Why Does My Brake Light Stay On?
Q. I have being driving Lincoln Town Cars for many years, they great ride and are well-built machines. Currently, I drive a 2005 Lincoln Town Car with 153,000 miles and the brake light on the dash stays on sometimes for a few seconds and then, it goes off if I pump the brakes. The brakes are fine and the brake fluid level is full. What could cause this problem with the brake light? The second issue the car only gets 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Would changing the fuel filter improve my gas mileage? If not, what suggestions could you provide to get better gas mileage? Finally do you recommend an oil change every 3000 or every 5000 miles?
A. The red brake light could be an issue with the brake hydraulic system or the cars parking brake mechanism. Your car does use a brake fluid level sensor and these also been known to be wonky. Although when it comes to brakes and road safety, this issue should be a priority. Regarding fuel economy, lack of routine maintenance, including tire pressure could certainly be a problem. Recently I had a reader notice that their car’s mileage was dropping off and it was the result of a sticking brake caliper-another area worth looking at. When it comes to oil changes, the “old’’ 3000 mile standard oil change in my opinion is no longer necessary.
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