What is a Brake Wear Indicator:
A Brake wear indicator also known as a brake wear sensor is a safety component of a car’s braking system.
What Does a Brake Wear indicator do:
Brake Wear indicators are used to warn a vehicle's driver that the brake pads are coming to the end of its service life and needs to be replaced.
Do i need to replace my Brake wear sensor:
Generally new pads come with new mechanical brake wear sensors (the squeal wire) but for the electrical type sensors It is generally a smart idea to replace removable wear sensors.
This is because over time, the heat generated from the brakes can damage the wiring and clip that holds in the sensor giving false reads or even no reads at all.
The good news is that these sensors are very inexpensive when compared to a comeback. Many premium pads will include them as part of the brake pad set.
What are the different types of brake wear sensors:
Ocular inspection: A cut is made in the pad material to the depth where it shall be replaced. Requires manual inspection of the pads.
Mechanical: A metal plate is designed to scratch the brake disk causing a noise when the pad has worn down to the desired level. Some cars, such as the 2004 Honda Civic, use a plate that has been tuned specifically to sound like fingernails on a chalkboard, in order to manipulate the owner into replacing the worn brake pads as soon as possible.
Electrical: A metal body is embedded in the pad material that comes in contact with the rotor when the desired wear level is reached. This will light an indicator in the instrument cluster.
Position sensor: A sensor that measures the position of the brake mechanics and indicates to the driver when the desired position has been achieved.
Where can i buy a Brake wear sensor:
Here at Micksgarage.com we supply Brake wear sensors for a huge variety of makes and models in different brands at excellent prices.