Brake sensor -> How's it work? How to bypass it?

[bmwkiller]

I need new rear brake pads. The dealer wants $102. I almost fell off my chair. Autozone has a set with a lifetime warranty for 22 bucks. Easy choice.However, the Autozone pads don't have the hole for the sensor. For $80 (plus an hour and a half drive to the dealer), I can live without it. How exactly does that sensor work? It doesn't seem to contact anything. Is it just some type of proximity sensor? Can I fool it into not sending a signal to my dashboard display somehow? Maybe mount it such that it maintains whatever proper distance from a solid part of the car?

[Q45tech]

When the sensor cap wears away it opens the circuit ...........the loss of ground [front or rear in series] illuminates the message.

Careful about mixing pads as the Q relies on the rears much much more than the typical car..................how they get the 129 feet 60> zero.

You can easily add 10-20 feet in stopping distance with hard longer than 20k life pads...................assumming you are using oem soft tires if not your Q may already be requiring 150 feet to stop and you could go up to 160-170 feet.

Standards vary.................what stopping distances do you desire?

Obviously life time warranty pads are the last thing any person concerned with stopping distances would want/

Don't follow to close!

[goody90q45]

Sensors are only on the driver's side front and rear.

If you have the sensor in hand (notice that the brake pad warning is on without the sensor plugged in), cut the wires a few inches from the connector. Discard the sensor half and solder and tape the two wires together coming out of the connector.

Plug it back in and the warning light will be gone. Depending on how long you cut the leads you may have to tie wrap it to a suspension member. You don't need to buy new sensors to do this. Now you're on your own to check your brake pads and rotors regularly

[Jesda]

A how-to:http://www.q45.org/g50padsworn.html

Unfortunately, the pictures are gone because Surpass Hosting is run by a bunch of incompetent twats.

[bmwkiller]

When the sensor cap wears away it opens the circuit...

So assuming I wanted to keep the sensor intact, I'd now have to replace my 'tripped' sensor with a new one, correct?

[maxnix]

I need new rear brake pads. The dealer wants $102. I almost fell off my chair. Autozone has a set with a lifetime warranty for 22 bucks. Easy choice.

The better choice is to call the guys at

http://www.infinitipartsusa.com

and install the correct ones.

Even better is reading the previoius posts so one can understand why and how best to install them.

It is also a good idea to have the shim kit on hand.

[Rex]

It surprises me they "Autozone pads" don't have the sensor. I recall looking in a box of Albany (Very cheap brand) pads and it included the sensor for less than $20.

[superuber]

I need new rear brake pads. The dealer wants $102. I almost fell off my chair. Autozone has a set with a lifetime warranty for 22 bucks.

If you want Hyndai prices buy a Hyndai.

[Q_SHIP]

Cut the wires, tie them together and secure them. Done deal.

[qsiguy]

Sensors are only on the driver's side front and rear........

They are on the passenger side, front and rear. Not drivers side. At least on mine that's the way it is.

I've been using the Autozone pads since I bought the car about 5 years ago. They've been fine and I've replaced them once since then for free and can keep getting them free forever. Never had any trouble or issues with them. I press the brakes, the car stops, what else do you need?