The handbrake light of my 550 is permanently on now. The handbrake works well but the light does not switch off when it is not engaged. Before, sometimes it took me two tries (handbrake up and down while depressing the button, twice) until the light switched off. Anybody knows what the source of the problem is and how to solve it?
AS- Relatively inexpensive and easy fix. I would adjust the handbrake shoes for the parking brake first. They work just like old Chevy drum brakes. Tighten the starwheel with a screwdriver until the wheel locks and the back off slightly so the wheel spins freely. This may fix the problem, but if not, the handbrake switch is cheap and easy to change if it has an internal short or is just worn out. Remove the handbrake cover and then follow the instructions below. The switch, miraculously, is less than $3. From the 575M WSM, so there may be detail differences, but not in the handbrake itself. Taz Terry Phillips Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I dunno the source, but the cure is easy. Get some black electrician's tape and some sharp scissors. It may take a few tires, but eventually you can cut a piece of tape that will perfectly cover up the light. Dale PS Remember it is very bad mojo to have everything working perfectly in a Ferrari.
And count yourself lucky its not a 575 since apparently you can only access that area after removing the undertray ie from underneath
Don't be so sure that your brake has fully disengaged. I agree with Taz that you should check everything from the handle to the brake shoe. My guess is that your cable is stretched. Could be the switch, but I would still check because you don't want the parking brake to drag.
Thank you very much Taz. I will work on your information and post back. This fault happened after the car came from Ferrari service, and they quoted me GBP 840 to fix it. For this, potentially simple thing, I prefer to give it a try myself. Regards, Antonio
Antonio- Luckily, this is an easy one. For 840 pounds, you could almost buy my entire set of 575 FHP brakes. Taz Terry Phillips
It is likely not returning all the way. Get the car up and look at the shaft of item 25 in the exploded view. This was corroded on my 456; the shaft is vertical so any moisture can work its way into the workings. Undo the return spring and circlip, push the shaft up, and lubricate it with penetrating oil. When you get it to move freely, you can move the shaft into the correct position and put the circlip and spring back on.
