Brake Pad warning light

[SOP8920@Siena.edu]

Hey all,
    It's been a while since I've written in. Just lurking for a bit.. too busy
with school and all that jazz. Here's the current thing-a-ma-jig:

Intermittantly I have this symbol flash on the dash LCD. "(0)" No.. it's not a
bizarre smiley. As I recall, this light is for the brake-pads? Sometimes the
light is there.. sometimes not. If it's on, and I shut off the car and then
restart.. it'll go away. The first time I noticed this light was upon start-up
when the car sat for a week without being driven. It hasn't reached the point
of annoyance yet, and since it's in yellow and not "uh-oh" red I haven't
investigated it yet. 

Upon sudden braking, the red-idiot light will glow momentarily also. This has
been occuring for oh--the past year or so. I figured it was probably the
complaints of a old pressure accumulator (the bomb?). 

Since the car just passed inspection (and had a complete all the way around
brake job 1.5 yrs ago) I don't think it's the actual brake pads. I should go
look, huh? 

I'm not sure if the idiot light and the lcd symbol are interrelated or not. I
suppose they could be, but I don't know enough about it. Hence.. the e-mail.
I know that the pentosin level is fine in the reservoir so that's not it for
the red-idiot light. 

Okay.. that's it. Any suggestions?

oh yeah.. here's the priority list of repair items. 
(1) The tie-rod end
(2) Flush and replace differential fluid
(3) figure out the braking system problems
(4) fix the cruise control  

 

                             -Osman Parvez
                                89 200q
                                Siena College
                                Albany NY