Hello, Wonder if I can float this by everybody. I have my 2007 Caravan SXT (178K). My daughter had been driving the car. One day my wife was with her, and they started down the street and heard a grinding noise from the rear, therefore bringing it back around the block to the house. Making a longer story shorter, it was determined that the rear brakes were shot. Everything got replaced with new at 178K (rear drum brakes were original). I have been changing front rotors and pads always before they got too low, which saved most wear and tear on the rears. On the same day of the grinding noise, I saw that the ABS warning light was on. I drove the car lightly back and forth to work less than 5 miles round trip for about a week before the garage did the work. During this time, the red brake warning light started to flicker and ended up coming on solid. On 1/20/23 the garage changed out the rear bakes - wheel cylinders, hoses, shoes, hardware adjuster kit, etc. They told me they couldn't communicate with the ABS module with scan tool (therefore the orange light is on). The regular brake warning light has still been on, but has flickered, gone out and then come back on since getting the van back. I really don't care about the ABS. It's not an inspection item either in NY. Was the brake light triggered by the ABS being bad? The hydraulics and all other parts in the front and rear brakes have nothing wrong with them. Pedal height and feel are fine, along with the front rotors and pads only having 15,000 miles on since I last replaced them. This van does not have traction control. Thickness is good with no pulsating at all. I need to figure out what is causing this red brake warning light to be on. It needs to be inspected in June, and with it on, it will fail. Does anybody have any ideas? Thanks in advance for reading this long-winded description. * Oh, one other thing I forgot about - The brake light sometimes goes out for awhile, and then flickers back on sometimes staying on and it gets triggered after making a left or right turn while driving. Kinda like when the van sways into the turn.*
Brake warning light on 2007 Caravan SXT
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Easy stuff first: Is the brake fluid properly filled? That light could come on due to low fluid. (Flicker, too)
ABS light could be a damaged wire/sensor as a result of the brake job. The shop isn't capable of reading the ABS code? In that case, go somewhere else (sorry).
And just to be clear, the ABS light doesn't matter to pass NY inspection, but the BRAKE warning does? That makes sense.
ABS light could be a damaged wire/sensor as a result of the brake job. The shop isn't capable of reading the ABS code? In that case, go somewhere else (sorry).
And just to be clear, the ABS light doesn't matter to pass NY inspection, but the BRAKE warning does? That makes sense.
Hi, thanks for your reply. The brake fluid level is right on the line - has never gone down at all. No hydraulic leaks of any kind. ABS light came on before any work was done, followed by the brake LED a week later (also before being serviced). The garage stated that while doing all of the rear brake work, they could not communicate with the ABS module (ABS-3E battery voltage out of range). Battery and ignition feeds have been confirmed good to the plug. I'm trusting this garage less every day though, but for a pattern of reasons that I won't get into. Yeah, I'm just trying to get this brake warning light to go off. no concern for the ABS. Thanks again. ** Oh, one other thing I forgot about - The brake light sometimes goes out for awhile, and then flickers back on sometimes staying on triggered after making a left or right turn. ***
Long explanation short, your ABS module or wheel speed sensors are not working or working intermittently. When ABS module loses signal from both front or rear, it loses the ability to electronically proportion brakes, thus the red "BRAKE" warning.
'07 SXT with drum rear brakes? are you sure? most SXT models had 4 wheel disk brakes, the "drum in hat" rears were for parking brakes... (perhaps the SWB vans were different)
If you get lucky, someone didn't reinstall the rear ABS wheel speed sensors all the way to a 'click' and they're loose.
Otherwise it's probably and electrical / wiring fault and will need to be diagnosed, found and fixed.
What part of NY are you in? nevermind, I see it in your profile.
'07 SXT with drum rear brakes? are you sure? most SXT models had 4 wheel disk brakes, the "drum in hat" rears were for parking brakes... (perhaps the SWB vans were different)
If you get lucky, someone didn't reinstall the rear ABS wheel speed sensors all the way to a 'click' and they're loose.
Otherwise it's probably and electrical / wiring fault and will need to be diagnosed, found and fixed.
This sounds like one of the wires under IPM (fuse box) might be dissolving / coming loose.
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There has been no mention of the parking brake which is a function of the rear brakes. A stiff/corroded/improperly adjusted parking brake cable can cause the red brake light to come on. With the red brake warning light illuminated, cycle the park brake a few times. With the park brake released, can you raise the park brake pedal?
I'd like to think a shop doing work on rear brakes would be sufficiently competent to check that parking brake is working correctly, but you're right OP shouldn't assume and check to be sure.
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