Dear Car Talk:
I have a 1999 Honda CR-V with 188,161 miles on it. Sometimes the parking brake signal on the dashboard will illuminate as I am driving, but the parking brake itself is definitely not on. This used to only happen when the outside temp was below 30 degrees, but now it’s happening in warmer weather, too.
I don’t know much about cars, but the same thing happened with a previous vehicle, and a few months later, the transmission totally died. Is there any way that any of these things could be connected?
— Jordan
No. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in a century, and just after that, Netflix launched Season 1 of “The Crown.” Connected? No. Well, I don’t think so.
I believe your CR-V has two dashboard brake lights — one to signal trouble in the regular brake system, and a separate one that says “Parking Brake.” So there are only a couple of things that would make the parking brake light come on if that brake is disengaged. And neither one is terribly serious.
Your parking brake is operated by a foot pedal, to the left of the brake. And when you step on it to engage the parking brake, there’s a little switch at the top of the lever that says, “Hey, the parking brake is on.” That switch is what makes the light on your dashboard go on. The light is there to discourage you from driving all the way to Chattanooga and back with the parking brake on.
Over time, that switch can get out of adjustment. And cold weather can make it act up. Or after enough use, the switch can simply wear out. And keep in mind, that switch is now old enough to order a drink in most states. It’s a simple little switch, and your mechanic can either adjust it or, if necessary, replace it for less than $100 with labor.
The other possibility is that, even though you’ve fully released the parking brake pedal, the cables that actually apply the parking brake could be sticking. And if they’re not releasing completely, your parking brake pedal won’t return fully to its upright and locked position for landing. And even though it won’t be enough for your foot or your eye to notice, it’s enough to make the light stay on.
If you see smoke coming from one of the wheels, you’ll know it’s the cable that’s sticking. So I’m going make a bold suggestion, Jordan. Take the car to your mechanic. Tell him what’s happening and ask him to have a look. He ought to be able to figure it out pretty quickly.
Dear Car Talk:
I bought a 2002 Toyota Avalon XLS with around 120,000 miles on it for my soon-to-be 16-year-old daughter to drive. If I let it sit for a week or more without driving it, the battery will be so low that the starter just click, click, clicks, and I lose all the settings such as the date, radio presets, lock settings, compass, etc. I either jump it or put the charger on it for a few hours and then it starts right up.
So I got a new battery with a high CCA, but that didn’t help. I even took the battery back to the auto parts store where they tested it, and said it was “discharged but tested fine after they charged it back up.” I also checked the trunk light and others to make sure they weren’t on all the time.
I talked to the previous owners (family members) who said they got rid of it as their elderly mom wasn’t driving it enough anymore and got tired of her having a dead battery when she did need to drive it.
What might be causing it? I’ve had other cars that sat for a month and started fine. Thanks.
— Jim
I unloaded a car like that on my in-laws once, Jim. They never spoke to me again. So it was a win-win.
Most modern cars actually can’t sit for a month without their batteries failing. There are too many electronic components that use power, even when the car is turned off. There are presets to maintain, an alarm system, the emissions system and, today, even internet connections.
So it’s possible you have a parasitic drain of some kind, in addition to the “normal” drains. We used to lock my brother in the trunk overnight so he could tell us whether the trunk light was staying on. Don’t worry, it was perfectly safe. We always threw a supply of sandwiches in there with him.
But rather than asking your daughter to lock you in the trunk or the glove box to see if a light stays on, ask your mechanic to hook up an ammeter, and see how much current your car is actually using when it’s turned off. If it’s using more than 0.7 or 0.8 amps while sitting in the driveway, that’ll drain the battery pretty quickly.
But more likely, I think your problem is a weak charging system. Every time you run the car, the alternator charges up the battery so it’ll be fully charged and ready to start the car next time you need it. If your alternator is weak and you don’t drive much, you may never be fully charging your battery. And when you combine that with the “normal” drains, you could easily be out of juice in a week or so.
So instead of taking just the battery to your auto parts store, take the whole car to a mechanic. Ask him to start by checking your charging system. He can also check for a current drain. But my guess is that you need an alternator.
If I’m wrong, and your mechanic can’t figure it out, you can either disconnect the battery when the car sits, or go back to the auto parts store and pick up a trickle charger that you can attach to the car whenever it’s parked to keep the battery charged. Or sell the car to a relative.
Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
