Flashing Parking Brake Light.

My boyfriends TDI has had a ABS light for a long while, it came and went with the weather. It's a 99.5 that I put ASR into. It some times works, most times doesn't. It seems to work when it's really cold out. Like -20C.
Recently the parking brake has decided to start flashing and yelling at us.
I believe it says there is a issue with one wheel speed sensor. I tried changing it and it didn't resolve anything, it said it for a long while, way before the flashing parking brake.
Video of it in action: WARNING, LOUD ANNOYING SMS TONE AT 40 SECONDS!

check your brake fluid level, alot of the time the parking brake light flashing and beeping is low fluid warning. worth a shot, as far as abs light i am unsure maybe someone else can chime in

first thing to do is scan the car with VCDS and see what DTC's you find.

Plus one on the vcds scan, plus asr conversions are finicky as anything, so go through and compare your modified harness against that of a bently manual for issues.

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One other suggestion, to eliminate the most obvious- check the area of the parking brake lever, to make sure something (sunglass case, drink mug, whatever) isn't preventing the parking brake lever from being fully in the "down" position. Further, check to make sure the parking brake lever switch is indeed seeing the parking brake as "off". (I suspect VCDS can be used to check this, but I'm not sure).

I had this happen on my 02 Golf. The light started flashing while driving on the first day of my vacation. Checked here to see if others had the problem.
My wife was afraid it was something big going wrong, took it to a dealer (best service I ever had at a dealership). The problem was the wires to the back hatch brake light had broken.
You might want to check wires first.

I just recently had this problem with my 2005 Golf. My mechanic friend and I decided it may be a bad parking brake switch so took the center console off to check the functioning of the parking brake switch. Found out that when the parking brake lever was lowered it was pushing the plastic parking brake switch off to the side and so therefore was not depressing the button on top. Our fix was to use a small plastic cable tie to attach it to the lever mechanism so it could not move away from the lever. Works like a charm - no more beeping and flashing lights and parking brake works fine now. Had I taken it to the dealer I'm sure they would have replaced the parking brake switch - which did not need replacing, just repositioning.

I ruled out that it was the parking brake its self. Did you guys watch the video? Everytime at around 15KM/H it comes on. I'll scan the car when it's not freezing balls.

I have just been informed that in the cold it happens much less often. ABS also likes to work when it's cold out. I hate this car.

Doesn't the parking brake light also function as the brake system warning light?

Yes. Not sure why, there is brake fluid, ABS sometimes works. Parking brake light works with the parking brake lever.

You know about the recalls for brake light switches? I'm not sure about the '03, but most were recalled years ago.

Recall was done according to the dealership.

I might just swap a non ARS pump into the car. It's due for brake fluid anyways, it's had 3 years on +30C in the summer and -40C in the winter..

i had this on my car for a while. I checked the fuses on the battery and they looked ok but thought id change em anyway at £1.50. That got rid of the flashing parking brake light but i still get an abs light every now and again.

I know, old thread, but I just had a similar issue.
ABS on solid, park brake light flashing and beeps, and no A/C.
Solution: connector on back of fuse pack on top of battery had come loose.

I'm facing the same issue on my one now.
First when it's started, it's ok.
After a few secounds, all gauges drop to zero, and the hand brake and ABS starts to flash simultaneously.
Have no error codes in VCDS.
It's an old car, so a cabel issue is not a big surprise, only annoying.
And yes: The radio is dead. My daughter have been using this car for a loong periode, and she's claming that the radio was dead a long time ago...
I'll have to cjheck that too.
But first, the gauges and warening lamps.
I'll be back if I find anything of value for later readers.

Ok, that was a short brake...
Found that the battery seemed pretty toasted.
And correct enough: Charging voltage was 19V
Replaced the alternator, and new charging voltage was 14.55V on the toasted battery, and all flashing disappeared, and the gauges works again, and... the radio with the SUBwoofer is alive.
So this was a charging issue.
Maybe someone need the advice one day.
Cheers!

Mine flashes on my 04 Golf but will disappear if I start the car after it starts raining. The solid parking brake light will not stay when engaged either. My vag com has a few codes but I can't decipher them. Here's one:

Address 17: Instruments Labels: 1J0-920-xx5-17.lbl
Part No: 1J0 920 907 E
Component: KOMBI+WEGFAHRSP VDO V02
Coding: 15232
Shop #: WSC 09016
VCID: 2B4BC897D97C9040A4E
9BWGR61J844032262 VWZ7Z0C7890308
No fault code found.

These are due to the rear ABS sensors not working due to the speed sensor ring needing to be replaced with the wheel hub:

Address 03: ABS Brakes Labels: 1C0-907-37x-ESP-F.lbl
Part No: 1C0 907 379 M
Component: ESP FRONT MK60 0102
Coding: 0019458
Shop #: WSC 00001 785 00200
VCID: 3479D3EB5442CFB8F54
2 Faults Found:
00287 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Right (G44)
012 - Electrical Fault in Circuit
00290 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor; Rear Left (G46)
012 - Electrical Fault in Circuit

Any ideas why the light goes out when it rains? Could it be a grounding issue?

Post #16 seems most on point for this.
Might check if there are outstanding recalls on brake light switch.

left field...

Doors autolock function working? Only saying this because it triggers when you start driving. How it could be related??? ...possibly poor ground if same circuit.

On my 99.5 when the flashing brake light is on, I also get an ABS light, and VDCS shows an intermittent sensor on some wheel. The problem comes and goes. Left rear, change sensor, then right rear. Just haven't changed right rear.

4thbug,

Check continuity through the sensors at the rear wheels as well as corrosion in the plug.
Wiggle the wires also.
I was getting intermittent ABS light (on a few days, off for a while) until it stayed on.
Rear left sensor is open.
If they have continuity you would have to test at the ABS controller plug to the back.
You need the wiring diagram for the pin-out.
Some day I'll get to install the new sensor.

dubStrom said:

left field...

Doors autolock function working? Only saying this because it triggers when you start driving. How it could be related??? ...possibly poor ground if same circuit.

Click to expand...

Right field.
Moving the car does trigger things s/a the doors auto locking.
That may also be part of when the dinging starts.

Fixed it

I had this same problem, flashing red brake light, 3 loud beeps and a solid yellow abs light. Replaced the right rear caliper (ebrake actuator had seized) amd the light went away. Still got the abs one though.