I got the light that my rear pads were due for replacement at 53k miles. The pad for the sensor was 3.6mm thick and the other side was 7.4mm - not really close for needing a replacement. And to add to it the sensor was ground almost in half. To add to all of this it is time for the 2 year fluid flush.

I went ahead and got a set of rear pads, a large bottle of synthetic DOT 4, and rented the compression tool from O'riely's. I had a sensor that I did not use from when I did the front brakes about 10k ago. I sucked out the reservoir to drop the level of the fluid down to almost empty.

Right rear went without a hitch until I get to the sensor - the front and back are different. I stripped back the wiring for the original sensor and twisted them together and hit it with a bit of soldier and sealed it up with some heat shrink. I sucked the excess fluid out and topped it off with new fluid. I then hooked up my vacuum pump and sucked fluid down until only about a quarter was lest in the reservoir.

On the Left side I went ahead and did the fluid drain but only pulled about half of the fluid out of the reservoir. The LS was a bit more of a pain as the piston did not want to collapse. The compression tool worked like a dream on the RS but it was a PIA to compress the left side. One of the tricks to not tearing the rubber piston boot is to coat it with silicon oil. I eventually got it compressed and installed the new pads.

I bled the front right and then the front left to complete the fluid purge. The fluid I pulled out looked as good as the fluid that went back in but it is done. Then I reset the service codes without a hitch - nothing due until a oil change in about 3K miles. Start to finish was 3.75 hours which included the trip to the parts store both picking up the parts and to return the brake tool.

I measured the LR pads and they were 7.7mm on the outside and 8.3mm on the inside. They were less than 25% used. If it wasn't for the sensor I could have gotten another 10k easily out of the brakes. German technology with English integration at it's best.

 

my 2013 HT base has 5k (yes 5000 original miles) and i have that light on lol. i think the internal clock overrides the condition of the pad.

 

There is a time setting that will go off.

My issue was the sensor was ridding too high and wore through with about 1/4 of the pad left. I also thought the front and rear had the same sensor and they are different. I have a spare front sensor and did not have the rear so I by-passed it.