Brake Pad Warning Light "On" After Brake Job?

[jyl]

I redid my brakes and removed the brake pad wear indicator sensors. For the fronts, I unplugged the sensor and lead from the plug that is clipped to the strut. (The pads that came with my Boxster calipers had no provision for the sensor.) For the rears, I simply folded the sensor and lead back and zip-tied it to the e-brake cable. (If I'm not going to have sensors for the fronts, I don't want them for the rears either.)

To my surprise, my brake pad warning light is now permanently "on". (This is the rectangular warning light in the dash that looks like a circle with some concentric segments around it.)

I thought the way the sensors worked was that if the pads wore enough, the sensor touched the rotor, thus completing an electrical circuit. So that unplugging/disconnecting the sensors would not illuminate the warning light.

Am I missing something?

(The other problem with my brakes is an embarassing squeal, which I may have resolved by charging down a steep hill, repeatedly braking to the point of lockup, until I could smell that "brake" odor. No squeal since.)

[rbcsaver]

john,
i would just zip tie the sensors up in the front, just like you did in the rear. That should solve your light problem.
I would caution you to carefully follow your brake pad manufacturer's pad break-in/seating procedure. Esp if racing pads like pagids.
regards,
Steve

[vash]

john, maybe reset it by disconnecting the battery? i know this is so on the older cars. maybe this doesnt help you.

[Bill Verburg]

The warning light comes on when there is a short to ground, It will go off and stay off when the ignition is turned off and there is no short. If your light is on after shutting off the ignition then there is still a short to ground somewhere

[jyl]

Thanks, everyone. I will look for the short.

I don't actually know the make of the pads, they are new but came with the calipers. I've read generic pad break-in procedures, they involve lots of repeated 100-0 mph max braking events, with the caution that there must be no traffic around. Well, I'd have to do this at 3 AM or drive 50+ miles to a less urban area . . .

[Dixie]

Not having front sensors is the same as having worn sensors. The light comes on when an open circuit is detected.

There are three easy solutions to choose from.

1) Clip the tip off your worn sensors and connect the two wires together.
2) Get new sensors and zip-tie them aside.
3) Remove the warning bulb from the dash.

[craig001]

Do 1 or 2 above. Don't just pull the bulb on the warning light. That wouldn't be cool for the next owner (if there might be one down the road).

[rbcsaver]

john,
the stoptech folks have alot of good technical information on their website about brakes. see http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/bedincontents.htm
for brake bedding procedure. no 100 mph stops.
steve

[AES]

The light comes on when an open circuit is detected.

Not on a Carrera, Bill's description is right out of the shop manuals