How many KM have I got once I get "CHECK BRAKE PADS" warning

There's a bit of misinformation going on in these posts.

The L322 only runs brake pad sensors in the left hand front and left hand rear.
Only 2 sensors are needed not 4 as stated.

There is no VAT charged by UK exporters - the pad prices including postage from UK make them far cheaper than local prices and there is more choice in types. UK suppliers also supply nice slotted rotors if that's what you want.

The pad sensors do not run through any ECU - they are a simple no contact-contact switch circuit direct to the warning lamp. If you don't want the warning lamp on then simply cut the sensor wiring loom off anywhere between the connector and the pad.

My front original LR pads lasted 60k and the replacement pads from UK have this far lasted 125k - I am about to replace them. The rotors are all still original.

My rear original pads lasted 80k. I am still on the first UK replacement pads and they will last till about 250k.

Brake pads can be checked at time of wheel rotation and especially when changing tyres. On L322 RR the pads can easily be checked through the slots in the mag wheels as well.

Tyres last 25k Pads last at least 50k so it is a simple matter and at less than $50 for an axle set of pads why not change the pads every tyre change or every second oil change - simple and not reliant on any warning lamp.

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Originally Posted by Daniel

The pad sensors do not run through any ECU - they are a simple no contact-contact switch circuit direct to the warning lamp. If you don't want the warning lamp on then simply cut the sensor wiring loom off anywhere between the connector and the pad.

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Why does this lock on then once activated? It needs to be cleared by a heap of button pressing to reset it in the fault menus. It wouldn't do that if it was just a wire to a light?

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Originally Posted by bacicat2000

Why does this lock on then once activated? It needs to be cleared by a heap of button pressing to reset it in the fault menus. It wouldn't do that if it was just a wire to a light?

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I have an L322 '05 HSE td6.
When my factory original front brake pads wore out and the warning lamp lit up, I took the front wheel off, cut the sensor off the pad, twisted the wires together to again make circuit and the warning lamp went off. It most certainly does not involve any fault resets or "heap of button pressing". As part of my routine I always disconnect the battery on any vehicle I am servicing so that may be a further clue to you. At that stage I did not have any diagnostic tool for an L322. I now have a Hawkeye with comprehensive diagnostics for the L322. I can assure you that there is no function to reset the brake pad warning lamp on any L322 ECU.

I repeat the sensor is a simple connect-disconnect wire in a bit of epoxy fitted with a clip into the brake pad. When the rotor rubs against the sensor when the pad is worn it rubs through the epoxy and causes an open circuit thus triggering the warning lamp.

Daniel

Nowhere did anyone say you need 4, I suggested getting 2 spares for later whilst shipping as its cheaper in the long run!

VAT is irrelevant here, nothing was mentioned about paying it.

I'd rather trust my life in a Driving school vehicle, driven by an Asian driver, being instructed by a former Indian cab driver before I'd trust my life to a Britpart rotor :cool:

You can get pretty slotted ones from DBA which has more effective cooling than the OS stuff too, much better suited to heavy use over here.

So I dont know where you think all this mis-information comes from.

And some vehicles on other forums have required an ABS system reset to extinguish the brake pad message. (Do a search on google) so it may be one some and not others...

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Originally Posted by Tombie

And some vehicles on other forums have required an ABS system reset to extinguish the brake pad message. (Do a search on google) so it may be one some and not others...

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Daniel - this is certainly the case on mine - once grounded, the lamp stays locked on, and did so until the fault codes were reset - there are a couple of posts here about how to do it...

Gav didn't Harlie say that 05 onwards L322's had a different Canbus ( BMW system changed significantly for 2004 ) ? this might be the source of the different results. Just having a stab in the dark here, as this was a issue with adapting the ZF auto, Harlie was looking into.

Laurie

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Originally Posted by Laurie

Gav didn't Harlie say that 05 onwards L322's had a different Canbus ( BMW system changed significantly for 2004 ) ? this might be the source of the different results. Just having a stab in the dark here, as this was a issue with adapting the ZF auto, Harlie was looking into.

Laurie

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Could well be mate - we both might be right...:)

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Originally Posted by bacicat2000

Daniel - this is certainly the case on mine - once grounded, the lamp stays locked on, and did so until the fault codes were reset - there are a couple of posts here about how to do it...

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The circuit does not work by grounding.
It is a simple closed/unclosed loop which is broken when the sensor wears through and goes into unclosed status.

There are many so called "fault codes" that can be reset by simply disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes or so and others by driving over time. This may be one of them - who knows? When I short circuited the sensor loom to imitate a new sensor loom my warning lamp stayed on and then the next time I drove the truck it was off.

But it is only a single wire - where is the return path if not through the earth?

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Originally Posted by Daniel

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When I short circuited the sensor loom to imitate a new sensor loom my warning lamp stayed on and then the next time I drove the truck it was off.

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This confirms that it is recorded in an ecu and not just to the light. An educated guess I’d say its monitored by DSC5.7 (ABS/Trac Control). Whether it resets or not, I don't know, never allowed it come on.

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Originally Posted by Laurie

Gav didn't Harlie say that 05 onwards L322's had a different Canbus ( BMW system changed significantly for 2004 ) ? this might be the source of the different results. Just having a stab in the dark here, as this was a issue with adapting the ZF auto, Harlie was looking into.

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Just to clear this up. BMW changed the X5 (and many other models) significantly in 2004. Range Rover (owned by Ford at this point) never got any of these changes and went in a different direction that includes an optical network which is completely different (to CAN) again. The petrol Variant of the L322 received some significant electronic changes in late 2005 (My06 with the new engine), and continued to receive changes to various systems the next year and year after that. The L322 TD6 remained largely unchanged right through until the TDv8 with a few minor exceptions to the electronics that were received with the new headlights/grill.

Here we are talking about brakes - The ABS/TC ecu is a Bosch unit, and as far as I can see is the same up to and including MY11, no doubt the firmware has been improved over the years and may have had logic improvement between MY03 and MY05 to include changes as discussed. Remember just because the physical network/ecus have not changed doen't mean the logic they operate hasn't been tweeked between MYs. SO you could be both right - play nice.