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Why Don't I Have Brake Wear Sensors?

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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 01:38 PM
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Why Don't I Have Brake Wear Sensors?

???

I have a 12/02 build '03 MCS... we have just changed all the brakes and there was nary a brake sensor to be found. The brakes have never before been changed.

Shouldn't I have these? Or were they not added on until later in the model year(s)?
 
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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by OmToast
???

I have a 12/02 build '03 MCS... we have just changed all the brakes and there was nary a brake sensor to be found. The brakes have never before been changed.

Shouldn't I have these? Or were they not added on until later in the model year(s)?
All MINIs have brake pad sensors, but only one per axle: left front, right rear.
 

Last edited by chows4us; Feb 24, 2009 at 02:41 PM.
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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 03:29 PM
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Chows --

Not one single sensor exists on my MINI. Not one. Not anywhere. Not one per axle - not even one per car. There are... none.

This is the first and only time the brake pads have been replaced and not a single pad had a sensor wire attached to it. There are slots for the sensor, but there weren't any sensors in them, nor were they disconnected and dangling. They just weren't there. MINI forgot to put my brake pad sensors on

 
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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 03:37 PM
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They didn't come on all Minis. I'm not sure if it's by the year or not. My '03 had none either.
 
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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by onasled
They didn't come on all Minis. I'm not sure if it's by the year or not. My '03 had none either.
Good to know -- perhaps I'll stop pouting now Though I'd still like to know why the little slots for the sensors exist, if they didn't bother putting the sensors in.
 
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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 04:11 PM
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My '03 didn't have them either.
 
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Old Aug 26, 2006 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by WVMINIO8
My '03 didn't have them either.
Same here...

Brake wear sensors came in 2004 I believe...
 
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Old Aug 27, 2006 | 06:30 AM
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My 2/2003 build MC has two of them.
 
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Old Aug 27, 2006 | 07:38 AM
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Allllllllllright! I do love consistency!

Mine is a 12/02 build -- perhaps they started a wee bit later...?
 
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Old Aug 27, 2006 | 08:19 AM
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My car is 3/03 and have them front and rear.

BTW, did the C-clamp work or did you get a tool?
 
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Old Aug 27, 2006 | 09:43 AM
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^ C-clamp worked brilliantly
 
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Old Aug 27, 2006 | 01:53 PM
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9/02 '03 Coopers S. Just changed brake pads and rotors after 74,000 with EBC green stuff and powerslots, No sensors!!!!!!!
 
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Old Aug 27, 2006 | 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by OmToast
^ C-clamp worked brilliantly
Nice!
 
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Old Aug 28, 2006 | 09:30 PM
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When I took my my 4/03 MCS in wondering why the rear pads were down to metal, my dealer told me that my car had a sensor on the front but not the rear.

I just took my wheels off, and my car does have a rear sensor on the right hand. But it's been DISCONECTED AND STRAPED BACK WITH A TIE WRAP!!

So not only did my MINI dealer not know my car was supose to have a sensor, he didn't notice the spare cable dangling right behind the caliper :impatient
 
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Old Aug 28, 2006 | 09:55 PM
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My 9/02 build (03) has zero sensors, nada zip zilch. Looks like sometime after the first of the year they started adding them.

Nik
 
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Old Aug 28, 2006 | 10:10 PM
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Added during the 03 model year...

but I don't like them at all. Only 2 pads out of eight have them, and I've seen a bunch of Minis with uneven pad wear.....

Let me tell you, you are missing nothing. Just check your pads when you rotate the tires....

Matt
 
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Old Aug 28, 2006 | 10:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Dr Obnxs
but I don't like them at all. Only 2 pads out of eight have them, and I've seen a bunch of Minis with uneven pad wear.....

Let me tell you, you are missing nothing. Just check your pads when you rotate the tires....

Matt
Thanks for your input, Matt. Reminds me, time to rotate Wanda's tires!
 
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Old Aug 28, 2006 | 10:35 PM
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The list of stuff you couldn't get was longer than the options list...

when I ordered my 02. No HK... Not released yet. No JCW... not released yet. No water sensing wipers... Not released yet. No Blue Tooth. Didn't exist. No hands free kit. Didn't exist. No alarm, rear fog and on and on.
Don't know what else I couldn't get.... Besides the sensors, that is.

Oh yeah, Indy blue was a cooper only color! And that's what I wanted.... Got red instead....

Matt
 
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Old Aug 29, 2006 | 03:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Dr Obnxs
but I don't like them at all. Only 2 pads out of eight have them, and I've seen a bunch of Minis with uneven pad wear.....

Let me tell you, you are missing nothing. Just check your pads when you rotate the tires....

Matt
Yep yep -- that's how we realized that I might want to think about changing the pads. Just under 64K and I really could have gone another +/- 10K, I think, before it became an issue.
 
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Old Aug 29, 2006 | 05:42 AM
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methinks that the sensors appeared with the first of the '03's. They started out only having the front, but added the rear sensor sometime mid-year...I think just before they modified the shock-fluid viscousity
 
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Old Aug 29, 2006 | 05:51 AM
  #21  
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But I have an early (12/02 build) '03... and no sensors. I think they started a little later in the model year.
 
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Old Aug 29, 2006 | 12:25 PM
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could be that they started the frt sensors in Jan, and added the rears around Mar-May timeframe. my 05/03 build has both
 
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Old Aug 29, 2006 | 12:31 PM
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Originally Posted by DarkMiniCooperS

Brake wear sensors came in 2004 I believe...

nope, my 2003 mini had them on it
 
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Old Aug 30, 2006 | 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by DrkSilvrMini
nope, my 2003 mini had them on it
04 was BMW's offical North American word. Nothing like consistancy.

Alex
 
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Old Sep 13, 2006 | 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Alex@tirerack
04 was BMW's offical North American word. Nothing like consistancy.

Alex
Maybe 04 was when they started adding them consistantly, and anything before is more of a fluke ?

Makes me wornder though, I have an 03/03 MCS, and was going to do my brakes at the end of the month. Do I buy new sensors now, or just wait to see if they are there?
 
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