My wife has a '97 Bonneville with a problem. If I don't get it figured out quickly, she'* gonna get really mean and nasty. Nobody wants that...

The parking brake indicator light and chime will come on while she'* driving, and they stay on. We've tried messin' with the pedal, but it still stays on. Driving for any distance with that bell chiming is enough to make anybody crazy. Even the beer won't drown it out (it'* a JOKE - honest! ).

Two questions: 1. Is there a switch on the pedal assembly itself that I could test? 2. Where is the chime located in the dash - as a temporary fix, I might yank it out before my wife yanks her hair out.

Thanks in advance for keeping her from hurting me.

Thank you!

I'll definitely check it out. Half of a brake system might just be even more annoying than the light and chime.

Thanks again.

I break light and chime was coming on so I just pulled the emergency brake pedal back - it was a bit loose and that fixed the problem.

NO. Don't spend time trying to shoot the messenger; besides, the same chime is used for multiple purposes.

There are two frequent conditions for this chime to go off:

1) You left the parking brake on (Duh... ), in which case you'll get the light right away, and the chime will start up once the car detects a movement of 50 feet or more.

2) (More likely in your case) You're low on brake fluid. There'* a sensor in the brake fluid reservoir that will trigger the warning if one or both circuits are low. If a pressure imbalance results between the two (e.g. one circuit goes low and the other doesn't), it may take a bit of driving after you refill the reservoir before the balance is restored and the sensor stops complaining. I had this problem last summer off-and-on before I finally got around to replacing the master cylinder, which had sprung a leak and was seeping fluid out between it and the vacuum booster. If you find the lower half of the vacuum booster is wet with brake fluid (which will leave light-colored puddles on your garage floor), that'* your problem.

I have had 2 different problems cause this symptom on my car:

1) Parking brake is loose and does not fully disengage when you release it. Solution is to pull it all the way back toward you every time you release it. Or adjust it properly.

2) Master cylinder is failing. This could be intermittent... my brake pedal was going to the floor 1 out of 10 times I used it. Sometimes the brake warning light would come on. New master cylinder fixed the problem.

Mine does it after like 5-10 ft.. :?

Add me to the list. I had the master cylinder fail and leak between it and the power booster. When the fluid got low it turned on the brake light.

I am a victim of the leaky master cylinder also. Fixed it no problems since. The light comes on when the fluid would get below a certain level.

Huh. No kidding? It'* supposed to wait until it'* measured 50 feet of travel, probably from either the wheel sensors or powertrain...

All right, you two, I need you to go out to your cars and tell them that they're doing it wrong. Say it in a firm, clear voice. Don't let the neighbors see you.

I got the manual right here: Book 2, Section 8A, Page 41-5:

...and also on 8A, Page 76-4:

That all fits how my car behaves except that I don't get the brief fast chime if I leave the parking brake on; I get the slow steady Bong...Bong...Bong thing that goes constantly, the same warning I got when the master cylinder had sprung a leak, but I guess sometimes they just reprogram the software as a running change...