If the change brake pad sensor light didnt light up, we still able to re-use the sensor?

Last Saturday, I went to a workshop to chg the rear brake pad - I bring my own brake pad - Textar brand without bringing the sensor - and the mechanic chged the brake pad and leave the old brake sensor wires hanging there without informing me. The next day I notice abt the wires (I thought maybe he didnt install properly and the sensor is loose) and go back to that shop. Only than the mechanic told me, canot fit back the old sensor and must buy a new one... since that time, I didnt bring and their shop dont have any stock so he take out the sensor and now the chg brake pad light is ON :impatient

And last few weeks ago, I chg the front brake pad + the sensor (all parts is from the shop) and at home I found out in the bills, they charge/fitted 2 sensor (left and right) on the car!

OMG, am I being conned or what ??

 

The sensor works by having the rotor wear the tip off and break a wire. If the sensor is removed from the car, the lite will go on cuz this is the same as a 'used' sensor.

If the warning lite did not come on then you probably did not consume either sensor - altho it is possible they started to wear and just didn'y go far enuf, but I doubt it. And in most cases the front is gonna get used WAY before the rear.

Were the pads you bought OEM? Many aftermarket pads that I'm familiar with don't have the sensor slots....so the sensor just needs to be tied out of the way. As I said b4, you can't leave it off the car tho cuz the open circuit tells the warning lite to come on.

There's only 2 - front on the driver side and rear on the pass'

 

Hi, thanks for the reply. The brake pad were brought from BMW & MINI parts stockist (http://www.bavarian.com.my), I'm not sure whether it have the sensor slots or not... sigh

"There's only 2 - front on the driver side and rear on the pass" <-- that means the shop have charged me a extra sensor for the front! OMG, I must go back to the shop and %$#! them.

My car is right hand drive will it be any different from what you've mentioned? Ie: rear sensor is on the driver side & front sensor is on passenger side?

 

If there is a difference, Haynes doesn't mention it. This is where the harness places the connection so unless that harness is different for r vs l ....

 

I have called the workshop regarding why they install 2 brake pad sensor on my front wheel. They said some model require one and some model require two brake pad sensor so for my model, it require two brake pad sensor.

Is there such a thing? Model dependant? I never heard of it, can someone confirm?

Thanks

 

I've installed front pads on about a dozen first generation

early ones have NO sensors. Once they started, I've only seen what I told you. Haynes makes no mention of any case of sensor on both wheels of an axle.

My 07 has the same set up.

Haynes addresses differences for the MINI1, not available in US....but doesn't say anything about a difference in sensors. If there's a dif' for non US models it hasn't been seen here b4.

IMHO: get a new mechanic.

 

i'm in eminent need to do pads and am about to order all the parts, but i just realized that when i turn on my car the brake sensor light (not the brake light w/ an *!* in the middle) never comes on during those few seconds when everything lights up. is this normal? would it be possible that the previous owner disabled it somehow? i'm assuming the light should come on at first 'cuz the tpms light comes on briefly

 

Late 2003's and on have both front and rear sensors. I thought only 2002's and early 2003's had only one sensor--as opposed to no sensor.

Might want to look at my DIY brake pad change article for reference. I have two articles--one for front brake pad and one for rear pad changing.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...6&goto=newpost

OMGGGG after all these years, I just noticed the typo in my photo. LOLOLOLOLOL









Richard

 

Yup, you guys is correct... there is only one brake pad sensor for the front and one for the rear. The workshop have billed me wrongly and they've refund back the money to me.

And you can re-use the brake pad sensor only if your "chg brake pad light didnt light up" else you have to get a new sensor.

Thanks guys.

 

No - sorry, must disagree

I've done pads on a dozen differentr MINI, S and non

including my 02 - no sensors. as I recall they were an 03 addition

03 and on - left front and right rear. If there are any with all 4 points covered, it must have been a short run.....

my 07 - one per axle, left front, right rear (I just replaced the pads with lower dust ones)

never saw sensors on both wheels of an axle....

btw - this is the part description from MiniMania:
The MINI uses a Brake Wear Sensor on the front left and rear right brake pads. When the brake pad wears down, the brake pad wear sensor is also worn down and will eventually trigger the warning light to alert you. Once the warning light is triggered, the wear sensor needs to be replaced.

 

I stand corrected then on '02s. And just for clarification, I never said they were on all 4 points.