Hard braking problem

Hi i recently took my car to a garage to get one of the wheel studs replaced which they had to take my brakes off. Since then everytime i hit the brakes hard the handbrake warning light comes on and the warning light in the middle of the RPM guage. Does anyone know what can cause this? i don't have ABS or traction control.

What is the brake fluid level like?

As gav has just said, i had the same problem and it turned out to be my brake fluid.

Turns out 1mm missing from the reservoir makes alot of difference. top it up dude then see how you go........ even if it looks to the line

It is in the middle between min and max. Does it matter if i don't use dot 3 fluid and top it up with something like dot 4 or something better

Not sure on that one but i just topped it up with dot4 and all has been well ever since.

Also after i left the garage i left my brakes are so much weaker then before could that be something done wrong at the garage when putting the brakes back on? i know my pads are worn do getting some black diamond predator pads to replace stock

if your pads are worn right down this will explain the low fluid levels .

did they do any work on the brakes at all to allow air into the system .

no they just took them off to replace the wheel stud and put them back on. thats it

regarding the brake fluid you can put dot 4 in but not dot 5 as it then turns to a jelly like substance!

Perhaps new pads and discs. Are yours the Jspec or the larger 'UK/export' spec?

regarding the brake fluid you can put dot 4 in but not dot 5 as it then turns to a jelly like substance!

I aint sure what fluid it has in the car now so would it be alride to top it up with this Dot 4 synthetic

Perhaps new pads and discs. Are yours the Jspec or the larger 'UK/export' spec?

j spec brakes atm

not sure then bud , change the pads first and see how it goes .

i wouldn't bother topping up the fluid to much , as when you come to change your pads and push the pistons back the fluid may overflow .

not sure then bud , change the pads first and see how it goes .

i wouldn't bother topping up the fluid to much , as when you come to change your pads and push the pistons back the fluid may overflow .

I might as well top it up if it needs topping up after i change the pads

yeah after you change the pads , so you now know what this weekends job is .....

as long as its not dot 5 you will be ok but if it is and you put 4 in then you will have to flush the whole system and replace the rubber pipes! so probably best to ask wherever done your last fluid change!

as long as its not dot 5 you will be ok but if it is and you put 4 in then you will have to flush the whole system and replace the rubber pipes! so probably best to ask wherever done your last fluid change!

I got the car about 8 months ago so i aint replaced the brake fluid. I can change the pads no problem but i aint sure how to flush the brake fluids. I think i will just stick with new pads and see what happens

should be ok from what you have said!

have fun this weekend!hope it warms up for you!

DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5.1 are all fine. DOT 5 is silicone based fluid and not at all suitable. Quite why they named two so diversely different fluids with potentially dangerous issues if mixed DOT and DOT 5.1 I can't fathom. Madness. DOT Silicone would have made more sense than DOT5 ...

DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5.1 are all fine. DOT 5 is silicone based fluid and not at all suitable. Quite why they named two so diversely different fluids with potentially dangerous issues if mixed DOT and DOT 5.1 I can't fathom. Madness. DOT Silicone would have made more sense than DOT5 ...

So to clarify for those of us that know jack diddly squat about brake fluid, you can happily mix 3, 4, 5.1 together? (When I say mix I mean potentially top up onto an known fluid type listed above).

Does anyone know what kind of applications DOT5 is used on, could this potentially be in a Supra?

Those will all safely mix, yes. DOT 5 is specialised stuff, sometimes used in rebuilt braking systems by classic car owners who like the fact it won't damage paintwork if spilt. Although in theory it's not water absorbing if moisture does enter the system it pools in globules, which can cause sudden and catastrophic boiling. It's also VERY easy to entrap air in it when bleeding or pouring. As it's totally incompatible with ABS it's of no interest to most modern car owners.

If they were noticably worse when leaving the garage i'd check the brake hoses/pipes.