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[liz1968]

I have had my discs and pads changed all round last week but now have on my display panel when I start the car it says BRAKE PAD anyone knows why and how to stop it  :question

[TheBoy]

The silly idiots never changed the wear sensors then. Cowboys.

[liz1968]

How do I get the problem sorted do I need a new part to sort it

[geoffr70]

Brake pad wear sensors, they are cheap on ebay (£6.69 each - not a GM part though). Easy to fit, they clip into the pad through the hole at the front of the caliper, then just connect up the plug inside the wheel arch. I think they should do it for you for free, for not doing it in the first place, or at least not telling you about it.

[Entwood]

Was the warning on before you took in in ??  If not, I'd be going back and giving them hell, as they have broken it on fitting new pads.

If the warning was on, I'd be going back and giving them hell and asking why they didn't replace it as part of the job.

Either way .... get it back and make them do the job properly

[Mr Hagon]

I have heard that the sensors sometimes don't survive a brake pad change...

[GaryBC]

Quick coupla question on this topic:

How many wear sensors are there on the car? All four wheels? Front only? One each front and rear?

Can the sensor(s) be changed without pulling the pads out?

How does the sensor logic work? (Are they electrically 'normally open' and go short as the pads wear? Or are they 'normally closed' and go open circuit as the pads wear?)

[Welung666]

Quick coupla question on this topic:

How many wear sensors are there on the car? All four wheels? Front only? One each front and rear?

Pre 2001 one on each front wheel.
Post 2001 only 1, drivers side.

Can the sensor(s) be changed without pulling the pads out?

Yes.

How does the sensor logic work? (Are they electrically 'normally open' and go short as the pads wear? Or are they 'normally closed' and go open circuit as the pads wear?)

Normally closed, as the pads wear they cut through the wire loop inside the pad and opens the circuit.

[Chris_H]

I had a feeling they were about 110 Ohms when working correctly for some reason.  Possibly from tricking my Senator into thinking it was happy when it wasn't but should have been!
[edit]
Little white bit out of focus (OOF)
[/edit]

[davethediver]

Quick coupla question on this topic:

How many wear sensors are there on the car? All four wheels? Front only? One each front and rear?

Pre 2001 one on each front wheel.
Post 2001 only 1, drivers side.

Can the sensor(s) be changed without pulling the pads out?

Yes.

How does the sensor logic work? (Are they electrically 'normally open' and go short as the pads wear? Or are they 'normally closed' and go open circuit as the pads wear?)

Normally closed, as the pads wear they cut through the wire loop inside the pad and opens the circuit.

Sure mine is on the passenger side, i know i only have one and it needs replacing or 'fettling' :-/

[tunnie]

i've cut my sensors off, can't be bothered with them any more, everytime the pads come out they snap 

[Mr Skrunts]

Brake pad wear sensors, they are cheap on ebay (£6.69 each - not a GM part though). Easy to fit, they clip into the pad through the hole at the front of the caliper, then just connect up the plug inside the wheel arch. I think they should do it for you for free, for not doing it in the first place, or at least not telling you about it.

Was looking at a link for another item and saw this.

http://www.vauxhallworldparts.com/partsearch/partdetail.php?partid=1059&partlinkid=11708&vid=21&ecode=136&cont=true

[Welung666]

Quick coupla question on this topic:

How many wear sensors are there on the car? All four wheels? Front only? One each front and rear?

Pre 2001 one on each front wheel.
Post 2001 only 1, drivers side.

Can the sensor(s) be changed without pulling the pads out?

Yes.

How does the sensor logic work? (Are they electrically 'normally open' and go short as the pads wear? Or are they 'normally closed' and go open circuit as the pads wear?)

Normally closed, as the pads wear they cut through the wire loop inside the pad and opens the circuit.

Sure mine is on the passenger side, i know i only have one and it needs replacing or 'fettling' :-/

It may well be the passenger side, I was going from memory and as some (MantaGTE) will tell you is terrible

[Andy B]

I have heard that the sensors sometimes don't survive a brake pad change...

Generally correct. As the discs wear, you get an unworn ridge at the outer edge of the disc, this wears a groove in the sensor, this is where the sensor then breaks. 

[Liam]

Pretty pointless things imho and I wouldn't bother wasting money replacing them with every pad change. But the garage could have at least had the courtesy to tell you though, and shut the warning up with some paperclips and insulation tape.