Q: Lights don't work correctly, ABS warning on

asked by on August 26, 2016

The car sat for a year. Now, when I start it, the dashboard is showing the ABS warning on. Also, the brake light on the driver's side quit working even though it has a new bulb. The hazard light is malfunctioning as well. It's on all the time and I can only turn it off by removing the relay. How can I fix these problems?

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Hello there, these are not uncommon problems for a vehicle to have when it sits for awhile. With the ABS light on, the most likely cause is low or poor condition brake fluid. Brake fluid absorbs moisture and can cause issues like this over time. For the Brake Light, there are a few possible causes why it wouldn’t work even with a new bulb. The most common would be a wiring fault, failed brake light socket, or a tail light assembly failure. The malfunctioning hazard light could be caused by a wiring fault or a faulty hazard switch. Some of these issues may be related. If you would like to have this looked at, a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, will be able to diagnose these warning lights and determine the root cause of each.

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