Brake Pad Sensor

[joderest]

Sorry folks, bit bored so thought i would post this.

Mini F56 (3rd Gen). On Tuesday i changed the oil and filter, and also overhauled the brakes as lights were on stating needed pads changed. All done and now no service lights on. but heres the thing.

On the old R56 (GEN 2) owners would cut the sensor off, and solder the wires together to trick the ECU into thinking all was ok, this meant the brake pad light would not show up when pads were low, ( i used to change the pads on our old r56 before they hit the sensor, so never had to replace it)however, BMW changed the system on the new mini to a two stage sensor, so if first stage broken the sensor had to be changed to put the light out. I have seen lots of comments made by owners that this was a pain as you could not fool the ECU by twisting the wires together as it worked on resistance not on a break to the wire. However, i noticed that the sensor can be fitted "the wrong way round" which would mean it would never wear, hence never have to be replaced as would never touch the disc.
Why someone would want to do this to save £8 on a pad change is beyond me, its there for a reason, that reason to say you need to attend to your brakes soon.
I suppose some people just don't like lights and warning "bongs" on their cars.

 

[EmilysDad]

As discs wear you get a lip on the edge and this lip will often wear through the sensor & put the light/warning message on when there is still loads of life left in the pads .... certainly the case of my Omega years ago. So it's not just a saving on the few quid of the sensor, but saving a few thousand miles of brake pad left.

Years ago we used to just have to look at the pads to see if they were worn & not just rely on a sensor ..... that's if the car was posh enough to have discs fitted. Brake shoes still need to be looked at

 

[joderest]

agree, i still look at the pads with a torch to see where they are at, the ones i just changed had, in my view, about 1-2,000 miles left in them ( just under 1/4 of an inch of pad left), but had activated the sensor which on the Mini means you get a Bong on start up with a message in the speedo and on central computer screen, and the same again when you turn the dam thing off.
They are only £8 each if you fit after market ones (which work fine) and fitting is far easier than the 2GEN Mini, just a 10mm plastic nut and pull the flap back to access, on the old one it was wheel arch liner out, or struggling up inside the rear body.

Oh well, modern cars i suppose, we all hark back to "the good old days" but they will never return.