Nicole

Anders and i replaced the brake pads on my car today. The brake pad warning had come on for some time.

As it turns out, Sharksking and Bill was right - there was no real need for new pads, because the sensors had not been touched yet, and there was about 1/3 of the "meat" left on the old but glazed ones (Yes, Marc, I need to drive faster, brake harder... LOL!)

Nevertheless we went ahead with the job. We combined forces and knowledge, and learned a few things along the way... for example, that it is much easier than we thought.

When we were all set and done, we took the car for a spin. First I drove, warmed up the car, tried to break in the brakes. Then Anders took the wheel on the way home and gave me a demonstration of the real capabilities of my car. First turn: Sideways...

But when we got home, the brake pad warning came on again. Dammit! Now the detective work will start... Any suggestions, other than checking the sensors and wires in the rear?

Garth S

When "checking the sensors", I assume you mean for conductivity with a multimeter - and for good connections within that 'barrel' junction box at the spindle (~ size of a 35mm film cannister). IIRC, there is another similar junction under the hood - just trace the wires through ( I'll look at mine later).
All the light is saying is that it sees an open circuit - unless yours is also linked to the brake fluid level: Hummmm ... check the brake fluid anyway, although with new pads, there would be more fluid pushed back into the resevoir even if you hadn't checked.

John Veninger

Sab

I have the same problem and am unable to find the source of the problem. My ABS light comes on at times as well.

adam928

Not sure it will help, but heres a similar story:

For about a month or two ago I ran in to some warnings on my brake pads. It where a couple of days before a track event I wanted to visit so I where not really happy about it... Hurried and called for some new front brake pads. A couple of days later they arrived. It was now the day before the event... Off with the wheels and checked the front pads... fine... DAMN... the rear pads...

The morning after I got up early a couple of hours before the start to at least examine the rear pads... they seemed fine... strange.. A friend of mine noticed some strange scrapings on the inside of the wheel... It looked like the caliper had come loose and scraped the rim but when we measured the scrapings they didnt seem to match the scrapings on the caliper... and then I saw it... the wire

The sensor wire had come loose, dragging towars the inside of the wheel... after a while the rubber insulation on the cable vaporized and the core was visible resulting in a short circut of some kind against the wheel...

Some duct tape and I was ready to do laps at the track all day long
So... check the cables... (measure.. make sure they are tight)

Joe '87 S4

Check the sensor connection. My front passenger sensor was the problem and needed a lot of force with pliers until it "clicked" into place.

perrys4

I am going through this too. I have posted this same question. I am currently replacing the sensors to see if this has any effect. Mine only comes on once in a while. Please post solution if you find one and I will do the same.

aaron3

Sounds like many of you have a loose connection somewhere. If you look at the wiring diagram, the brake sensor loop goes from the POD to the front left to the rear left to the rear right to the front right and back to the POD (the current flow might go the other way, but the loop is the same).

Anywho, if any of the connections along the way is broken or loose, the warning comes on. There are connectors at the sensors themselves and connectors above the shock towers (front) and (in my car) just behind the left rear seat in the spare tire well (these are the 35mm canisters). You can check the conductivity of the loop by checking at each connector where the problem is. So you can break out the multimeter and trace the circuit, you don't even need to take off the wheels until you find wheel that is the break in the loop.

I've also heard (but I don't know for sure) that low brake fluid will cause the alarm for cars before the digital dash. It's not the case for digital dash cars.

Tony

Eh..i just snipped the darn wires and loop the system together. Im under my car and doign stuff all the time anyway, doesnt take a second to take a peek. It wasnt worth the effort to try and track down that gremlin.

New pads..and sensors..and i kept gettting the warning. SNIP!!
havent had one since.

each his/her own.

hinchcliffe

The light goes on when you have the wires touching each other, right? So, snip them and tape them apart so they won't touch each other? I check my pads enough so I don't need/use the sensors.

jorj7

Anders drove my car like my mother, kept shifting before 4,000 rpm.
He must be more comfortable driving your car, gotten use to Bay Area
streets, or learned how to drive the automatic... Though I did tell him
to have the wheels pointed straight ahead when pressing hard on the
gas pedal.

Joe '87 S4

Just make sure you snip the wires and not the brakes lines

sweanders

Well, we had just met about two minutes before you handed me the keys and I know nothing about your life insurance..

There was no traffic when I an Nicole took a spin last night (after midnight) and I there was plenty of margin even though I did play with the throttle a bit.

I didn't really know what kind of traction limits and power delivery you car has. I promise to put you mothers driving to shame if/when I get a go next time..

sweanders

Btw, Nicoles car is amazing. I've never seen a car that has a cleaner underbody that wasn't new. You Californians must be glad not to get snow and salt on the roads!

Nicole

He's getting hooked again... LOL!

Well, and he has not yet seen the car from directly underneath. I had cleaned the wheel whells and fender liners, as well as the suspension components that I could reach while the car was on stands. The underside is a whole other project...