Brake lining light after h&r install

[jtb_29]

Last night I finished installing my h&r race springs and bilstein sports in my 1991 318is. When I took it for a test drive, I noticed the brake lining light was on. The brakes are fine so is it possible I damaged the brake sensor? Any input would be appreciated.

[jlevie]

You may have just knocked the connector loose.

[NC325iC]

i would say just dont worry about it, if it bothers you you can find the connecter and jump the two wires together , i think that should turn it off

[kowalski]

both of you are correct.

[Van Westervelt]

How do you know your brakes are fine? I had a wire break on one. Another time, my sensor went off right after I did some work and it was indeed time for new pads. Its not hard to check it all out. sensor wires unplugged is the ideal problem.

[E30 Cabrio]

Wouldn't the light come on only when braking if it were the sensors?

Also, if you have a bad solder joint in your SI Board.

Give the dash a good whack in the area above the Temp Gauge and see if it goes out. If it does, then it is a bad solder joint in the SI Board.

Careful! Old dashboards crack easily, so don't hit it too hard.

[DJB]

Wouldn't the light come on only when braking if it were the sensors?

The light is triggered either by the wire grounding (usually
against the brake rotor as the sensor is partially worn away) or the
wire breaking (usually as the sensor is further worn away).


The sensors are simply a wire embedded in an insulating material. The
brake wear circuit is similar to alarm system wiring: the indicator
light illuminates when the sensor wire is either grounded or is broken.
When a sensor face first starts to wear against the rotor, the wire is
initially exposed and grounds against the rotor only when braking.
Later the wire is worn through, breaking the circuit. Thus the lamp is
initially illuminated only when braking, and later stays illuminated.

[Mike@PureMS]

Safest thing would be to quickly inspect them. It could be that you accidentally pulled the wire loose, or it could just be coincidence and the pads really are low.

[Van Westervelt]

They dont always function 100% either. I had one that was installed buy some dumb ass midas mother fucker before i bought the car, sideways of all things. Light came on permanently even though I could see I had plenty of pad left.

Weirder shit has happened. Just dont be a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles, get out, and pull the wheel off, throw it on some stand and find the damn problem. Its there, and you have several likely culprits to now inspect. Let us know what you find so we can all bitch some more.