Wear indicators

[SKINNYSEAND]

Took my brakes apart and realized that the pads did not have wear sensors attached. Upon further inspection I realized that the connectors for wear sensors were there just ready to be plugged in. I bought a set of brake pads with wear indicators built in and installed them. Just wondering if they will work not and if they do why didn't the sign come up in the dash when they were not connected to the other pads? I would love an insight into this matter.

[snapdragon]

The light comes on when the wear sensor is destroyed by rubbing on the disk, or if the wear sensor is not plugged. It works by breaking continuity across the two wires.

[SKINNYSEAND]

Mine seemed to have been disabled somehow as the old brake pads did not have wear sensors and the connector on the car was just hanging freely unconnected but yet still the light never came on. Does anyone know how to enable them? I have a registered copy of VAG-COM

[passat 130 tdi]

check the wires from the plug , they may be joined together to turn off the dash light .

[vwcabriolet1971]

Someone has fitted the wrong pads in the past. The warning light will not be illuminated as the circuit is open . The warning light only comes on when the circuit is closed i.e. when there is a circuit path thro' the soft metal contacts in the correct brake pads to the discs i.e. when the pads are worn down to the pad contacts.

[snapdragon]

Someone has fitted the wrong pads in the past. The warning light will not be illuminated as the circuit is open . The warning light only comes on when the circuit is closed i.e. when there is a circuit path thro' the soft metal contacts in the correct brake pads to the discs i.e. when the pads are worn down to the pad contacts.

This is the opposite of how they work :D

[passat 130 tdi]

:biglaugh:

[vwcabriolet1971]

Thanks - I have learnt something today !
I understand that there is a new patent for a capacitor type brake pad wear sensor that that changes capacitance the nearer it wears to the disc and thus it can indicate the amount of pad wear fairly accurately - percentage wear indication on the dash !