Audi a4 brake pad warning light

[len1964]

Hi all,

Audi a4, 1999, tdi se

nother problem! got my MOT retest coming up this fri and I need to get the brake pad warning light off!! I've tried shorting the wires but to no effect - maybe wires broken further up the bigger wire (share with abs).

I'm just wondering about vag-com. Apparently its possible to turn off the warning light function (-01). Is this software free? does the free version support turning off warning lights?

How easy is it to use? my daughter's got a laptop, I suppose at a pinch I could even move the desktop to the car! What sort of cable do I need?

Anyone local (Ambergate, Derbyshire) with this who knows what they're doing (I'd be prepared to pay a small sum?)

Going back to the wires, maybe if I ease the grommet out of where it enters bulkhead, maybe short wires there. But which two are abs and which to brake pad sensor?

help pls!!

[996TT02]

Pad warning is because the wires are normally shorted- the contact in the pad touches the disc.

[clockworks]

Why not fix it properly? Replace the wear sensor?

[GreenV8S]

len1964 said:

I need to get the brake pad warning light off!!

Presumably that warning light is trying to warn you of a fault. Do you know what fault it's trying to warn you about? How have you proved it's a false alarm?

[len1964]

Pad warning comes on when circuit broken. The wires that go to my pads have long since crumbled and turned to dust. Yes I could replace ABS sensor and wire (the brake pad wires are part of same piece) but maybe I'd spend £40 quid and light would still be on. My pads are actually fine, I have recently inspected and replaced two calipers thankyou.

Have just ordered an odb2 to usb cable, hopefully this will work with my desktop. Any helpfull advise appereciated, I've never used this software before. I understand the free VCDS-lite will turn of my warning light. Can anyone confirm this?

[anonymous-user]

Not sure how wearing through a wire with a big conductive metal brake disc counts as breaking the circuit?

Apparently you can turn off the warning in the dash cluster by writing a different value to the one already programmed but do write down the number already there before trying to change it. No idea what is the corect code but it is probably in hex so you need to understand the code structure.

[GreenV8S]

len1964 said:

Pad warning comes on when circuit broken.

Are you sure? I don't know what your vehicle uses, but some systems use a separate sensor which needs to be replaced after it has been triggered. If yours has a similar design and the sensor wasn't replaced when the pads were, this might explain your symptoms. Have you confirmed the light you're seeing is definitely triggered by a pad wear sensor and not, for example, the low fluid level sensor?

[helix402]

I have used the full version of VCDS to code off the pad wear sensor on a Touran.

[Penelope Stopit]

The chances are that the circuits wiring is open circuit, the same problem can be caused by the electronic unit that senses the open circuit and switches the light on but this is doubtful to have failed

Gain access to behind the instrument cluster or remove the cluster and unplug it, now carry out a continuity test along the circuits cables until you find the break, repair the break.
There is a very good chance that the problem will be found at a plug, sometimes the cables have been damaged by the rotating hub when they have not been clipped up correctly, other times there is corrosion in a plug and you do need to pull on both cables where they enter the male and female plugs and sockets

If you don't wish to find the fault you can fool the cluster by shorting out it's pad wear sensor cable close up to its cluster plug

These below links should help you check it through and the cable colours may even match up with your cars cables at its cluster

http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/susp_whls_b...

http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/susp_whls_b...

Good luck

[len1964]

helix402 said:

I have used the full version of VCDS to code off the pad wear sensor on a Touran.

I've sent of for an odb2 cable off eBay, £10, and have downloaded vcds-lite. will this allow me to turn off warning pad sensor. I don't think I can face dismantling dashboard

[Penelope Stopit]

len1964 said:

helix402 said:

I have used the full version of VCDS to code off the pad wear sensor on a Touran.

I've sent of for an odb2 cable off eBay, £10, and have downloaded vcds-lite. will this allow me to turn off warning pad sensor. I don't think I can face dismantling dashboard

You don't need to dismantle the dashboard, only remove the insrument cluster, the cluster almost falls out of these cars, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcGJsGB40AQ

[Pope]

AFAIK once the pad light has come on, the dash needs to be reset to switch the pad light off - stops it coming on / going off randomly. Makes no difference if you replace the sensor the 'issue' is logged and is memorised. You could try disconnecting the battery?

[len1964]

hi everyone who tried to help me! big thanks. got my mot yesterday.
On a Ross tech forum someone said turning the light function off was not possible on my year/model!
what I did then was to pull the abs/brake wire out of where it enters the engine bay body and clipped off the red plug (the black ones abs) I then simply connected the two wires. problem solved.
where, since I have owned the car, it has always showed me a picture of the brake pads, it now tells me which radio station I'm listening to.
I am interested though in using the vcds-lite software, I'm not really sure what can I do with it though?

[Penelope Stopit]

len1964 said:

hi everyone who tried to help me! big thanks. got my mot yesterday.
On a Ross tech forum someone said turning the light function off was not possible on my year/model!
what I did then was to pull the abs/brake wire out of where it enters the engine bay body and clipped off the red plug (the black ones abs) I then simply connected the two wires. problem solved.
where, since I have owned the car, it has always showed me a picture of the brake pads, it now tells me which radio station I'm listening to.
I am interested though in using the vcds-lite software, I'm not really sure what can I do with it though?

Nicely done, you could always rewire it in the future