Hi Dennis, here's the documentation regarding resetting the warning light. Make sure you replace the sensors with new ones and have them plugged in positively. Let me know if you still have trouble.
Marty
Reset Brake Pad/Lining Wear Warning Indicator Lamp
** Editors Note **If the "Brake Lining" Wear Warning Indicator remains lit after pad and/or sensor replacement,
Reset Brake Pad Indicator Message :To turn the brake pad warning message ("Check Brake Pads") off, on vehicles with High line cluster (IKE - Instrument Cluster Electronics) after brake pad and/or sensor replacement:
NOTE : If the above procedure is not successful, connect vehicle to DIS tester, access instrument Cluster/IKE, then "clear fault memory".
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Lets try this again. The light is on, lots of life left in the pads with less than 20K miles. I inserted a jumper wire in each plug to close the circuit. This should have totally eliminated any possibility of the trouble being with the brake sensors themselves. I did not do a voltage test when I has the plugs open, I assume I should see 12v across one side of the female plug and ground?
I have this little test box that puts out a beeping sound and a sensitive tracking unit that can hear the beeping even through wire coating. I was able to trace this into the engine compartment and then into the plastic box next to the brake reservour but that as far as I could go. The beeping tone was not in the fuse box. Any relays in the circuit?
You should measure some sort of voltage there Dennis, I'm not sure exactly what. With a problem like this the first thing I'd do is replace the sensors before I started looking for other problems.
Hi Dennis, did you ever get this figured out? Let me know if you still need help.
No, and quite frankly I was hoping for something a little more exact than just to start replacing components. What's next after the sensors?? You really should be able to give me an resistance measurement that would indicate the sensors are faulty or not.
Got my credit card statement on Friday. Brake light is still on and I'm been billed $20,
I didn't think this was supposed to work this way.
Hi Dennis, sorry your having so much difficulty with it. There is no published information on the sensors or on voltage specs at the harness that I could find. The tests are all done by substitution of a known good sensor and continuity testing of the wiring. I'll look at a sensor tomorrow and measure the resistance and report my findings. What actually happened to this car that the pad warning is now on? Did the brakes wear out and the light came on? I have never seen a pad warning light that was on for any reason other than a bad sensor on an E46 chassis. If your sensors are good and you've gone through the procedure I listed above and the light is still on then you'll need to perform the last step in the procedure which states:
Sometimes you need to repeat the reset procedure numerous times before the light will turn off. I'll measure some sensors tomorrow and let you know what I find. Hang in there.
Updated 3/30 - Measured a new front and rear sensor. Read .5 ohms at each sensor plug.
Marty, Sorry for the delay. Just to ensure that we could eliminate the sensors as a source of truble I replaced both them, warning light is still on. What's next??
Dennis
Hello Dennis.
I would guess that you have an open wire somewhere in the brake sensor circuit. The circuit goes from the instrument cluster to the front brake sensor. From the front sensor it goes to the rear sensor and then to ground. The light is turned on when the cluster detects an open on this circuit.
The circuit starts at the cluster in connector X11175, Pin 24. I have included a picture below. It should be a small yellow wire. It travels to the front brakes sensor connector and then to the rear brake sensor connector. I do not have any wiring diagrams that show where the wire runs. I have seen a few cars that have had this problem. The open is usually between the cluster and the front sensor. I would start by checking continutiy on that line.
Good luck,
Scott
I can' t tell from the photo exactly what I'm looking at. Where is this located? Kind of looks like an interior air vent but can't tell for sure.
Where does this circuit get it power from? Could this be something as simple as a fuse or relay.
It is the back of the cluster. The cluster monitors the circuit and when it detects an open it turns the light on. It must provide a power signal but I do not know how much, I have not bben able to find anything that states exactly what the cluster puts out. There is not a fuse or relay in the circuit. Just the cluster, both sensors, and the wiring.
The $20 on your credit car is for the deposit. You ned to use the Accept button for me to get paid.
Thanks you ,