Vito 639 pad sensor warning light

[Oph]

Hi all,

Ive a had a vito w639 56 plate since the end of October this year. It had its MOT and it failed on the brake pad sensor light being on which is now an MOT no-no. I had an advisory on the rear discs so today I replaced both rear discs, pads and sensors.

Very proud of myself!!

Anyway, the bloody light is still illuminated on the dash.

The former owner ( 1 from new) told me he'd had new pads, discs and anti roll bars on the front back in July.

I need to get this feker through its MOT.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Justin

 

[Marku]

Easy answer is are you sure that the sensor is in right? Of course if you can't resolve it you could always disconnect it for solving at a later date.

 

[Oph]

Hi Marku, if I disconnected it at the pad side would that not show as a fault anyway? ie, make no difference?

 

[AndrewOl]

Sometimes the harness gets damaged and goes open circuit which the system reads a low pad thickness. The cable is pretty exposed around the hub area.

 

[m80]

There are 2 pad sensors, 1 rear and 1 front, either could cause the indication.
Both should be a closed circuit.

1st I would try is to strip the wires from the old sensor and short them. Try plugging into each socket at the hubs in turn. But remembering that both circuits need to be closed.

But a fault could be in either loom also.

 

[Oph]

All, I appreciate your replies; decent individuals. !

There's something I forgot to add and I'm not sure if this is directly linked but there's an amber warning light on the bottom left of the IC that comes on when the brake pedal is pushed. It goes off when the brake pedals not being worked.
Any link or is this just a coincidence?

 

[m80]

Is yours the pre facelift?
I'm not sure which light this other one is, but how is your brake fluid level?

Have you now eliminated the sensors as the cause?

 

[m80]

An afterthought, I have concern here. As you have replaced your pads, and assuming the new ones have more material you will have pushed the pads back some and refilled your fluid reservior some from below.

If you now have a low fluid level warning I question why.

 

[Oph]

Well theres nothing on the driveway indicating a leak. The light I mentioned I thought was a light to indicate that theres a bulb out possibly.There isnt because I had the MOT done a few weeks ago. The pad warning light caused me a failure so i changed the rear discs and pads ( with sensors) thinking this would clear the pad wear sensor light thats always on. It hasnt. It then lead me to think that maybe the other warning light ( when the brake pedals pressed) maybe somehow interconnected

Mines a 56 Plate by the way

 

[tonysmb]

As you had an advisory on the rear discs, presumably they were actually worn. When you took the pads out, were they worn thin enough to start wearing the sensor? Did the mot tester state that the pads were low, or was it an assumption that because the light was illuminated, the pads must be low?

Did the pad light suddenly come on and then stay permanently on, or did it come on/off for a while before staying permanently on? Presumably you replaced the sensor with a new one?

If you disconnect the pad sensors, what happens to the light?

Whst is the second amber for, you say 'a light out possibly'. Presumably it's shown in the handbook as 'defective light' warning. Then you say it can't be as you had an mot a few weeks ago. Have you actually checked that all the lights are still working correctly, particularly the brake lights? One might have failed since the mot?

Normally, low brake fluid warning would be a red light, not amber.

 

[Oph]

Hi, lights been on in the 7 weeks I had the van. Mot advised rear discs worn and pitted so I swapped the entire set up. Disc, pads and sensors. The light bulb lights done said is due since I got the van

 

[Oph]

Hi all,

quick update re the above. I had received some conflicting info elsewhere regarding the pad sensors. Some were saying there's one per wheel and others just one on the front and one on the rear.

New fault before xmas. I had to ditch the van one side of Eastbourne and walk back home as it wouldn't crank. Put a new uprated battery yesterday from Europarts. Bigger battery goes in and I went and repaired a boiler and x2 WC's. I then popped to Sainsburys where I then had the SAME issue when I went to go home. Battery was fine as I had 14V standing but it wouldnt try to crank. The theory was that the battery being ok meant that the Alternator was ok as well....in theory.

I went back a few hours later and it bloody started!!! So I got the van home and on the drive.

So this morning, I made a home made ramp out of joist that I had in the garage. I located the starter motor and whilst shatting a brick under the van, I removed it and swapped it out for a new one. It went like a rocket!!

Thats one problem solved!

I think I posted about the bulb warning light coming on when the brake pedal was pressed. Thats now gone. Sorted!

As for the pad wear sensor. I discovered that the offside fronts had broken off with the body on the pad but the wiring loom missing. Put new sensor in , wheel back on and the warning lights out!!

Whoop whooop!!!

SORTED!!!!

Im buzzing because whilst im a gas heating engineer by trade Im actually a Construction Mechanical Manager so im over the moon that this is sorted.