ok so ive been driving around for a while in my 90 ef hatch and one day i got into my car and started it up and the emergency break light was on. my break wasnt on and i tried pulling up my e brake and putting it back down to get rid of the light but i got nothing. can someone shed some light on this for me? thanks guys!

 

EDIT - Misunderstood the original problem, I was thinking your actual brake lights and not the indicator on your cluster.

Check the stopper on your brake pedal that contacts the switch. If that stopper has degraded with age and broken off, there will be no contact with the switch which keeps the brake lights on.

 

Or check your master cylinder reservoir in the engine bay to make sure there is enough fluid. The light might be coming on due to low fluid.

 

My 91 Si was doing this last week, turned out to be low on brake fluid, filled it up no more light. Check it it's probably your problem.

 

i don't see how reservoir fluid or brake pedal assemblies have any thing to do with a ebrake light

check the switch on the ebrake assembly the switch is most likely stuck

 

The reservoir fluid level indeed affects the ebrake light. I am nursing a leaking master cylinder on my 88 CRX right now and the ebrake light comes on to let me know when I need to put more fluid in.

 

The reservoir cap has 2 wires coming off it. There is a float on the bottom of the cap that sits in the reservoir fluid. It shorts the two wires when the fluid is low. If this is the problem then just filling up the fluid is the WRONG thing to do!
Low fluid means you need to check your brake system. Either your pads are low or you have a fluid leak.

 

yup its either low brake fluid or your e brake switch. if your brake fluid is low dont just refill it, like above poster stated check your brake pad/shoe level or a possible leak in the lines.

 

thats because u dont understand how the light is wired.

you see the two wires coming off the MC lid? they are there to warn you if the level is low.

 

ok thanks alot to everyone that responded. this helped alot guy!