Brake Lining Indicator - sensor issue - United Bimmer Community

**cetsch** · 07-04-2008, 01:53 PM

I have a 1987 325is. I noted when I got the car a short while ago that the brake lining and ABS indicator lights did not light when initially starting the car. ABS worked and the brakes were in good shape, so I figured bad bulbs & could wait a bit.
I today I noticed a bit of a squeal in the right rear and I remembered that the Lining lamp was out, so time to replace. Pulled the cluster & the lamp for the ABS bulb was just hanging out of its socket but it worked so that was a quick fix.
Next I saw that there was no brake lining lamp at all in the socket, so I replaced it and sure enough it came on. O.K. Now to check the right rear first. As expected, I found that the lining was thin, but of more interest, the sensor was completely missing! Searching around I found the sensor harness wire. It had it's end cut off, the wires twisted together and soldered then wrapped with electrical tape and looped back into a wire tie out of the way.
I then checked the left front sensor with a multimeter and it was OK.
With the rear wire shorted and the front good, shouldn't the light be out?
Does a fault code need to be reset?
Any suggestions on repairing the harness?
Thanks!
-Chris

XRACER · 07-05-2008, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cetsch

I have a 1987 325is. I noted when I got the car a short while ago that the brake lining and ABS indicator lights did not light when initially starting the car. ABS worked and the brakes were in good shape, so I figured bad bulbs & could wait a bit.
I today I noticed a bit of a squeal in the right rear and I remembered that the Lining lamp was out, so time to replace. Pulled the cluster & the lamp for the ABS bulb was just hanging out of its socket but it worked so that was a quick fix.
Next I saw that there was no brake lining lamp at all in the socket, so I replaced it and sure enough it came on. O.K. Now to check the right rear first. As expected, I found that the lining was thin, but of more interest, the sensor was completely missing! Searching around I found the sensor harness wire. It had it's end cut off, the wires twisted together and soldered then wrapped with electrical tape and looped back into a wire tie out of the way.
I then checked the left front sensor with a multimeter and it was OK.
With the rear wire shorted and the front good, shouldn't the light be out?
Does a fault code need to be reset?
Any suggestions on repairing the harness?
Thanks!
-Chris

Hi! Chris,
I know when I bought my e36 last year, I wanted to replace the stock pads with ceramic........with the intension to reuse the front & rear wear sensors! So to my surprise the rear wear sensor was taped off & the front one was attached to the pad! Now keep in mind I never had any brake wear warning light on! So I went dismantle the front pads from the brake wear sensor & it cracked off, so know I don't have both brake wear sensors attached & to boot, I now have a brake wear warning light on! So, until I got them, I just touched the ends of the sensors to ground for a few seconds & then I taped them off & secured them with tie wraps.......& bingo no light.....
X,
p.s. just a temporary fix.....