Brake pad sensor questions

MZWIE · 08-15-2012, 11:59 AM

Warning light came on over night. Pads are good.

Questions:

1 - Does warning light come on if sensor is bad.
2 - Does warning light come on if sensor is loose.
3 - Is there a way to troubleshoot sensor.
4 - Sensor in front left and rear right. Correct?
5 - Can warning be reset somehow.

Guildenstern · 08-15-2012, 08:50 PM

1. yes
2. usually no unless it's broken.
3. You can take it out and check it according to the TIS. but By then you are 1/2 way into a break job.
4. Yes
5. I think as long as the sensor says it's down to min it will keep throwing off the warning. But if just the sensor is bad they are cheap, but need to be filed down to where your pads are worn to. don't know labor$.

At least yours went off, mine broke in the front and eventually I found it odd that in a year I still had 9,000 miles to a front brake job. turns out the pads wore uneven and my inside pads were almost gone. Good thing I checked!

jkoral · 08-15-2012, 09:06 PM

You can just cut off sensor and twist the wires together to make a connection. Zip tie the sensor somewhere and follow the procedure to reset the light (have only done E36 and E46 brakes, I think E82 is something like hold down trip odometer reset, then use OBC stalk to find brake lining reset).

Don't forget you did this and check your brakes periodically (easiest if you change wheels frequently for track/winter/summer/auto-x).

My local service station refused to do the state inspection on my E46 because the brake light had just came on. I drove home, took the front left wheel off, cut the sensor off, stripped the wires, twisted them together and put some shrink tubing over them. Reset the light and drove back down and got the inspection. Told him "I fixed the brakes".

08-15-2012, 11:59 AM	#1
MZWIE Lieutenant Colonel 388 Rep 1,660 Posts Drives: M2 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: GEORGIA iTrader: (0)	Brake pad sensor questions Warning light came on over night. Pads are good. Questions: 1 - Does warning light come on if sensor is bad. 2 - Does warning light come on if sensor is loose. 3 - Is there a way to troubleshoot sensor. 4 - Sensor in front left and rear right. Correct? 5 - Can warning be reset somehow.
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08-15-2012, 08:50 PM	#2
Guildenstern or Rosencrantz 11 Rep 455 Posts Drives: 2008 Montego Blue 128i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 128i Coupe [0.00]	1. yes 2. usually no unless it's broken. 3. You can take it out and check it according to the TIS. but By then you are 1/2 way into a break job. 4. Yes 5. I think as long as the sensor says it's down to min it will keep throwing off the warning. But if just the sensor is bad they are cheap, but need to be filed down to where your pads are worn to. don't know labor$. At least yours went off, mine broke in the front and eventually I found it odd that in a year I still had 9,000 miles to a front brake job. turns out the pads wore uneven and my inside pads were almost gone. Good thing I checked!
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08-15-2012, 09:06 PM	#3
jkoral Lieutenant Colonel 1023 Rep 1,967 Posts Drives: 2017 M2 LBB 6MT Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: MA iTrader: (7)	You can just cut off sensor and twist the wires together to make a connection. Zip tie the sensor somewhere and follow the procedure to reset the light (have only done E36 and E46 brakes, I think E82 is something like hold down trip odometer reset, then use OBC stalk to find brake lining reset). Don't forget you did this and check your brakes periodically (easiest if you change wheels frequently for track/winter/summer/auto-x). My local service station refused to do the state inspection on my E46 because the brake light had just came on. I drove home, took the front left wheel off, cut the sensor off, stripped the wires, twisted them together and put some shrink tubing over them. Reset the light and drove back down and got the inspection. Told him "I fixed the brakes".
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