Brake Pads Low
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Newport Beach, California
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#3
YES - just remove the wheels.
The rears can be inspected from underneath at the back with the vehicle jacked up but the fronts are still quite obscure even with the wheel off.
I have the wheels off my cars twice a year to check tyres, pads, discs and suspension. Not a lengthy job and a good way to catch potential trouble early.
Graham
The rears can be inspected from underneath at the back with the vehicle jacked up but the fronts are still quite obscure even with the wheel off.
I have the wheels off my cars twice a year to check tyres, pads, discs and suspension. Not a lengthy job and a good way to catch potential trouble early.
Graham
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#8
63000 miles, purchased the car in October of 2019. Had a crimped brake line, RH Front, in July and they replaced the line and did 2 flushes, no mention of low pads. Is there any way to tell if my brakes have been upgraded, or do I need to pull the pads to measure? No mention in records if they were upgraded.
Thanks,
B
Thanks,
B
#9
63000 miles, purchased the car in October of 2019. Had a crimped brake line, RH Front, in July and they replaced the line and did 2 flushes, no mention of low pads. Is there any way to tell if my brakes have been upgraded, or do I need to pull the pads to measure? No mention in records if they were upgraded.
Thanks,
B
Thanks,
B
In this thread, Graham (GGG) notes the OEM rear pads are a bit thinner than the fronts. Inspection of thickness remaining is pretty easy (and best done) with the wheel off and a good flashlight. As your front brakes had some recent service, I would check the rear first. Inspect your rotors while you are in there.
My other car is a 2015 Outback and other owners had noted the rear pads wear out before the fronts too. Maybe rear pads are thinner or something about vehicle stability/traction systems that emphasis rear brake usage... I don’t know.
I recently replaced my front pads with Centric posi quiet ceramic and rears with Akebono euro ceramic as Bocatrip did in the referenced thread. Plenty of pad left on the OEM originals at 30k miles. They stopped well, but very tired of brake dust on wheels and they were pretty noisy at low speeds. Happy so far in my mild driving with about 300 miles on the new ones. Progressive pedal, quiet and clean wheels!
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wsn03 (10-13-2020)
#11
I pulled all four tires off today and pads are perfect, all around. Does the Wear Sensor go bad? Is there any way to clear the message, without going to a dealer? I am up for a VA Safety Inspection, and I doubt that the warning would fail me as long as the pads are in the acceptable range.
Thanks,
B
Thanks,
B
#12
I pulled all four tires off today and pads are perfect, all around. Does the Wear Sensor go bad? Is there any way to clear the message, without going to a dealer? I am up for a VA Safety Inspection, and I doubt that the warning would fail me as long as the pads are in the acceptable range.
Thanks,
B
Thanks,
B
The workshop manual advises that the brake pad wear warning indicator sensors must be replaced each time the brake pads are serviced as they wear during operation.
The sensors are little plastic slugs with a thin wire running through them that creates a complete circuit that is monitored by the central junction box to detect if either of the two sensors (rear RH, front LH) wear through the wire through contact with the brake disc/rotor and break the circuit. That is used instead of the method of shorting to ground because it is easy to rule out false-positive triggers, and it is fail safe in that any error in the system will report a warning. If you had a warning before you changed the pads then one or both of the sensors are shot. If you are certain they are ok (a quick resistance test across the sensor wires will tell you that) then check the harness connectors are seated properly and are not caked up with brake dust.
The sensors are little plastic slugs with a thin wire running through them that creates a complete circuit that is monitored by the central junction box to detect if either of the two sensors (rear RH, front LH) wear through the wire through contact with the brake disc/rotor and break the circuit. That is used instead of the method of shorting to ground because it is easy to rule out false-positive triggers, and it is fail safe in that any error in the system will report a warning. If you had a warning before you changed the pads then one or both of the sensors are shot. If you are certain they are ok (a quick resistance test across the sensor wires will tell you that) then check the harness connectors are seated properly and are not caked up with brake dust.
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The floating part of the caliper (the easy bit) will most probably have to come off to attach the new sensor wires.
#15
Thanks everyone for their input. Took off right rear and found the sensor tucked behind the control arm. Installed new sensor and all is good. I did not have to take off the caliper and there is no clip holding the sensor in place, unless it came off at some point.
Here is the comparison...
Please mark as RESOLVED
Thanks,
Brian
Here is the comparison...
Please mark as RESOLVED
Thanks,
Brian
Last edited by bhumbert; 10-18-2020 at 01:10 PM. Reason: Spelling
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V7Sport (10-18-2020)
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