Re: Brake light flashes (archive)

Check the fluid level in the master cyl., I bet it's fine , but check it first anyway.
What's probably happening is that your accumulator that's part of the brake assist system is bad. You can test it by pushing the brake pedal and counting the number of times it takes until the pedal gets very firm.

Have the car OFF, then simply push the brake pedal
One to two pumps, blown pressure accumulator
12-14 pumps, Perfect, or brand new part
18-20 pumps, getting weak
25-30 pumps, blown or bad accum.
This part is also refered to as the "cannonball" or "bomb" due to its shape.
It threads into the bottom of the pressure assist valve body at the left shock tower.
Prices seem to go up and down , with $100 to $180 as the range paid for a new one.

Sometimes one of the warning switches that are also screwed into the same valve body go bad and give you a false warning light on the dash.
Test the accumulator first, and if it passes easily with 12-20 pumps, then suspect the switches.
Usually on a shop basis, you replace the pressure switches with a new accumulator as they tend to be leaking at the same time that you're under the hood to replace a blown accumulator. Not always the case, but the switches do leak fairly often.

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