Washington § 46.37.360 - Maintenance of brakes — Brake system failure indicator.

(1) All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to the front and back wheels and to wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle.

(2) All passenger cars manufactured on or after January 1, 1968, and other types of vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, 1975, shall be equipped with brake system failure indicator lamps which shall be maintained in good working order. The brake system shall demonstrate good working order and integrity by the application of a force of one hundred twenty-five pounds to the brake pedal for ten seconds without the occurrence of any of the following:

(i) Illumination of the brake system failure indicator lamp;

(ii) A decrease of more than eighty percent of service brake pedal height as measured from its free position to the floorboard or any other object which restricts service brake pedal travel;

(iii) Failure of any hydraulic line or other part.

(3) Brake hoses shall not be mounted so as to contact the vehicle body or chassis. In addition, brake hoses shall not be cracked, chafed, flattened, abraded, or visibly leaking. Protection devices such as "rub rings" shall not be considered part of the hose or tubing.

(4) Disc and drum condition. If the drum is embossed with a maximum safe diameter dimension or the rotor is embossed with a minimum safety thickness dimension, the drum or disc shall be within the appropriate specifications. These dimensions will be found on motor vehicles manufactured since January 1, 1971, and may be found on vehicles manufactured for several years prior to that time. If the drums and discs are not embossed, the drums and discs shall be within the manufacturer's specifications.

(5) Friction materials. On each brake the thickness of the lining or pad shall not be less than one thirty-second of an inch over the rivet heads, or the brake shoe on bonded linings or pads. Brake linings and pads shall not have cracks or breaks that extend to rivet holes except minor cracks that do not impair attachment. Drum brake linings shall be securely attached to brake shoes. Disc brake pads shall be securely attached to shoe plates.

(6) Backing plates and caliper assemblies shall not be deformed or cracked. System parts shall not be broken, misaligned, missing, binding, or show evidence of severe wear. Automatic adjusters and other parts shall be assembled and installed correctly.

Severability—1977 ex.s. c 355: See note following RCW 46.37.010.