Those two together suggest the yellow one is for the anti-lock brakes. The red one would be for the base brake system. Three things can turn the red one on. First check the brake fluid level in the reservoir. If it is low, it's time to have the front brakes, (all of them) inspected for wear. Don't add any new brake fluid yet. When new brake pads are installed, the pistons must be reset into the calipers to make room for those new thicker pads, and doing so will push a lot of brake fluid back up into the reservoir. You need to leave room for that. If you fill the reservoir first, that old fluid will run over and spill onto the body and eat the paint off.
If the reservoir is empty, there may be a leak that must be diagnosed and repaired, then your mechanic will refill the reservoir. Be absolutely certain, if you do add any brake fluid, that you do not get any hint of petroleum product in with the brake fluid. That is a very serious and expensive repair.
A leak in one of the hydraulic circuits will also turn on the red warning light. The third possibility is to be sure the parking brake pedal or handle is fully released. Anything that turns on the red warning light will cause the yellow ABS light to turn on too. That is because with a brake fluid level or pressure problem, the anti-lock function can't work properly so the computer turns that system off and turns on the yellow light to tell you.
May 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM
