unknown dash light

[559EVO]

This is an orange light thats a shape of a circle with an outline on each side,kinda like this [o] but the circle is bigger.Any help on what this means?It has only come one a few times when I start it and it has flashed a few times while driving.

[ryhi]

brake pads?

[rcltrh]

Yup that's the brake pad wear indicator. Time for new pads and a new sensor for whichever one has worn through to do the indicating.

[Abuimad]

cool we have a break pad wear sensor..:D

[vbrock1137]

Sensors are on the front pads only though, right?

[rollinrealbig]

not sure is the rear ones have sensors ... never really payed attention, but yup we have sensors :D

check you rotors as well ...

[rcltrh]

Originally posted by vbrock1137
Sensors are on the front pads only though, right?
Hmm. Good question. I just changed brakes on all 4 wheels about 6 months ago in mine and I can't remember if there were any in the rear or not, but I think they were only on the front. I think the rear ones were simply knock out 2 pins and drop in new pads and I don't remember doing the sensor wire on them.

[mbevo2]

Looks like the brake pad indicator.

[Sulaco]

No sensors on the rear. Not on mine, at least!

[alboogiee]

rears with the face lift might have sensors...

my $.02

[559EVO]

Thanks guys,dam brake pad sensors huh?? thats high tech

[martattack]

Originally posted by 559EVO
Thanks guys,dam brake pad sensors huh?? thats high tech

Yep my brother's '89 BMW has them too :)

[alphanumeric]

mine have been coming on alot.. while changing rims I inspected my pads and rotors.. the front pads are half the size as the rears, which IMO is fine, I have done 5+ break jobs on my previous cars..

when I did the break job on my 190 I just ripped out the sensors.. I am thinking about doing it to my c230 as well.. because if mercedes wants me to change my pads with only half the pad gone , that is stupid..

[Abuimad]

how come i never got the light, i changed my callipers and disks once, and they were very very worn out....but never got a light ?

[rcltrh]

Alpha, The way the sensors work is that they are simply a vinyl coated wire that the rotor abrades off the vinyl and allows the wire to contact the rotor (which is ground since it is metal). Once that sensor does its job, then effectively it is "spent" and needs to be replaced with a new one that is completely vinyl coated again when the brakes are changed. If you reuse the old one, it is still electrically exposed cuz the vinyl is still worn away and if it touches metal (pad backing, metallic fibers in the pad, anything metal) it will falsely think the pad has worn down again and give the indicator.

Conversely, Abuimad, the pads must be worn enough to cause the vinyl on the sensor to wear away to the point where it touches metal. Even though badly worn, yours must not have been down to where the white sensor wire was abraded through.