UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Right. The story goes like this. I have a 1.4 16v sport on an 03 plate.

Went to chage the front discs and pads today. Did the O/S no worries. When it came to the N/S there was a wire coming out of one of the pads. I couldnt get the connector out of the pad as it was bonded in so i just cut the wires and hoped the light wouldnt come on on the dash.

The light did come on the dash and now stays . Not impressed.

My question to you is. Do i have to go out and but a new set of pads with the wear indidcator bonded in there OR can this light be disabled using VAGcom or such like? As tbh its not really nesseccery imo

Hamish wrote:Right. The story goes like this. I have a 1.4 16v sport on an 03 plate.

Went to chage the front discs and pads today. Did the O/S no worries. When it came to the N/S there was a wire coming out of one of the pads. I couldnt get the connector out of the pad as it was bonded in so i just cut the wires and hoped the light wouldnt come on on the dash.

The light did come on the dash and now stays . Not impressed.

My question to you is. Do i have to go out and but a new set of pads with the wear indidcator bonded in there OR can this light be disabled using VAGcom or such like? As tbh its not really nesseccery imo

The new pads you bought should have had the wear indicator cable imbedded in them. All you needed to do was unplug the cable and plug the new one in (from the socket near the hub, not the pad itself) The reason it is imbedded is so that it gets worn through as the pad wears below a safe level and hence the light comes on.

Dont think you'll be able to turn the light off any other way other than fitting pads with the wear indicators

As you said though, not necessary if you dont mind ignoring the light.

Well the pads that i bought were from GSF and they werent OEM parts so the indicator wasnt imbedded into the pad. Its the first time that ive worked on this car so i didnt know any differently.

Also someone before me has ripped the multiplug off so i will have to crimp the wires to the new pads with the wear indidcator if or when i get them.

Hamish wrote:Well the pads that i bought were from GSF and they werent OEM parts so the indicator wasnt imbedded into the pad. Its the first time that ive worked on this car so i didnt know any differently.

Also someone before me has ripped the multiplug off so i will have to crimp the wires to the new pads with the wear indidcator if or when i get them.

I bought my pads from GSF and they had the indicators. I bought the Pagid ones for £26.50 +vat, which ones did you get?

Dunno, got some Jurid ones. GSF part number 64330A. Part No. : 1Jo-615-301D

just crimp the two cables together and this will turn the light on the dash off mate so you can use your pads that you have on now

In my experience you have got to be very "on the ball" when dealing with GSF or Eurocarparts as they will just sell you the first that seems to fit the bill. It took my three visits to get the correct discs for my 2000MY Passat, by that time I had armed myself with all the possible facts - ie dimensions so that my time would not continue to be wasted. I too have damaged a wear sensor car-side connector and tried to see if VAG sell just the connector - but they don't - so a new short length of lead with connectors is now needed. BTW, your rear pads will have a wear indicator embedded as well. Try to buy Pagid pads next time as they were normal fitment.

Nice one guys. Thanks for all your help

RUM4MO wrote: BTW, your rear pads will have a wear indicator embedded as well.

I thought this until I discovered mine did infact, not have the wear indicators on the rears!!

TimGti wrote:

RUM4MO wrote: BTW, your rear pads will have a wear indicator embedded as well.

I thought this until I discovered mine did infact, not have the wear indicators on the rears!!

That's strange, so do your front pads have a wear indicator for each side? Normally, nowadays, VAG seem to just fit one wear sensor on each axle set - as opposed to the original one on each side at the front only. I think that this change was prompted by cars like the B5 Passat which tended to wear its rear pads quicker than the fronts if frequently full loaded. The "all sales territory" parts list only show the pads as I have described, or for some territories no wear sensors at all either front or rear. Are you sure that someone has not just chopped the wiring up and joined the wires together and hidden them somewhere - in reality the Polo normally under uses its rear brakes so when the front one wears to the sensor they will still be okay - but they will not last two sets of front pads so take care.

RUM4MO wrote:

TimGti wrote:

RUM4MO wrote: BTW, your rear pads will have a wear indicator embedded as well.

I thought this until I discovered mine did infact, not have the wear indicators on the rears!!

That's strange, so do your front pads have a wear indicator for each side? Normally, nowadays, VAG seem to just fit one wear sensor on each axle set - as opposed to the original one on each side at the front only. I think that this change was prompted by cars like the B5 Passat which tended to wear its rear pads quicker than the fronts if frequently full loaded. The "all sales territory" parts list only show the pads as I have described, or for some territories no wear sensors at all either front or rear. Are you sure that someone has not just chopped the wiring up and joined the wires together and hidden them somewhere - in reality the Polo normally under uses its rear brakes so when the front one wears to the sensor they will still be okay - but they will not last two sets of front pads so take care.

Nope defo no sensors at the rear. The new pads I fitted to the rear were gen VW parts ordered from the chasis no. of my car and did not come with wear indicators either. Only one side on the front had the wear indicator, cant remember which now though

TimGti wrote: Nope defo no sensors at the rear. The new pads I fitted to the rear were gen VW parts ordered from the chasis no. of my car and did not come with wear indicators either. Only one side on the front had the wear indicator, cant remember which now though

this would be the nearside mate!

haha this happened to me, the connector block broke and the wires came out. I pushed them back in, and it worked for a few months but then they came out completely off the connector block.
I simply got some bullet connectors, wired them up so that in the future all you need to do is diconnect those, fit new bullets to the wires on the new pads and re-connect!
I was going to change the loom, but decided to go against coz not even VW could tell me where the sensor wire loom went to! it just goes up and dissapears and the (i think) joins the ECU. Plus that bit of wire is like £30!!!
Olz x

Dubnutty wrote:haha this happened to me, the connector block broke and the wires came out. I pushed them back in, and it worked for a few months but then they came out completely off the connector block.
I simply got some bullet connectors, wired them up so that in the future all you need to do is diconnect those, fit new bullets to the wires on the new pads and re-connect!
I was going to change the loom, but decided to go against coz not even VW could tell me where the sensor wire loom went to! it just goes up and dissapears and the (i think) joins the ECU. Plus that bit of wire is like £30!!! Olz x

With the Passat, the length of wire needing replaced is quite short - but still probably near £30, its only the retaining tang that I broke - so I used a tiewrap to keep the plug and socket together. DIYers like us do not really stand a chance of keeping these parts intact as you tend to forget exactly how to release the retaining tang, and after 7 or 8 years the plastics have got quite brittle and will not tolerate any misuse.