by itself without disconnecting the battery?

5)He has another RAWL brake assembly (black abs thin square box, combination valve, and what I believe to be the isolation/dump valve. If bleeding does not get this dang light to go out- would you recommend putting on that spare black abs box? Then, maybe if that doesn't do it, the combination valve?

I feel guilty asking all these questions of you folks, but any advice is appreciated as both my friend and myself are disabled and on disablity with limited funds. Thanks for your help!

this was a common problem, dont waste your time bleeding your brakes or any of that stuff, on the master cylinder there is a little black box about as big as your hand, unplug it plug it back in your light should be off... it will happen again in the future just do the same again