Check: Brake Pads!

snapdragon · #1 20th September 2014, 03:08 PM

For about a year, I had intermittent simple "Brake Pads!" message on the DIS followed by an awful shrill beep and a picture of a yellow brake disc - all very 1990s for a £59,000 car. It mainly came on when on full lock, and then a month ago became permanent, so I thought the brake pads were worn. I think this message only related to front pads as rear EPB set a error code in the EPB controller (there is no error) and the pads and discs are not that old. So I concentrate on the front as it started to come on when steering. Last week, I cut both pad sensor wires to a pig tail and soldered them together and put adhesive heat shrink on. This did not get rid of the warning. One of the cables to the sensor looked dodgy, so today I cut it off and soldered on a new connector and shorted it out with a jumper wire.
The error remained, so I double checked the otehr side for damage and it is perfect and nothing seems dodgy, it is in a rubber tube with the ABS sensor cable and has metal rings crimped at each end to make it water tight. I went back to the other side and cut back the loom to near the metal ring and soldered again, thus replacing as much wiring as I can without a big hack. Still no joy.

I looked up the part (T shaped cable) and it is over £100!
[18] in this picture

Does anyone know how to get to the inboard end of this cable as it disappears through a hole, or how o disable the front brake pad warning with VCDS?

Many thanks.

daviesbike · #2 21st September 2014, 06:57 AM

I thought you simply disconnected them and that when the pads are worn this makes the connection between the two wires and puts the light on. Soldering them together will surely make a constant connection and keep the light on permanently ?

ScottD3 · #3 21st September 2014, 07:26 AM

I got the exactly the same issue but I want my sensors to work.

I thought they had to be apart aswell.
The plastic blob thing on the pads wear down, earthing the cables, causing it to error?

Side question, how tight or lose was your cables?
Are you able to get any pictures of the area behind the calipers?
I want to compare it to mine.

ScottD3 · #4 21st September 2014, 07:27 AM

Part 18 is for the speed sensor.
That's ABS.

snapdragon · #5 21st September 2014, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottD3

Part 18 is for the speed sensor.
That's ABS.

Thanks Scott, it is combined, it splits into two cables at the point where it clips onto the strut. I now think the other end of this is in the footwell behind the kick panel as it is not a waterproof plug and has a circular cable-entry grommet along the wire and on a other forums for other models, some people ground wire here.

I think the sensors on newer VAG cars <15 years work by the sensor getting cut and breaking the circuit, that's why there are two wires on them now.