Brake Pad Wear Sensor Wire Location

[Animesis]

So I've recently discovered what the previous owner meant when he said the front brake wear sensor wire was damaged, its not just the sensor lead, the entire wire appears to be missing from the front, I can only imagine it got ripped out and the connector was still attached and took the whole wire with it.

I've had a look around the net but have trouble finding where the original wire down to the brake sensor connector would have been and theres no trace of it anywhere. To avoid confusion, I dont just mean the sensor lead as bought to be plugged in, but the entire wire from beyond the connector.

Any pics under the bonnet where the wires appear from would be a great help then I can start to look for where it used to be!


*On a plus side, I have the gearbox changed, new clutch in, subframe painted, change of fluids all done this weekend gone thanks to these fantastic forums

[FrenchMike]

Hi, if i remember well,it's the black one ;the blue being the ABS.



Mike

[T-Cut]

The connector for the sensor lead is hidden behind the arch liner if that's any help.

TC

[GeoffWW]

Just beaten by T-Cut and FrenchMike, but neither have mentioned the following.

Have you looked at all four brakes for your missing wear indicator(s)

There are only two fitted, one to the offside front and the other to the nearside rear.

To find the front cable, turn the steering wheel to full left lock. Looking through the rear side of the front wheel, you should see the flexible brake hose coming over to the brake caliper. Attached to it, you should see a cable protected by a cable protector -( a length of plastic, coiled around the cable). The second to final connector for the cable should be close to the suspension strut.the final connector is a push fit connection between the cable end fitting and the tab on the edge of the brake-pad.

The rear wear indicator is on the nearside, again with a similar protected cable attached.

[GeoffWW]

Here is the part you need.

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID001572

Point 9 on the drawing is the brake pad, and point 10 is the cable, coiled round for ease of taking the picture.

The tubular end goes near the suspension strut. the much smaller rounded end clips into the recession in the middle of the correct pad, fitted with the wear detector 'cable' splayed out inside the correct block.

[Animesis]

ah quick replies as usual!

I wish it was just that part, the entire cable is gone, not just the cable with the sensor on the end from the connector, and there's no sign of anything being there anymore. The connector and all the cable appears to have been torn out. Im guessing somewhere in the engine bay is a loom that its been torn out of which will require a piece of wire and a new connector to be wired in and then the cable and its sensor plugged into

Sorry for the unclear description, Im sure there's a better way to describe it! If you could imagine taking the cable with the sensor out and then holding the connector still attached the car and yanking that other cable out, I can only presume like that happened and the only evidence it ever had the cable at all is the hole in the wheel arch lining. Had the car in bits over the weekend and there was no sign of the connector or any wire for it anywhere. Im trying to find the loom in the engine bay where it would have connected as I assume thats where it must have been

[GeoffWW]

Hello again, Animesis,

..I have just read your last entry. Have you read my entries that two corners have no cables at all?!!!

The cable from the pads can't be missed.

Have you been able to access the Rimmer Bros web site and seen the detail I gave you the link for?
The illustration of the cable also shows the cable guard spiraling around the cable.
What spec is your car? Perhaps the Classic did not have brake pad wear warning system.

Hello again FrenchMike, (My FBH is still going strong thanks to your skills).

Your photo is of the bulkhead. Can you throw any light an whether there are models that don't have the warning light. I would have thought they would all have this important basic safety feature

[Animesis]

Unfortunately so, when i was buying it the seller told me "the old brake wear sensor wire got broken off, thats why its lit up on the dash" I had presumed he meant the sensor wire alone, not the entire wire :s

I did indeed look on rimmers! I have the sensors cables, -bought some ready for the weekends work, and when I went to attach the front one there was no wire at all, just the hole in the wheel arch liner where it passes through showing that it did previously have one, no sign of torn off cables in the wheel arch behind the lining or engine bay!

There was one connector by the front offside suspension in the engine bay, but not a brakewear sensor connector and it was a very short wire -a inch or 2-

If I can figure out how to attach pictures I will most definitely do so, its a Rover 75 CDTi saloon Connoisseur manual