Brake light stays on and gas gauge doesn't work

just bought myself a 1999 tacoma prerunner. The brake light stays on and the gas gauge doesnt work.Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Check the sensor button thingy that the brake pedal engages/ disengages. It's somewhere under or over the brake pedal linkage (I'm assuming based on most other vehicles I've worked on)

The little button can get stuck, leave the brake light on. Or, you could have a wiring issue.

Your gas guage is possibly the piece inside the tank, or a freyed wire, or the guage itself.

You have some troubleshooting to do

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
Low brake fluid warning light ?
Tank sending unit In Kaput ?

 

These trucks have a brake fluid level sensor??

 

Yes
Federal safety requirement since dual braking systems were required on all new cars sold 40 some years ago.

 

Thanks. I've never actually seen that light go off on anything I've ever worked on. I'll look out for that sensor next time I'm under a hood.

Learn something new every day!

 

The parking brake switch turns on the dash brake light. Brake pedal switch turns off cruise control.

 

I can push on most brake pedal switches and cause the lights to work

 

You must be talking taillights
Not dash brake light
OPs dashboard brake light stays on.

 

Just keep inserting and pullling and twisting the parking brake lever, eventually the light goes off. As far as the gas one idk if its fuel pump related or the dash electrical.

 

The brake light on the dash has stayed on for me when the e-brake gets too loose. There's a lever for it next to the frame under the driver's side of the truck, with two adjustment nuts to tighten it with.

 

That's an indication the e-brake cable needs to be adjusted, tightened most likely

I love the pimp cane style ebrake we have but it gets loose really easily

 

My red brake light in the dash has stayed on before. I had just done the tundra rotor and caliper upgrade, and all the fluid had leaked out of the master cylinder reservoir. I also drained the rear, as I wanted to change the brake fluid while I was in there. After filling and bleeding my brakes, the red light was still on. I had to tap the reservoir with my fist, I guess if it’s a float, it got stuck in the down position. That’s all the problem was though.

 

Your technique with returning the parking brake to the stowed position can also lead to the light staying on