My rear brake pad sensor light came on. I replaced pads and sensor but the light is still on. What is the secret to getting it to go off?

 

You may have to reset the ECU. Normally it should go out in a mile or so, but i often find i have to reset the ECU. You could also unhook the battery for about 15 min. and then rehook it up to do that same thing.

Good luck, give me a call if you need more help.

Chad
Detroit Tuned

 

http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NM.../InvDetail.cfm

"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.
After replacing the sensor, turn the ignition key to the #2 position for around 30 seconds without turning over the engine...the light goes out! "

 

That did the trick; thanks!

 

Hmmm... didn't work for me. Do I have to disconnect the sensor and re connect it before starting the engine? I started the engine right after putting the sensor on - does the sensor require that the car not be started before the sensor is reset?

Matt

 

I coiled said PIA sensor up and zip tied them out of the way once I replaced the 1st one. Pads get checked every 2500mi when tires are rotated now. No need for sensor.

Tim

 

Did you replace the sensor? Its a wear item and needs to be replaced once the light is triggered..

Quote 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. After replacing the sensor, turn the ignition key to the #2 position for around 30 seconds without turning over the engine...the light goes out.

 

Yes, I replaced the sensor - although it did not appear to be worn at all but the pads were definitely in need of replacing. I disconnected the battery and tried the ignition thing to no avail. Next I will replace the rear pads in the event that they are also to the sensors - although I kinda doubt it based on initial "wheel-on" inspection...

 

BINGO - I was going to suggest that next.

IF the sensor wasn't worn, then it probably wasn't the one that was activated.

I've actually found that the last two times we've worn the brakes on our 03, the REARS wore to the point of activation before the front.

Kev

 

just a note: if you dont want to replace the sensor, and you will not be using it, you can "jump" it out, by splicing the two wires of the sensor together and zip-tying them out of the way.

this saves you from buying a new sensor if you are going to be running pads that dont allow for them, and to turn the dash light off.

 

The #2 position didn't work for me either, and both sensors have been replaced....

 

By #2 I think you are saying you replaced the second sensor and the lite still doesn't go off.

My best guess then is that when you replaced #1, it didn't get seated right so the connection still sees 'open' - or the sensor is just bad.

I've never actually seen a worn sensor, but from looking at good ones and how they should work I'd expect a worn one to be obvious. May be time to play swap-zies.... If you have a 'for sure worn one' maybe splice the wires together, just for a test....

 

Nope. I had all four pads replaced, including the front and rear sensors. By #2, I mean the key's #2 position. The trick with the key did not work for me.

 

If you look at the sensor where it enters the brake pad housing, the sensor itself looks almost like a small spade.

There's a tiny plastic nipple on the underside of the spade which faces the rotor.

Once the pad material wears sufficiently the rotor will rub that nipple until it wears enough plastic away to break the wire contained within.

That opens the circuit and triggers the light.

IF the light doesn't go out after replacing both sensors you've got a couple of possibilities.

I GUESS there may be a glitch in the software where a control module needs to be reset - so that if turning the key without starting the motor and/or disconnecting the battery cable for 15 minutes doesn't work, then I'd wonder about the sensors themselves.

It's also possible that one of the new sensors is faulty from the factory AND/OR the harness wasn't connected properly.

Only other possibility is that the harness itself is faulty and there's a brake in the wire somewhere between the senor connector and the control module that controls the light.

It's a ***** to check the sensors, because the terminals are way down deep - you need two long picks to make contact with the pins or DVOM probes that are LONG and THIN.

OR you can cheat - take the old sensor harness, cut the connector off leaving about an inch or two of tire. Strip the ends of the wire and twist them together - now you have a test harness that should appear to the vehicle like a good sensor (a completed circuit). Plug that in and see if the light resets. If it does, then you had a faulty sensor assembly or a bad connection at the sensor harness.

And remember, check both the front and the rear senors.

Kev

 

awesome..this helped out

 

Curious how much each of these brake pad sensors are a piece.

 

They're $19.75 for each front one from Pelican Parts. P/N is 34356778175. The rears are PN 34356761448 and are $14.75 each.

 

Thanks. Just curious what the upkeep is like. Thanks for including part numbers too.

 

Haha, screw that! For $70 + shipping, I think I'll use my good old-fashioned eyes.

Thanks for that great info.

 

Mine is a 2007 so how do you reset it? Still shows minus miles in the window on the pads. The light went out initially and then when we turned the car off and back on the brake light came back on
John

 

Just wanted to add my experience - I replaced the rear pads and sensor in my girlfriend's 2007 convertible. The sensor light didn't go off when I took it for a test drive. After reading this thread, I tried the "30 seconds, key in #2" and it did the trick.

 

hey guys i went to autozone to buy rear brake pads and they asked me if i needed them sensored or without sensor? which ones do I get? pls help

 

Always get the sensored ones, that basicly means the pad will have a groove for the sensor to clip into it. All MINI's except 02 and early 03 have brake pad sensors.
Also do some shopping around you should be able to get some better pads than what AZ offers.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/search....=search&page=1

 

I have become an psuedo expert in resetting the codes in my Mini, but have some items yet to learn, like what are the CAN and ISP CODES in the maintenance screens that basically can be toggled through 1.01, 1.02... 1.06 and 2.00

I tried what everyone else had posted, but the trip reset/brightness buttons only put me in dashboard test mode, over and over and over....

Then with the key in, start button depressed (w/o clutch) I pressed and held the trip reset and toggle... I some how made it into the VIN etc maintenance screen. Trying it again, I stepped through warning screens and reset selections of dates and miles on my brake warning. I was able to change the -700 service error as well this way.

The bright/trip reset didn't work as prescribed... my 3/01/2007 production date mini... (also revealed in the menu's) has different software possibly than later versions.

Now if I could just figure out which airbag is sending bad signal, I'd be happy motoring again

 

So Way, you mean to say as an '02 owner I have to actually look and do my own maintenance without the car screaming at me to fix it? Blasphemy...thanks Same with checking tire pressure too. This not driving around mindlessly until the car dings and flashes sure sounds like work as an owner. I sure miss those simpler times.

/mindless wandering about car maintenance