The “brake” light on your dashboard or iDrive system is controlled by your BMW brake pad sensor, which also informs you of the remaining life of your brake pads. The sensor is mounted to the brake pad; as soon as the brake pads are completely worn down, the sensor’s tip breaks, tripping the wire and turning on the dashboard light. The brake pad sensor error codes are as follows when using an OBD scanner:
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5, 5, 6, 5, 14, 5, 15, and 6F12
Every time you change your brake pads, you should also replace the brake pad sensor. The sensor does not need to be changed every time, but failing to do so could lead to erroneous readings of the amount of life left in your pads and a persistent notification on your dash/iDrive system. The only way to get rid of the light once it appears on the dash is to either swap out the sensor or bypass it, which will stop it from reading the pad life.
PAX5
It’s frightening. With only two years old and 26k miles on the odometer, I never considered checking the brake wear so soon.
Is taking the wheel off and completely disassembling it like I would to replace brake pads and rotors the quickest and easiest way to check brake wear? How can I gauge the thickness of a rotor? Brakes are crucial, so I’ll start performing my own inspections. I require a map.
Pads and rotors are ALWAYS substituted for brake sensors. It is a two-stage sensor that needs to be calibrated or initiated when new. Once the sensor begins to rub against the rotor, this is accomplished by a copper contact in the sensor.
Remove the wheels to check the brake pads’ and the rotors’ thickness using a digital caliper. The ONLY way to obtain actual readings that are correct… alternatively, after gaining some expertise, you may “eye-ball” them…
This weekend, I’ll install the Power Stop brake pads I just got. Do I have to replace the brake wear sensors, or can I keep the current ones?
Oh, that’s not quite the response I was going for, so let me try again. Do I need to purchase new wear sensors with each pad change if I want to keep using the current ones?
If the replacement pads have a slot created for the sensors, you can reuse the brake wear sensors on them. If not, you’ll need to tie them to keep them out of the way. The brake pad wear sensors only need to be replaced if your brake pads have been worn down to the point where the plastic “nub” on the sensor has worn through and broken the metal strip within, indicating that your brake pads need to be replaced by opening the electrical connection. If you strain the cable while prying them out of the pads with a screwdriver or a pair of needle-nose pliers, you risk creating a short inside the cable, which will indicate that your brake pads need to be replaced.
Both the Hawk HP Plus and the High Performance Street brake pads have been utilized on my wife’s 335is Coupe. We use a Velcro strip to keep the wear sensors in place as neither has a hole for them. Strangely, new sensors were included with the Hawk pads, but you can still use the old ones if they are still functional.
The Pagid RS29s on the M4 feature a slot for the wear sensor, so it is not required to tie them out of the way. New wear sensors were not included with the Pagids.
Can the brake pad wear sensor be bypassed?
By removing the brake wear sensor, adding a clip, or cutting the sensor cable to expose the wires and link them, many BMW owners opt to bypass (remove) the brake wear sensor.
This emulates a “good” sensor and is referred to as short-circuiting the wire, however it is not advised.
You won’t know when to replace your brakes if you don’t use the brake pad wear sensor. Up until they touch the metal component, your brake pads will wear entirely, resulting in metal-on-metal contact.
In addition to having less stopping power, you will also experience a grinding sound, damage to your rotors, and need to replace them.
Do the braking sensors need to be replaced?
Since brake pad wear sensors are made to malfunction, they should always be replaced whenever new brake pads are installed. In between changing pads, it’s also a good idea to frequently inspect the sensors and replace them as needed. Heat from the brakes can harm the wire and clips over time.
BMW brake wear sensors: are they recyclable?
Electronic brake pad wear sensors are now installed in a wide range of contemporary vehicles, especially European vehicles. They inform you when it’s time to replace your brake pads with a brand-new set. But how do they function? And how frequently do they require replacement?
The conventional metal squealer tabs that are more frequently used in braking systems are replaced by electronic brake pad wear sensors. When the pads have reached the end of their useful life, these tabs continue to function by rubbing against the rotor. It alerts the driver that the brakes need maintenance by emitting a loud screech.
In addition to the scream, this has the drawback that most drivers tend to ignore the warning since they believe the sound will ultimately stop. Electronic brake wear sensors take care of this noise and provide a more precise indication of the remaining life of the brake pads.
Once the brake pad has worn sufficiently for the sensor to make contact with the brake rotor, the wear sensors are intended to break or complete a circuit. The dash will typically illuminate with a warning light when the brake pads need to be changed.
