Check Brake Pads Warning

[Ivor]

"Check brake pads" has started to come on every 2 or 3 runs.

 

The rear ones were new last June, and the front have 10mm left.

 

Is this a "timed" warning, or is it the sensors in the pads?

 

There is lot's of salt on the roads, so maybe it's that bridging the pad sensors?

[paulmpaciorek]

Ivor

I think you have some serious issues with your car mate...did you manage to get it on a Vag-com yet ???? It just seems like one thing after another since the brake light switch fiasco """"

[Ivor]

Paul

 

Not been VAG-COMed yet.

 

I think you are right, but I don't want them messing with it any more.

[davewill]

Strangely enough i seem to have a similar problem

Had my front pads replaced Nov last year (done about 4k on these) and had my back pads changed two weeks ago

Got the car back after rear pads fitted and everything seemed fine

Then earlier this week after driving for about 10 miles, the warning pads light came on again, with the infamous warning beep.

Stopped the car soon after, turned off engine, checked around the wheels, nothing suspicious. Started up again and no warning light.

Then everything was fine again for a few days, until yesterday when bingo, on it came again whilst i was driving.

Rang the local fraud dealer who fitted the pads, and i,m taking it back in next week

[Denis]

Any feedback on this problem yet guys? Mine has started doing this today, the warning comes on now and then, I am on 19K on original pads so probably a new set of pads required in my case.

[Ivor]

Nope.

 

Mine's still beeping away.

I took off the wheels to check them, about 8mm left. I'll sort it out soon or get it done when it's serviced, which is now due. I read somewhere on this forum that you can get pads and discs for ~

[NikpV]

May be the same - quote from my post in september 2003 (for the purists here - I tried to do a link, but clicking on it gets you 'no file specified'

 

 

 

SWMBO okayed Ford to change these during the 30k service, Why I asked her, she said bloke said they would last another another 5-7k. So why did you have them changed - cos we are going on holiday she said umm... They also quibbled about the warranty (needed a bush on front suspension + door switch) because previous service not done by Ford before we owned it (manual says has to be done to Ford spec and PREFERABLY by a Ford dealer) work was eventually done under warranty after phoning Fords (pads cost us). Got into the Gal on the following morning (6.50 saturday to take my daughter swimming !!!) up pops -Check brake pad light - luckily on our way back - so straight to the garage they put another set in although they could find nothing wrong. Picked car up 300 yards and up they pop again. Took car back monday - another set of pads - must be a bad batch sir.

 

Happened every day that week they were sure sick of the sight of our Gal (garage is just down the road 2 minutes walk). They changed the pads 3 times in total the wiring and finally the Instrument module!! Picked car up - no fuel computer got back in time to catch the head? mechanic leaving for lunch which he then spent in the Gal re-programming. I hasten to add that Ford picked up the bill for all this - no quibbling about the warrantee now!!. We've had the 'check brake....' a couple of times since (4k down the road) and they do a lovely job of cleaning the wheel & blacking the tyres every time they check it out !!

If they were a bit short of business when they suggested the pads needed changing I think they regret it now even if Ford paid for it!!

[NikpV]

Sorry should have said, this was a problem with the instrument cluster we had a slightly older cluster than the car the mechanic did tell me the ford notifcation number at the time but did not write it down - sorry. He said he had to phone Ford in the end to find out the problem.

[neilb]

I had this problem a while back after changing front pads. Rears OK. If it still beeps at you, disconnect the sensor plugs and tape up safely. Rely on old fashioned visual inspections. More trouble than its worth IMHO.

[Denis]

My local Ford dealer sorted the problem out for me, surprisingly it was the rear pads causing the problem, I'd have expected the front ones to go first.

 

I am now

[springen]

Quick question on a related subject. Just had new tyres fitted to the front, and I noticed that there is only one 'pad sensor' fitted on one side on the front. Is this normal ??

[RADIOTWO]

"Check brake pads" has started to come on every 2 or 3 runs.

 

The rear ones were new last June, and the front have 10mm left.

 

Is this a "timed" warning, or is it the sensors in the pads?

 

There is lot's of salt on the roads, so maybe it's that bridging the pad sensors?

 

 

Hi Ivor

 

I don't know if you have sorted your problem, but my Son in law has just had the

same problem, and the problem was down to the connectors to the sensors, we found

the pins were just long enough, and just touching, by putting a cable tie round the

connector, and pulling tight it just makes conntact.

 

So check the connectors

 

Radiotwo

[Grumpy]

Quick question on a related subject. Just had new tyres fitted to the front, and I noticed that there is only one 'pad sensor' fitted on one side on the front. Is this normal ??

 

There should be 1 sensor on the front and 1 on the back, I cant remember which side these are on.

 

As has been mentioned before, if the pads are OK then start to suspect the instrument panel, when these are faulty they can flag up incorrect warnings.

 

When I bought my car the dealer had hidden the instrument panel fault by adjusting the bonnet closing switch so it didnt switch when the bonnet was closed, this showed up as the indicators didnt flash when I locked the car. When I adjusted teh switch the brake pad warning showed up! Thanks to members of this site, I was alerted to the problem after around 6 months of owning the car, my fight with the dealer to get it resolved is somewhere on this site.

[Ivor]

A quick update

 

This rarely happens, maybe one or twice a year. I think it is road salt/rain getting in the connector?

 

So rare I don't worry about it.

 

I've had no faults on this car for ages, it never fails to amaze me how good it is, I doubt that I'll ever sell it.

[MrT]

I kept getting this problem with new pads. I thought my problem was because I leave the Gal for a few weeks at a time in the garage and when I start off there is a jump as the brake pads free themselves from the disks and the warning then comes on. I thoroughly checked the wiring and could not find any problem. Then my battery suddenly failed and after replacing it, I have never had the problem again. I wondered if the battery voltage being low had caused the sensors to think that the pads were out of limits?

[Ivor]

A quick update

 

This rarely happens, maybe one or twice a year. I think it is road salt/rain getting in the connector?

 

So rare I don't worry about it.

 

I've had no faults on this car for ages, it never fails to amaze me how good it is, I doubt that I'll ever sell it.

 

I forgot to mention that since my first post I had new front pads fitted about 18months ago, and also had the discs replaced too for the hell of it.

Still beeps once or twice a year, but hasn't for about 6 months.

No fault show on VAG-COM last time I checked (ages ago).

[Saif Rehman]

Quick question on a related subject. Just had new tyres fitted to the front, and I noticed that there is only one 'pad sensor' fitted on one side on the front. Is this normal ??

 

I had mine changed 2 days ago. There is one sensor on each axle - the front one is on the passenger side and the rear one is on the drivers side.