Please Help! My Truck Is Driving Me Mad!

[mdurbahn]

I bought this truck 3 days ago and everything seemed to work fine. Now this morning when I started the truck the parking brake light came on and starting to ding. They brake wasn't on. It continued to do this all the way to work, very annoying. Also noticed the windsheild wipers stopped working as well. And I thought this truck had auto headlights? Maybe I was mistaken, since i only had it a few days but if it did, those aren't working now either!!! What is going on with this thing!@#$)*% Any tips/tricks for any of these problems? (I just got to work and it is cold/raining so I haven't even checked the fuses.)

 

 

Edit

Update:

 

Played with this at lunch, I found that if i press down hard on my normal brake it will make the parking brake light go away, until I let up on the brake pedal. I can't driving this with the dinging, PLEASE HELP!!!!

[StoneyPgh]

Would help to know the year and model of your truck.

 

OOPS< just noticed your truck info to the left of your post.

[Shaners]

Make sure the e-brake pedal is fully in the "up" position. Pull the release handle and grab the pedal and pull it up... if that doesn't work you may have a bad contact or a faulty switch. Make sure the rear brake lights are functioning as well.

 

My '01 had the auto headlights... just leave the switch in the "Auto" position and they should work. If you have the small dome like sensor in the front/middle of the dash, then that is for the auto headlights.

 

I'm not sure about the wipers, but check the fuses in the door end of the dash and under the hood over the drivers side wheel well (electrical center).

 

Good Luck, and welcome to the forum...

[HDdave]

Yeah, when I release the parking brake in my 01 chevy, I haveto pull the release lever again and reach down with my hand to pull the pedal up the whole way...

[cvandegna]

Ditto on the parking brake - my old '99 used to do the same. Spray the heck out of the bracketry and cable with a graphite containing lube (like you can get for door locks). That worked for mine. Believe it or not it may also be affecting your headlights - the parking brake being depressed shut off my headlights in auto mode as well as DRLs. Also check for cable adjustment - I have 30 degree slope on driveway, and daily parking brake used stretched the cable out. If the lube on the bracket and adjustments don't help, your gonna have to check for binding of the cable at the rear axle, and/or pull the rear wheels to check for binding in the brakes themselves.

 

Headlights - make sure the little sensor thingy on dash is not obstructed - and check OM for override on the headlight switch. Some had it built into the rotary switch, and some had a funky sequence of hitting the dome override several times. I know this was primarily to turn off the DRLs, but seem to also remember that it shut off my friend's headlights too in his '01 during a bit of stealth night wheelin'. There were a few beers involved in that expedition, so don't quote me as gospel.

 

Wipers - fuse is likely culprit.