Brake Pad Warning Light

[Arctic]

Hi Bob.
Remember you may have to do the rear as well, that can be found at the rear OS next to the diesel fuel cooler.

[Dorchester2]

One more here!

My warning light is a very hassle since several weeks.
But the brake fluid level is tip top and the whole lot of pads front & rear is nearly new.
Hence I guess it's that damned brake pad wear sensor.

I've bought 2 of them - SOM100030 (front) - just in case.
But how can I know which is the culprit?
I thought there were only a front sensor, and reading Haynes manual it appears there should be front & rear (rear SOE10010)!
I'm lost!

Q. 1: Are SOM100030 & SOE10010 different?
Q. 2: how can I know where lies the problem, front, rear, left, right? On the screen it appears on the upper left but is that position reliable?
Q. 3: is it an easy job to swap a defective wire without dismantling the wheel arch?
Q. 4: is @suzublu & @Arctic's trick (joining both wires on every corner) the easiest move to do?

Thanks a lot mates, for that damned warning washing my digital speed display on my screen every 20s makes me mad when I'm driving!

[clf]

They are only on two corners. Front and rear. Not sure if lhd is different, on rhd they are on the right.

A visual inspection of both the cable, connectors, fitting at the pad and also the pads themselves is how you check without a t4.

Unless damaged, they simply unplug and re plug. Be careful of fitting to the pad. There is a metal sprung fitting that holds it in place which sometimes falls out.

Overall it is a simply system and normally obvious when something has failed.

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

[Dorchester2]

Originally Posted by clf

They are only on two corners. Front and rear. Not sure if lhd is different, on rhd they are on the right.
A visual inspection of both the cable, connectors, fitting at the pad and also the pads themselves is how you check without a t4.
Unless damaged, they simply unplug and re plug. Be careful of fitting to the pad. There is a metal sprung fitting that holds it in place which sometimes falls out.
Overall it is a simply system and normally obvious when something has failed.
Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

Thank you @clf.
I've just had a close look on the front without taking off the wheel: on a LHD it's like on a RHD it's on the driver's side, hence on the left in my case.

My main concern isn't in the pads end, but the other end: that blue plug under the bonnet, very close to the wheel arch, looks rather unreachable if I should disconnect it to reconnect with the new wire kit.

[Dorchester2]

That look weird: on the rear I can't see any wire coming to the pads from the upper arch like on the front!

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by Dorchester2

Thank you @clf.
I've just had a close look on the front without taking off the wheel: on a LHD it's like on a RHD it's on the driver's side, hence on the left in my case.

Hi Arnaud.
Pop the black connector out of it's clip in the engine bay, then in the wheel arch pop out the rubber bung connected to the brake pad sensor wire/lead carefully pull the wire towards you the black connector should come through the hole left from the bung removal, pull the joint apart and fit the new brake sensor wiring, push the connection back through the hole, re-fit the bung then pop the black connector back into it's clip next to the blue connector which is the ABS.

On the rear the brake sensor wiring will come from the brake pads run along the suspension arm clipped in trace it back to the connector.

[Dorchester2]

Thank you @Arctic.
Things become clearer now.

1. I was barking at the wrong tree!
I was looking indeed at the wrong side! I can confirm now that both RHD & LHD have their front pad sensor on the right hand side.
That's why on the left hand side I couldn't see any plug but the blue ABS one!
Nevertheless there's very little room on the right for my big sausages to take off the black plug. The A/C pipe is obstructing the way.

2. On the right side my pad sensor wire was slightly damaged at the lower end & disconnected but carefully tightly attached to the ABS cable. I remember now that when the mechanic swapped front disks & pads for new Brembo ones, he told me that the pads hadn't the connection for the sensor. Why I don't know.

3. Hence @Arctic I've done your trick: a loop with both wires at the lower end and that's it.
I hope that at the next occasion I drive the car that awful warning light will be removed... unless the same problem is happening at the rear.
I'll have a close look at the rear pad sensor from under the car but it's enough for today. Tomorrow is another day...

[vitesse]

And for those that have Toaf there's an easier method than Arctic's, disable the warning function - no more messages ever.

Regards

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by Dorset Bob

Thanks Ronnie, is that the black connector next to the blue ABS one, under the bonnet?

Yes it is

[Dorchester2]

Hurray! Pad sensor gremlin out!
The trick is an astute one: thanks to the loop at the low end of the wire, no longer any bullying warning on the screen!
But I should have read the few last MOT minor advisories (Sept 2019): the front pad sensor disconnection was clearly mentioned.
Besides the odd part of that game is that those warnings came progressively month after month until becoming stubbornly stuck on the screen. Why the problem didn't fully occur earlier that's the question?... I'm unsure that my mechanic knew the trick & was aware that not connecting the plug did induce such a warning... He isn't a Rover or British cars specialist. But I remember when the job had been done he did mention that the wire couldn't be connected because of the pads incompatibility. I'm definitely scatterbrained...
Anyway now I'm relieved, phew!