Brake pads and oil level

[Simon Wallwork]

I've got both those cautions every time I start!
Today, I fitted a new oil level sensor but the problem persists.
Also, had a mechanic check the pads and the wires- all looks ok.

So. Is there some place where the wires from the pads and the wires from the oil level join- or even get close to each other? I think I must have a broken or chafed wire...had a look but nothing obvious.

Plainly, I can still drive the car ok- as long as I keep an eye on the oil level, but this problem has been on the car for quite a few years, and now its back out of storage, and pounding the roads of Bulgaria(!), I'd like to fix it!

Thanks Guys.

[MikkiJayne]

The oil level warning can sometimes take 30 miles or so to reset, for no obvious reason. The sensor talks directly to the cluster and has nothing to do with the brake pad warning. It uses a bespoke serial interface to send oil level, condition, and temperature. Make sure there are no related faults stored in the cluster as otherwise it will just ignore the sensor.

The pad warning is usually caused by a bad connection at the caliper. Clean up the contacts, sometimes it helps to use a pick to bend the sockets of the car-side connector inward slightly so they make better contact with the pins on the pad-side, give them a spray with contact cleaner or WD40.

Its possible to bypass the warning completely at the plug in the front of the left wheel well - just ground the relevant wire. But, its usually not that hard to just fix it

[Simon Wallwork]

Thanks MikkiJayne.
If I reset the oil level fault code, might that help?
Changed the oil today too.

[MikkiJayne]

If there is a code for the sensor then yes, that will need resetting before it will behave again.

[Simon Wallwork]

Well, bugger me- as they say...

Took it back over to the guys who changed the oil and swapped the oil level sensor.

He cleared all codes- there wasn't one for oil level.

Both cautions came back as soon as Drive selected.

I drove off, and after bout 30 secs, the ABS warning on the Speedo, and the associated 'circle with triangle' (top right)on the lower display between tacho & speedo also came on, and stayed on. Tried shutting down a few times, which cleared it, but these two now come on and stay on a short while after you set off every single time.

Now, I had this car for about 12 years and I never had these two stay on before. Never. Now, as soon as this guy had his electronic fingers in it, its a hard fault.

[MikkiJayne]

Thats slightly unfortunate.

The oil level ought to reset itself after a while, hopefully.

You'll need another scan to find out what's wrong with the ESP.

[strummagnet]

Originally Posted by Simon Wallwork

Well, bugger me- as they say...


I drove off, and after bout 30 secs, the ABS warning on the Speedo, and the associated 'circle with triangle' (top right)on the lower display between tacho & speedo also came on, and stayed on. Tried shutting down a few times, which cleared it, but these two now come on and stay on a short while after you set off every single time.

Now, I had this car for about 12 years and I never had these two stay on before. Never. Now, as soon as this guy had his electronic fingers in it, its a hard fault.

Could this be the lateral acceleration sensor? I had a similar experience.

[MikkiJayne]

It has to be an unfortunate coincidence I think. The only fault which could be caused by diagnostics activity is initiating the ESP system calibration, but that comes on immediately with the ignition - it wouldn't wait until you set off.

The behaviour described is normally a sensor of some description - could well be lateral acceleration, or a wheel sensor.

[Simon Wallwork]

Well, Happy Days!
Today, no ESP issues.
Just to add to the body of collective knowledge, I think yesterdays ESP/ ABS trouble was heat related.
The car was standing and running in the full heat. Inside got so hot that the numbers on the odometer were not displayed.

Still got the brake pad and oil level issues to work though...I'll need to buy a trolley jack and whizz the wheels off to fiddle with the pad wires, but meantime she's running like a thoroughbred!

[Simon Wallwork]

Another happy day!
About a month after fitting a replacement oil level sensor (from Prestige Motor services)- the 'low oil level' warning didn't appear today.

As MikkiJayne mentioned, it can clearly take a while for this fault to depart, even though a proper repair has been done.