Disable brake pad wear warning indicator?

[sdy101]

I just had my car inspected (which is mandatory annually here in PA), and my front brake pads were both at 5/32". My mechanic said I should be good for at least another 6 months or so, so I was going to have them rechecked in the Spring. Well my brake pad wear indicator came on the day after the inspection, and I want to temporarily disable it. I have searched and found the only sure-fire way is to cross the sensor wires, but that seems like you'd have to snip the connector off. I tried some VCDS coding (Instruments-17, Coding, Long Coding Helper, Byte 10, Bit 0), but to no avail. I tried clearing all codes as well.

I was just curious if anyone has been in the same boat and found an easy way to temporarily disable this. It is annoying to hear and see the warning every time I drive, especially since the warning is where my song titles or Nav info is typically shown on the DIS. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Slick_B8]

Well i didnt know that you have to snip the wires but what i did was when i did my brakes was i got the sensor and i have both wires touching each other on the wire itself. Tha seemed to remove the light off the dash. Illl try to get you some pics today.

[amz]

I think the brake wear sensor is pretty simple. It's a closed circuit normally, and as your brakes wear eventually the rotor will cut through the wire, opening the circuit, illuminating the check brakes light. Crossing the wires will close the circuit again, so your car will think your brakes are fine. To cross the wires, you should be able to build a quick $10 widget using parts from Radio Shack, I don't think you'll need to clip the connector.

[Fburg A4]

you go from 5/32 to warning light in one day? thats a heck of a coincidence

[sdy101]

I'm thinking the warning light comes on around 5/32, I don't know for sure, but I trust my mechanic (he has serviced a half dozen of cars I've owned over the last ten years). It sounds like a jumper for the wires may be the easiest solution (I had hoped a VCDS solution would have been available), and I will look into this. I am also looking fwd to the picts from Ulisses03hd....

[JasonR]

While doing a brake job on my car, I had trouble fitting the new sensor into the aftermarket pad, and I broke two of them. I finally gave up and just used one to build a shorting plug. Since your sensor is already garbage, I would use the sensor as a shorting plug. Just disconnect it from the car, cut the wire, solder the two wires together (or twist) and cover the connection in some epoxy for longevity. Done right, it looks factory except for the lack of a wire going to the pad.

YMMV, but I'm swapping wheels at least seasonally anyway, and I trust my visual inspection over a sensor wire any day.

[gunsmoker]

You are saying you want to temporarily disable it. Then why don't you buy a new sensor ($12 from ECS tuning if I remember well) and hook it up, but not stick it into the pad? If you are going to take off the wheel anyway, you might want to change the pads - just two small bolts. And then there is the other wheel/brake. If the rotors need to be changed, it's a bit more work, but still easily doable.

[sdy101]

Never having done a brake job before, I actually didn't realize the sensor was physically located in the pad (as obvious as it seems now). I really appreciate the help and comments guys and will take your advice and either short the existing sensor or buy and hook up a new one and just not connect it to the pad.

[Slick_B8]

You are saying you want to temporarily disable it. Then why don't you buy a new sensor ($12 from ECS tuning if I remember well) and hook it up, but not stick it into the pad? If you are going to take off the wheel anyway, you might want to change the pads - just two small bolts. And then there is the other wheel/brake. If the rotors need to be changed, it's a bit more work, but still easily doable.

Last i checked, ecs wanted 52 for it tho o_o

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Last i checked, ecs wanted 52 for it tho o_o

Front brake pad wear sensors $11.59 available below.

Click HERE to order or for more information


Jason

[Slick_B8]

Front brake pad wear sensors $11.59 available below.

Click HERE to order or for more information


Jason

Thank you for the clarification. Mustve seen something else then.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Thank you for the clarification. Mustve seen something else then.

The Genuine Audi sensor is about 52 bucks haha. That's probably the one you saw.

Jason

[bluetori]

This just happened to me on my wife's Q7 and now I'm trying to decide what to do considering the Q7 has a sensor in all four corners.