Sticking rear brakes and a brake warning light

  1. My model of MX-5 is: __ ND2 5k miles daily driver
  2. I’m based near: __ Lincoln
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __ sticking rear breaks and brake warning light on acceleration.

Hi.

My rear brakes seam to be grinding on initial pull off, sounds like the hand brake is sticking on, however I don’t use the hand brake on my drive just leave it in gear.
In addition to this I have had a couple of instances when the brake warning light comes on under acceleration, it goes out again when I let off and I haven’t noticed it coming back on again until the next time I’m setting out fresh again.

I’m looking for a direction to go in with diagnostic as I don’t really have a clue about where to start, so any help would be great.

I would check brake fluid level; if it gives you a warning light on acceleration, it could be a bit low and the “slosh” enough to trigger the light.

If I don’t use my car for a couple of days, the discs rusts and it sounds like my brakes are on when I pull away, particularly if reversing off my drive - an application of the brakes after moving off wipes them and it’s OK after that. I sometimes park with the handbrake off and leave it in gear, but after driving for ** years, it’s hard to brake the habit (no pun intended) of “handbrake, neutral, wiggle gearstick, engine off”

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Checked the brake fluid and its a bit below full, ill top it up and see if the light still flashes on next time I’ve got my foot down.
Thanks

If the fluid is low enough that it setting off a warning lamp on acceleration, and its not leaking from somewhere, then then brake pads are done.

You can tell if the brakes are dragging by (carefully) touching a wheel after a spirited run; if one wheel is hotter than the rest, there is your problem. Front wheels will in general feel warmer than rears. If its really locking on, you can smell it. Unless you have just gone through a pad.

There has been a bit of a off smell the last few 100 miles, so I guess it’s been dragging a little and done the pad in…
Will check for hotness on my way home tonight see if I can pin point which side and have a better look with the wheel off.

Thanks