Brake Pad Warning Light - How long do i have? -- UPDATED QUESTION

[JayStang]

Hey guys,
My brake pad warning light came on tonight. I have some busy weekends coming up so i'm not sure how quick i can get to this. How long can you safely ride on the pads after the light comes on? They don't feel any worse then the crappy stock brakes usually feel.

Thanks!

[Dan[FN]6262]

Hey guys,
My brake pad warning light came on tonight. I have some busy weekends coming up so i'm not sure how quick i can get to this. How long can you safely ride on the pads after the light comes on? They don't feel any worse then the crappy stock brakes usually feel.

Thanks!

well.... there is like 4mm left on the pad when the light comes on. dont wait long. it only takes a hour or so to change them, so i would find time.

[Boosted3.0]

When my light went off last time I was down to the bare metal! Be careful and check your pads, I had to have my rotors turned down because the metal on metal contact.

[MTX02]

If the sensor is going off now then you defiantly need to check all the brakes because there is no sensor on the rear brake pads so you could be closer then you think. And if you hear grinding then you are S.O.L on your rotors too!

[docurley]

I would do them this weekend or you will need pads and discs and don’t plan any long journeys that’s for sure.

[pandaudi]

Not thread jacking: After I warm up the car, I get the grinding noise when about to take off but dies off when I stop. Could this be the breaks pads?

[docurley]

Could well be either sticking pads or it can happen if left sitting for a few days.

[pandaudi]

Well I dd my car going to work. Sometimes the noise come and goes.

[JayStang]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm not worried about the rotors, i plan on replacing all 4 corners with pads and rotors. I'll see how long I can make these last. As of right now i'm not getting any type of grinding and they really dont feel any different to me. I wont be able to tuch these for 2 weeks due to a planned vacation (which i will no longer be taking my car on).

Thanks for the help!

[NvrFllw]

Brakes is not one of the things you want to screw with on your car. Find the time and change them. Its a matter of life and death

[El_Chapusca]

Do them today, only takes like 50 mins if you have the right tools and correct parts, like said above its a matter of life and death.

[JayStang]

Well I'm going to be ordering the rotors/pads so today of course isn't an option. I'll order them now and squeeze in some time to install asap.

[JayStang]

One more question...

Do i HAVE to get pads with the sensor wire? And if not how does that work? Does something need to be vag-com'd out?

[Teratorn]

The warning light can be misleading too since it's only for the front inside pads. They don't always wear evenly so the outside pads could be in worse shape.

You don't have to get the pads with the sensor wire. Cut the wire from the old pads, short them out and plug them back in. Otherwise, your warning light will remain on.

[JayStang]

Thanks teratorn!

[B6JoeS4]

one of my pads got down to bare metal and it started to dig into the rotor. never got the warning light for some reason

[diagnosticator]

One more question...

Do i HAVE to get pads with the sensor wire? And if not how does that work? Does something need to be vag-com'd out?

The later versions of the instrument cluster have an adaptation channel to enable or disable the brake pad warning light, using VAG-COM.
The other way to properly disable the warning light for cars without the adaptation channel, is to jumper the brake pad warning circuit inside the car at the connection station under the left kick panel. It's reversible and avoids the problems often resulting from a spliced joint outside the car from salt and moisture corrosion.

[JayStang]

The later versions of the instrument cluster have an adaptation channel to enable or disable the brake pad warning light, using VAG-COM.
The other way to properly disable the warning light for cars without the adaptation channel, is to jumper the brake pad warning circuit inside the car at the connection station under the left kick panel. It's reversible and avoids the problems often resulting from a spliced joint outside the car from salt and moisture corrosion.

Hmm... i have an early 03 (manufactured in nov of 02) so i'm assuming i don't have the later version of the instrument cluster?

Do you know of a DIY for the jumper method?

[old guy]

Do you know of a DIY for the jumper method?

Here is a diagnosticator quote from an old AW post on how to jump out the sensor curcuit. Be sure to rep him!

Remove the lower left "A" pillar kick panel, and find the GREEN 17 PIN harness connector, The circuit to ground is at T17b/3. That is; T17b=GREEN 17 Pin harness connector. /3=PIN position number 3 (Three), and is a .22 mm^2 Brown/Green wire between the INSTCLUSTR and T17b, and a .35 mm^2 Brown/Green wire from T17b to the pad sensor connectors.
The Brown/Green wire, is either cut, with a stud ring crimp on terminal added to ground with a screw to the body, or, a insulation piercing wire tap is placed on that circuit, with a lead to a stud ring crimp on terminal similarly attached to a clean ground at the body under the kick panel. Try and use a factory provided body ground location, as that is the best ground point.
Grounding the pad sensor circuit as described above, eliminates problems caused by corrosion and dirt at the jumpers, effecting the warning lamp. And like the connector jumpers, is easily reversed to re activate the pad wear warning sensor function, if desired in the future.

[CaRtharsis]

The later versions of the instrument cluster have an adaptation channel to enable or disable the brake pad warning light, using VAG-COM.
The other way to properly disable the warning light for cars without the adaptation channel, is to jumper the brake pad warning circuit inside the car at the connection station under the left kick panel. It's reversible and avoids the problems often resulting from a spliced joint outside the car from salt and moisture corrosion.

I'm interested in this as well if you could provide more info. I have sporatic erronious indications that are becoming annoying. I know the pads are ok as they were inspected within the last month.

[secnd2no1]

When my light went off last time I was down to the bare metal! Be careful and check your pads, I had to have my rotors turned down because the metal on metal contact.

LOL i too went down straight to grindin on my rotors. But thats the excuse i wanted to have to get cross drilled rotors which i got....

[diagnosticator]

Your '04 instrument cluster has the adaptation channel to disable the brake pad warning light using VAG-COM.

[diagnosticator]

Not thread jacking: After I warm up the car, I get the grinding noise when about to take off but dies off when I stop. Could this be the breaks pads?

Maybe you are noticing the ABS initialization, it sounds like a grinding noise occurring at first drive off, with a little vibration in the pedals, but normally lasts only for ~1 second.

[CaRtharsis]

I think that may be what I have as well. First time moving forward after the car has been sitting for awhile (first thing in the morning or after work) I notice a grinding/vibration which feels like it is coming from the driveline somewhere. Lasts like you say about a second and disappears.

[JayStang]

Your '04 instrument cluster has the adaptation channel to disable the brake pad warning light using VAG-COM.

I have an 03, is that what you meant?

I'm guessing VAG-COM would be the easiest solution if that's an option. Are there any instructions on how to do this??

Thanks again!

[fR3ZNO]

My brake pad warning is intermittent. Since the warning light operates due to an open circuit, if the pads were indeed low the warning would come up every time I turned the car on. Is this true?

Pads and rotors at all four corners were done about 6 months ago, so I doubt they're low already...

[coffeysm]

I'd check the wire going down to the brake pad it might have a knick or something. When my light came on my pads were still pretty decent, but I changed them anyway and it was due to some bad contacts or the wiring itself.