General fiat 500 breaks staying on

[angieandsimon]

My step daughter has a 2011 Diesel edition 500, she has noticed that under normal breaking that the pedal doesnt return all the way back and the break lights are staying on. Any ideas?????
If the car is stationary and you depress the pedal hard it does return and the lights go out.
Thanks in advance.

 

[John202020]

Hi look at and lubricate the pedal first check the return spring?

 

[portland_bill]

Whilst the pedal is on the right, the brake master cylinder is I think on the left, ahead of the passenger. There is a linkage across the car under the dash.

There have been problems with this trying to seize, but more common is it jamming with 'stuff' in the footwell. Handbags, careless passengers, shoes, etc. There is a guard, but it does not cover completely. Does it only happen with a passenger?

 

[typecastboy]

I had this on one of my first cars. The brake stayed on which ended up seizing the brakes and I had to call the AA. In the hour I waited they released. When I got it Home I had a good look. Couldn’t see anything wrong so changed the pads and lubricated everything which improved it but it would still bind. I had to hook my foot under the pedal regularly to pull the pedal up. Drove me mad for a few days.

Got a torch and had a look at the pedal. There is a pin that holds the pedal to the rest of the assembly, sort of where it pivots. That pin was a bit bent. I straightened it and lubricated it and it was fine after that.