Dashboard brake light ((!)) and possible dragging front brakes only issue?

[HuwSy]

Iv recently got my S2 on the road having purchased needing some work doing. Its been running fine until the last couple of days where the ((!)) red dash light comes on after starting up then waiting about 10 seconds after its finished its usual diagnostics which end in OK. Iv so far checked;

Pads and discs which all look to have loads left being almost new.
Rubber hoses that arent cracked bulging or leaking.
All the metal brake lines i can see all look spotless.
The power steering and brake fluid levels are all just under max mark and not moved, although not sure how I would test if these have degraded due to age?
Any joints of pipework to cylinders, to abs unit that i can see and none are damp.
Stopping heavily seems to work fine and the peddle doesnt feel spoungy or move excessively, infact the smallest travel on the top end of the peddle is enough to slow down and pressing half way through its movement will stop the car quite heavily.
Turned the engine off and did the "bomb test" and got 54 pumps before it stiffened which seems promising.

It does sometimes make a slight squeel from both front wheels like the brakes are dragging while i drive, but if i stop and press the brake as hard as i can then carry on driving this seems to go away for a while no idea if this is coincidental.
After driving the font wheels were quite hot last time, cool enough to touch but still hot, the pads behind were too hot to touch and i hadnt been driving particularly heavily at this point.
There wasnt any noticable brake fade pulling up to stop and there wasnt the usual burnt brake dust smell of dragging brakes that i would expect for this though.

Anyone have any ideas what to try next or what it could be.
Thanks.

[Tonks4x4]

Faulty pressure switch, located under the brake master cylinder on the hydraulic servo unit???

Try unplugging the 2 spade connections

[A80Avant]

Turned the engine off and did the "bomb test" and got 54 pumps before it stiffened which seems promising.

I ENVY you... you are soooo lucky.....

i havent had this experience for almost a year now and spent more than 2000GBP on brake parts. Now im having a vaccum servo fitted and ditching the system as i have had enough!

Likely what Brian says. The light can come up from either of the following sensors:

Power steering fluid, Brake fluid bottle, Servo.
Id suspect the brake fluid one which could be a bit edgy! Talk to it softly and nicely, it might behave!

[Christophski]

Also look at the switch on the power steering fluid bottle. Try unplugging this one when you start the car and see if its that. It wont make the symbol if its unplugged and its this. Best way to fix it if it is the power steering one is to cover it in brake cleaner and wire brush it gently but most likely your brakes

[HuwSy]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone, typically when I started it up today there was no sign of issues. Will see if it stays away hopefully. If not ill try unplugging each of these in turn.

[brianb]

i know you said you have checked ps fluid levels but i have had same issue on 2 different cars where it just needed topping up slightly then the warning light stopped,presume it was a over sensitive sensor.Worth a go

[S2central.net]

There are only three switches involved for that red (!) symbol on the autocheck module...

1 - Brake fluid level (master cylinder)
2 - Hydraulic fluid level (lid of reservoir)
3 - Hydraulic fluid pressure (switch on underside of hydraulic brake servo)

I have seen a couple of odd cars that had brake pad level wires as well but you likely don't have those.