Hybrid-JD

hey everyone, recently changed my brake pads but the infamous " brake wear " message has appeared. Any recommendations in what to do? Should i replace it with the OEM piece which cost like $140 plux tax.. or a aftermarket one for lke $ 71. OR i was also hearing that you can solder a certain piece and it will work again also? Any truth to this? OR would i be able just to unplug the sensor completely?

thanks

Jimmy

AlexusAnja

If you can get an aftermarket piece for 1/2 off then go for it. This is not a piece that is critical requiring an OEM to be better as it's only triggered with the outer material is worn away and the electric contacts are cut to trigger the light to come on.

Yes, I believe soldering does work because you're closing the ciruit again to turn the warning off. I'm not sure if just removing the sensor will put the light out.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

if you take the sensor out the warning won't go away. you need to close the circuit to kill the warning.

buggs384

I just replaced my brakes 3 months ago and had the same problem. I did not have a soldering iron so I too the whole sensor over to best buy, and spoke to one of the electronics installer guys, I gave the guy lunch money and he soldered the wires together, I have been warning light free since. Remember These guys solder wires for a living. Just a thought .

TurboTodd

If you just want to turn off the light, remove the sensor from the pad, cut the sensor pad off, and splice the two wires together. Light will go out, and you will have to check your pads for wear..

AlexusAnja

Pumping up because a newbie is looking for prices and reference. I see from this site that the rears cost more:
http://www.importpartswholesale.com/...padsensor.html

I would have thought Lexus would have gone with one sensor for front and back. Strange that the back costs more, maybe more wire length.

Seems like you can get front for $50 and back for $70. Much better than the OEM of over $140.

uimtiaz

are the brake wear sensors only on the passenger side, front and rear?

thanks

AlexusAnja

I don't remember which side, but yes, the sensors are just on one side, front and back. Theoretically the pads should wear out evenly, but I've seen pads wear unevenly on one side, so the sensor monitoring just one side is not perfect.

danxp

passenger side

Frank T

Passenger Side ONLY! FWIW I pulled my sensors out of the pads, and zip tied them to the wires at 40.000 miles. (I rotate tires every 6,000 miles and measure my pads) I JUST installed new pads, at 75,000 miles (the first new set, and I am the original owner) and could have easily gone another 10-12,000 miles on the originals. Lexus is ripping EVERYONE off on brake jobs!

AlexusAnja

Depends on your driving style and how much highway you do. You must do over 75% highway because the LS's pads are not going over 60K of local driving. I would say I'm about 80% local and I'm only getting perhaps 30K on the rears.

As for ripping off or not, brakes are probably the #1 ciritical component of a car, "no brakey no stopey" so I'd rather error on the side of safety than worry that I still have 5K of life left on the pads.

Just like you, I monitor the pad life every time I rotate my tires, so I'm onto the depth of each pad as it wears down. I don't need to worry about the sensor tripping.

bfollett8

I just replaced the brake pads on my 2005 LS 430. Changing the pads was easy, but I still have the Brake Wear light. I read the connector with a multimeter and showed a closed circuit. I was told by a Toyota service tech that there is a sensor in the brake fluid reservoir that may light when the level goes down due to brake wear. Is anyone familiar with this situation?

Jabberwock

There likely is an electronic sensor in the reservoir to warn on low brake fluid. The brake fluid in a car is in a closed system (it should not evaporate or be consumed in normal use in any significant amount) so the fluid level in your master cylinder reservoir going down typically indicates pads wearing and getting thinner. Note that the actual fluid amount in the brake system doesn't change but "reads" lower in the reservoir because the fluid is filling the empty space in the brake lines and caliper components made available by the wear of the material in the pads. Assuming there is no leak, break fluid level going down in the reservoir is an indicator of pad wear over time. btw I think the pad wear indicators that cost $140 are a huge consumer hostile ripoff considering what the actual are - a wire that wears thru and breaks a circuit. These should be items that cost 15-20 bucks max - oh well. I shudder to think what a rotor would cost if the silly wear indicator is $140.

buggs384

I did a work around with mine. once i pulled the sensor i took it over to best buy and talked to one of their more experienced installers and asked him to solder the wires togeather where they were ever so slightly broken.
Then i just slid the soldered wire back into the plastic housing. I does stick out a little but that part dosent come near the rotor. So i still have a functioning warning sensor and no more light on dash saying the brakes a re going.

I tipped the guy 10 bucks for lunch...no problems here after 15K since i did the pads.

Just another suggestion to save a few bucks.

svlexus

Napa has sensors for 11.00, or rock auto has them online for 7 bucks. And to the guys who say they monitor the pads- they may wear abnormally fast on one pad if the caliper goes bad.