» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | | | | | 08-23-2008, 06:24 PM | #1 | Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: PHX Posts: 17 | dash light-what does this mean? I've had a dash light come on thats between the ABS & brake fluid light. It's a circle with three dots on both sides of it. What does this mean? | | | 08-23-2008, 06:38 PM | #2 | NOBODY F's with the Jesus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 7,824 | I'd part it out ASAP. J/K, it's your brake pad wear sensor light. It means that your brake pads are probably worn. There's two of these sensors. One is located on the driver's front caliper and the other is located on the passenger's rear caliper. They cost about 10-20 bucks apiece and need to be replaced if the light is triggered due to pads being worn. However, they can be bypassed by snipping the sensor off of the end of the wire and twisting the two wires together with a wire nut or electrical tape, just make sure that you zip-tie the wire out of the way so it's not dangling around in the wheel well. __________________ 4 MORE YEARS BABY!!! | | | 09-17-2008, 12:31 AM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 1,106 | i had that light turn on right after i got my car, and after 2 months, it turned itself off, and i dont think my pads were warn.. ... btw, my car flashes random CE codes.. so.. yeah..haha.. | | | 09-28-2008, 02:21 AM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: atlanta Posts: 145 | Assuming the pads aren't worn, sometimes the brade pad indicators can wear out or the wiring can become frayed/contaminated with road salt, sand, dirt, etc... All depending on how old they are and if they were routed properly upon re-installation. They're so cheap most of us change them out with new indicators when we change our brakes. But most non-BMW specific shops just re-use them as well as if a DIY'er is on a tight budget. Nothing wrong with re-using them, but they'll wear out eventually and the signal will falter which can also throw the fault code. But it's always good to check the pads closely (both sides of each caliper) before assuming you just have a faulty sensor. Our cars are getting up there in age and the calipers can start sticking which can burn through a set of pads pretty quickly. | | | 10-04-2008, 01:09 AM | #5 | Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 21 | Are you talking about this light? I had mine just come on 10 mins ago and I was like what the hell is this. lol | | | 10-04-2008, 03:41 AM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 1,106 | yeah | | | 10-04-2008, 01:18 PM | #7 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Land of the Vikings Posts: 2,700 | get 2 new sensors, cost about 10$ a peice. front left hand side rear right hand side __________________ Vin Number decode and Retrofit Pdfs Available Free ! Just PM | | | 10-04-2008, 10:16 PM | #8 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: asdfasdf Posts: 10,002 | Quote: Originally Posted by Mallard get 2 new sensors, cost about 10$ a peice. front left hand side rear right hand side | or cut the wires, splice them together with a butt connector or solder, heat shrink it, and tuck it someplace out of the way, that's what I did on my rear brakes, going to do the same to my fronts when I change them | | | 10-05-2008, 11:17 AM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Land of the Vikings Posts: 2,700 | pauly no ! they´re there for a reason man! __________________ Vin Number decode and Retrofit Pdfs Available Free ! Just PM | | | 10-05-2008, 01:57 PM | #10 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: NoVA Posts: 7 | Quote: Originally Posted by tiFreak or cut the wires, splice them together with a butt connector or solder, heat shrink it, and tuck it someplace out of the way, that's what I did on my rear brakes, going to do the same to my fronts when I change them | Yeah - the PO of my car did that and I am continually having to correct his half-arsed screwups and lazy-boy "repairs". I could kick his butt. Really, fix it RIGHT - just check your brakes and if they are ok, replace the sensors - don't just goober it up like that! | | | 10-05-2008, 02:47 PM | #11 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: asdfasdf Posts: 10,002 | Quote: Originally Posted by Mallard pauly no ! they´re there for a reason man! | sure, tell me that now well, my brake pad light isn't on and I like to think I'm smart enough to know when my brakes are shot, I don't think I could have done to much harm | | | 10-05-2008, 06:24 PM | #12 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Land of the Vikings Posts: 2,700 | yeah, i mean, how bad could it get .. __________________ Vin Number decode and Retrofit Pdfs Available Free ! Just PM | | | 10-07-2008, 05:22 PM | #13 | Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: N.W. VT Posts: 33 | Yeah, who cares if the back brakes are shot when your comming down Vt 108 from Stowe to Smuggs. Theres plenty of woods to bring the car to a stop. | | | 10-07-2008, 10:22 PM | #14 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: state college, pa Posts: 3,431 | "A shortcut is more often the long way around." Especially with electrics, even if you're handy with a DMM. __________________ I scream, you scream, we all scream for ZOMBIES. | | | 10-08-2008, 12:44 AM | #15 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: asdfasdf Posts: 10,002 | jeez, I got the idea from notcooljess, why didn't anyone say anything when he posted that? | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |