The handbrake warning light on your Mazda 3 has for mission to light up when you have applied your handbrake. At this precise moment, your Mazda 3 should be stationary and the wheels immobilized. It visually resembles a red exclamation mark circled, with two equally red parentheses on each side.

It is located on the dashboard of your Mazda 3. Logically, it light up when you turn on the ignition of your car, and turns off when you release the handbrake.
That being said, you may have certain concerns, such as this indicator that does not go out, or that does not come on, or that flashes.

The objective of this article is to see each potential failure, in order to understand where the problem comes on your Mazda 3.

handbrake-warning-light-mazda-3

The handbrake warning light on my Mazda 3 comes on and flashes

If the handbrake warning light on your Mazda 3 comes on and starts to flash, then there is a good chance that ABS sensors of your wheels no longer work properly. Remember, the system's mission is to regulate the brake pressure as soon as you press the brake pedal, in order to prevent your Mazda 3 wheels are locking, and cause you to lose control of your Mazda 3.

Si the ABS sensor is not running properly, your car is not able to determine whether there is brake pressure on the wheels or not. Consequently, the handbrake warning light starts flashing.

The handbrake warning light on my Mazda 3 comes on and stays on

This dysfunction can be explained by several factors. First, the most serious cause is that your brake system does not work well. If you feel even a tiny little difference in feeling when braking with your Mazda 3, it is recommended that you go to the garage to have a diagnostic, you may be at risk.


If there is no change in braking from the front, it is possible that the brake switch hand is damaged, and therefore always remains closed. This implies that the circuit no longer allows the warning light to go out as soon as you deactivate the handbrake.

So that the light is off, it is necessary that the circuit is open, which will stop the current that turns it on. You must therefore replace the contactor of your Mazda 3 to remedy the situation.


Another possible concern on the handbrake warning light on your Mazda 3 : It may be that as soon as you lower your handbrake to set off with your Mazda 3, the indicator light switch is not activated. And as a result, your warning light is always on on the dashboard of your Mazda 3.

It is therefore quite possible that it is a mechanical problem, related to handbrake support for your Mazda 3. We will therefore have to dismantle these parts in order to better understand where the failure comes from.

The parking brake light on my Mazda 3 does not come on

If on the contrary, the warning light on your Mazda 3 does not come on, this represents another dysfunction, more complex to detect. In fact, since it is supposed to be turned off most of the time, if it is turned off all the time you may potentially not be aware of it. Pay attention when you start your Mazda 3, when you have not yet released the handbrake.


Let us try to analyze the multiple causes which can cause the malfunction of the indicator light.
If for example, the dashboard of your Mazda 3 works with bulbs, make sure they are not toasted. It is therefore necessary to disassemble your dashboard to check.


We also wrote an article on:

This article could help you, it is recommended to consult it if necessary.
If you don't have a bulb, or if the bulb works, make sure the fuses are still working. Indeed, a blown fuse can cause the failure of the lighting of the warning light of your Mazda 3.


To help you in this process, we have writes an article on:

This articlhe will be able to help you if you wish it.
Another more general article on the fuses of your Mazda 3, which may also provide some additional information:

If the failure of the hand brake warning light on your Mazda 3 does not come from the fuses, then here are the other options available to you.


The handbrake switch. The task of this is to light up the warning light when the handbrake pressure is exerted on it. If it was faulty, it could not turn on the handbrake warning light. You will therefore have to change it.
Other possible failure, the connected wires to this one. If you notice any wires damaged or cut, then the fault is most likely there on your Mazda 3.