Brake Wear light on after washing?

[LVDell]

Anybody have the brake wear light come on (and stay on) for a few drives after washing the car? I washed the wheels, calipers, rotors, everything to get them nice and clean and the brake wear light came on and stayed on for a few drives. But now? Mysteriously gone. I a stumped. I thought the brake wear light comes on and stays on till pads and sensors are replaced. Anybody?

By the way, how low should a brake pad be to be low? Is there an eyeball measurement, etc. that can judge this?

Thanks for the input!

[Jean-Marc]

Brake pad sensors are metallic wires insulated by plastic bits. There are holes in pads in which these sensors come, when the plastic is worn out (pad too thing), the light comes one. The other way to have that happen is by shorting any of the 2 conductors, for example at the connector line that goes to the pad. Maybe water helps... On average, it's time to change your pads when you have less than 1/6 of an inch left. 1/2 of an inch if you track the car (fluid more likely to boil as pads can't dissipate heat).

Hope this helps

JM

[LVDell]

So.....should I be worried that the Brake Wear light is no longer illuminated?

I am just stumped as to why the light stayed on for a few drives about an hour or so, then like magic.......it stopped staying illuminated. When i get in the car to start it and all lights go on and then go off after system checks, it now goes off with the rest just like before this little predicatment I have become involved in.

Thanks again for your input!

[Jean-Marc]

To answer your question, take a small flash light and look at the pads inside the calipers. if you see that the thickness is at or about the hole in the pad where the electric wire is, you need to change pads. If you want, you can remove a wheel and remove the pads to really measure them.

JM

[Loren]

According to Porsche the pads should not be allowed to get below 2mm thickness.

There is a pad change DIY in the DIY section here

[LVDell]

Great! Thanks for all your help everybody.

Edited October 26, 2003 by LVDell