Brake lights flashing

Optimus Prime

Hi Guys, wondering if i can get some advice.

The break lights on my renault laguna flash on and off the whole time. If im driving down the road, the lights just flash randomly, sometimes it stops for ages though then comes back.

The amber warning light comes on and it says

Check ABS
Check Breaking System

I brought it to the renault garage and they said it "might" be the ABS pump. but until it was changed we wouldnt know for sure and where looking for a fortune to do it. They cleared the faults and said see if it comes back which it did after a few days.

I wanted to see if the abs was working so tested it myself and the breaks did "pump" but i dont know a lot about cars myself so i dunno if that points to the abs pump being ok.

I was hoping maybe someone here might have seen this type of thing before? i was thinking maybe it could be wiring, or the switch that controls the break lights? but again, i havent a clue. Maybe it is the abs pump , but i didnt just want to go ahead with that and it not be.

Thanks a lot

Minderbinder

I have the same issue with my indicators.

scannerd

I would be doing a number of electrical tests before you go down the "might need and ABS" pump route. could be bad grounds, short in the wiring, which will still be there with a new ABS unit. also need to pull the specific codes behind warnings, pm me if you want.

jca

Mod edit. Not helpful

biko

Just to make sure, these lights are on the dash yeah?
Not the brake lamps on the rear of the car?

Optimus Prime

Sorry guys, i guess the first post wasn't clear enough for some, thanks to all that replied with actual advice!

Its the lights on the back of the car that flash, randomly. which in my 20 years of driving and 38 years of life I have called the brake lights. (Or Break lights when i post in a rush :pac: ) I didn't realize some people have brake lights on their dashboards beside their indicators..

on the dash the amber "ABS" light comes on as well as "check ABS" and "check breaking system" also in amber on the screen on the dash.

I dont think they are telling me anything in morse code, though i could be wrong, im not generally behind the car when im driving it. :P

jca

The rear lights flashing randomly could be a dodgy or loose brake light switch I'd make that my first port of call before delving into abs.

iwillhtfu

scannerd wrote: »

I would be doing a number of electrical tests before you go down the "might need and ABS" pump route. could be bad grounds, short in the wiring, which will still be there with a new ABS unit. also need to pull the specific codes behind warnings, pm me if you want.

It's a Renault pretty much gauranteed to be an electrical fault and not the pump.

You see similar issues on the vast majority of them indicators coming on when they're breaking etc.

Although in saying that I've never witnessed the ABS lights on the dash coming on randomly.

Optimus Prime

Thanks guys, The ABS light on the dashboard is on constantly, thats not flashing. The "Check Breaking System" "Check ABS" messages come on the screen on the dashboard every time i start my car and then go off it after a minute. The ABS light on the dash (not on the lcd screen) stays on.

Its only the 3 red brake lights on the rear of the car that flash randomly, when the brake pedal is not pressed. if the brake pedal is pressed down, they stay on constant without flashing.

Thanks

Pull the plugs out of the back of the rear light clusters and rub them the connector pins with light sand paper as a start.

Optimus Prime

BrownFinger wrote: »

Pull the plugs out of the back of the rear light clusters and rub them the connector pins with light sand paper as a start.

Is there anything you dont know!

Ill give it a go the weekend, i checked already to make sure all the right bulbs where in there. I did pull out those plugs and look at them, but all i did was look, dunno what i was looking for. Ill give them a light sanding.

Thanks a lot

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime wrote: »

Is there anything you dont know!

Ill give it a go the weekend, i checked already to make sure all the right bulbs where in there. I did pull out those plugs and look at them, but all i did was look, dunno what i was looking for. Ill give them a light sanding.

Thanks a lot

I had to do it to the the missus car a while back.
I've seen on some cars that if the brake lights are gone the ABS light will come on as a warning .
Maybe this is the problem ??
It might need resetting after though.

Optimus Prime

Cheers, the 3 brake lights are on alright so there isnt a bulb gone, its just constant flashing. Ill pull them apart the weekend and try that. Thanks again

cml387

I would also vote for the brake light switch.

Not sure where it's located in a Laguna but it's very likely mounted up behind the brake pedal. The fact the lights come on normally when braking would tend to reinforce the theory.

Another theory is that if the spring in the brake pedal is slightly worn, the pedal could be hanging down enough to sometimes allow the switch to operate

jca

Eliminate the brake light switch first, don't go disturbing connectors that don't need disturbing, Renault wiring harnesses are delicate enough they don't need encouragement.