Hi Everyone,

Can anyone tell me if the 2015 Jaguar F-Type R has a brake pad sensor? I heard a sound similar to the high pitch sound that typically signaled the brake pads should be replaced, but I was informed that there is a light that should tell me if they need to be changed. Is that true?

Thanks,

 

Yes, although folks here have reported that they're quite easy to break, so it's possible that it was bypassed instead of installing a new (inexpensive) one.

 

Two pad wear sensors, one on the front left and one on the rear right, both on the inner pad.
As DJS says they are easy to bypass, simply by unclipping them from the brake pads and tying them up inside the wheel well, I have done that on my F-Type (the clips broke when I removed them during a pad change).
They can be problematic and give false positives or error messages and they are set to trigger way too early (4 mm+ of pad still left) resulting in an annoying "brake pads low" warning that can't be turned off without renewing the sensor or disabling it, so I have always disconnected and/or disabled them on my Jags, then gone "old school" and manually check my brake pad wear and condition every couple of months.
Of course you should now manually check all your brake pads just in case one or more are worn right down.

 

OzXFR,
How do you disconnect or disable the sensor? If you do disconnect or disable does it clear the "brake pad low" warning?

 

OzFRX, How do you disconnected and/or disabled the sensor? Also, if you disconnect or disable the sensor does this clear the "brake pad low" warning?

 

Three ways of doing this:
1. Completely disable the system - for this you need an operator with all the correct SDD gear and the requisite knowledge of how to use it, no dealership will do it. If you can get this done then you can completely remove the sensors/cables from the car.
2. If the offending sensor has not worn through enough to trigger the "brake pad low warning" (ie it is still fully intact and operational) simply unplug it from the brake pad and zip tie it up in the wheel arch.
3. If the sensor has worn through (and triggered the "low pad warning"), as seems to be your case, leave the sensor in place plugged in to it's electrical connector high up in the wheel arch, but remove it from the pad end, then cut and splice the two wires together and tuck them away / zip tie them up in the wheel arch. This fools the system into thinking you still have an untriggered sensor fitted.

 

So what's the cost to replace the brake pads when the sensor comes on?
How much are you going to save by delaying replacement?

I'm not sure if it's worth it to save a few $$$ trying by disconnecting, cutting wires, disable, etc...this life safety item.

 

The JLR pad wear sensor system is old tech and very problematic, it sometimes give a "false positive" (ie triggers when the pads are nowhere near due for replacement) and even worse sometimes it fails to trigger at all and next thing you know one or more pads are worn right through to the backing plate.
Even when the system works as designed, 4 mm+ of pad left is taking caution to the extreme and IMHO is designed primarily to get owners to take the car into the dealership and pay through the nose for an unnecessary pad change. And then most times the dealer will recommend the rotors/discs be renewed at the same time when very often they don't need to be renewed at all!
From memory most new pads including OEM are between 8 mm and 12 mm thick, so 4 mm thick is barely half worn and perfectly OK for many miles yet.
In my opinion it's yet another system aimed at owners who for whatever reason cannot or will not spend an hour or two to manually check something about their car (and brakes is a fairly important thing!) which is fair enough for some but not for others, including me.
I have disabled and/or disconnected the system on all three of my Jags and never had a single problem with the brakes or brake pads.

 

Wouldn't the annual maintenance for 5 yrs at the dealer include inspection of the the brakes' thickness level?

Then take it to an Indy shop for basic brake service..

 

I had to replace one. Was $61 including tax direct from local dealer.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but what is the cost to have front and rear pads replaced. What is the average mileage one can expect to get out of fresh pads, driving moderately.