Basic brake wear systems typically implant a sensor inside the inner brake pad at each corner of the car. However, from vehicle to vehicle, the number of wheels with sensors and their positioning on the brake pad can differ. These systems merely have a wire loop that is conducting a little amount of current.
Brake wear sensors in the modern day have a few new tricks up their sleeves. Not only do they alert the driver when brake maintenance is necessary, but they can also predict how long your existing brake pads will last. These ruse sensors, sometimes termed as twostage sensors, operate with two parallel resistor circuits at two depths. The resistance in the sensor rises as the initial resistive circuit fails. In order to determine how much life is still left in your brake pads, this is utilized to collect data such as wheel speed, brake pressure, brake disc temperature, brake operation time, and mileage. This is typically shown in the information center of your automobile or as a warning light that changes color as the pad ages. The circuit becomes open when the second circuit is disrupted. This sets off the brake service indicator light, alerting you that it’s time.
Braking pad wear sensors are not reusable because they are made to break or complete a circuit by making contact with the brake rotor. With each change of brake pads, wear sensors for the brakes should be updated. To fit a variety of automobiles, Bendix offers brake pad wear sensors. For the majority of common makes, our Bendix Euro+ Brake Pads also include all required clips, shims, and sensors, so you’ll be ready for your upcoming brake pad replacement. At your next service, request Bendix brakes from your mechanic.
The majority of popular makes and models are guaranteed to fit with Bendix’s brake wear sensors. Visit to determine if your local Bendix stockist has brake sensors that will work with your vehicle.
How many braking sensors are there in a BMW?
One sensor is for the front and the other is for the back. Is your dash lit up by your brake light? If not, your existing sensors can be reused; however, if you do, you must replace either one or both. There are two: one for the rear passenger and one for the front driver side.
How much does a BMW brake sensor replacement cost?
Replacement brake pressure sensors for a BMW 328i typically cost between $254 and $265. Between $44 to $56 is the projected cost of labor, while the cost of parts is $210. Taxes and levies are not included in this range, nor are your particular model year or special location taken into account.
How do BMW brake sensors function?
It functions by detecting resistance.
Due to its dual stage design, the sensor contains two wires that, when worn through, alter the resistance readings. It now has a two stage wear indication warning.
No, it won’t be harmed. It will be duped into believing it has all of its defenses. However, you will need to perform a reset operation if it is already displaying a brake warning. Try searching. I haven’t done it in a long, so I can’t recall the exact instructions.
No, I’ve got old sensors whose wires I cut off and bridge together. Since they don’t have slots for the sensors and would probably melt at the track, I use them when I have my track pads in.
Technically, since you’re shorting it, there won’t be any resistance. I’d advise starting early.
As I recall, it is at around 2000 ohms. You don’t need to add a resistor, despite what you might be thinking. To complete the circuit, simply connect the two wires together. I personally prefer to invest in new sensors, although I have occasionally cheated to get myself out of a problem. You might be overanalyzing things.
It was said to be less than 1 ohm yet larger than zero in some information I came across. I wouldn’t get close to the full mileage if I reset after going through the wires. Maybe this is brought on by having a lower resistance than new? If no one else has ordered these before, I’ll get some additional ones to check at some point.
It was probably a few years and a few beers ago, but I think I cut one open and it was just a thin copper strand that, once broken through wear, began a countdown with the automobile. It is enclosed in plastic because any resistance would generate heat and load. Anything below an ohm is a closed loop, and your probes’ minimal resistance is all that your meter is picking up from them.
How can a BMW brake sensor be reset?
My car’s brakes were recently changed by my uncle, but the warning light is still on. Does a BMW X3 have a mechanism to reset the brake light?
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Every time the brakes and brake wear sensors are replaced on a BMW X3, the brake light warning must be reset. Fortunately, the brake light reset is simple and should only take a few minutes.
Resetting the brake light on a BMW X3 is made simple by:
- Do not start the engine after turning the ignition to the on position.
- Wait 30 seconds before opening the driver’s side door.
- Wait another 30 seconds after switching the ignition to the off position.
- start the vehicle
If the aforementioned fails, you should:
- Don’t start the engine after turning the ignition on.
- Up until the service menu appears, keep holding down the trip reset or odometer button. The service menu should show after holding the button pressed on the left side of the speedometer for approximately ten seconds.
- To find the brake warnings, use the reset button or, depending on the model, the controls on the turn signal lever to navigate through the settings.
- When prompted to reset the warning, press and hold the reset or BC button on the end of the turn signal lever.
- When prompted, press the reset or BC button once the screen indicates that it is resetting.
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