pokegama

How do the brake wear sensors work? The PO must have epoxied the sensor to the pad and while I was trying to get it out the plastic end broke. The wire is still glued onto the pad and I could just glue the front plastic piece back into place. (See pics) Is the plastic end piece the sensor or is that just the holder for the wire. The wire seems to still be intact. Any suggestions? I hadn't planed on doing shoes (they look new) and sensors, I was just upgrading to SS brake hose.

Front of shoe
Attachment 358094

Back of shoe
Attachment 358095

Cosmo Kramer

In pic #1 you see the u shaped wire in the plastic grommet? That grommet clicks into a groove in the pads (if the pads have them!). When the brakes wear thin, that u shaped wire wears through, opens the circuit and triggers the brake pad light. I am not sure how epoxying them in there like that is supposed to make the sensor work, but it won't! IIRC, the grove for the grommet is supposed to be in the middle of the pad, some pads have them some don't. If yours don't leave it as is if the sensor is secure, if they do, try to carefully remove it from there and install it properly.

pokegama

Thanks Cosmo. The pads do have the notch for the sensor but the back of the clip must have been broken when they were installed so someone glued it in. The wire is still stuck in the glue/pad. It looks like it would still work as is as long as the plastic part is held back so it doesn't rub on the rotor before it's time. I'll be changing the shoes and rotors next year anyway.

RKD in OKC

My wear sensors melted themselves in and had to be drilled out to remove.

AO

The sensors are often melted or fused to the old pads. But let's face it, the pad sensors are there for absent minded rich doctors from the 80's and 90's who couldn't be bothered to check the pads on their own. (Present company excluded, of course.)

On my car and several others, the pad sensors are long gone. Instead the wire ends are twisted together and zip tied out of the way. Yes, this does mean you will have to give your pads a visual inspection every year, but that's a good time to really clean your wheels anyway.