No wear sensor on front pads!

[yesman]

Hi all, I have a 2008 2.0TDi 4x4 Elegance and whilst washing it I noticed through the wheels that the pads were a bit thin, I knew they were getting low but thought I'd get a warning. I took the wheel of to look at them better and notice that despite all the pads I was looking at online having wear sensors built in them and my hand book talking about the the pad wear warning light my car's pads hasn't got wiring to them, just had a brain wave and checked when starting the car to see if the brake pad wear light was there on ignition and no light, I'm amazed that a car like this and of this spec, that has sensors galore doesn't have what would be a basic but very important system! So just be warned make sure your Superb has the warning system before relying on it like I was!

[jonnie5]

I replaced my 1.6 Superb with new pads at the front. The new pads from Skoda certainly had a wire and a connector plug on the end of just one pad on one side only. Its may the handbrake light that ut uses. Or if you have a maxidot display it may come up on there.

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[jonnie5]

Just checked and my light is next to the battery light just above the ½ full mark on fuel gauge

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[johnmor]

I have replaced pads both front and rear, Front pads had sensor rears didnt!! I was a bit ****ed as the rears went through during a long trip and I had to live with the grinding noise for a week!

 

This amazed me, I had a 1983 Lancia Beta  and it had sensors both front and rear pads!

[yesman]

Thanks all for the replies, I have had a good look around my car and it definately doesn't have sensors on the pads,or the wiring for it, a bit weird I think but there you go!

[silver1011]

You might not see the check light when you turn on the ignition as when the sensor is triggered the warning appears in Maxidot rather than having it's own dedicated light?

[sherlocks VRS]

Only has 1 wear rate wire which is fitted to the n/s/f brake but only on the inner pad.

[jonnie5]

Well my Superb is a taxi and when I changed my front pads there wad about the same thickness as a 2 pence piece left on the plate. I never had any warnings but I have done around the same depth before on my Octavia.

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[Pesmog]

Many pads these days (particularly those at the rear) are fitted with a built in mechanical squealer so that they deliberately make a horrible noise a few hundred miles before they really wear down to the metal. Its a cheap and effective warning.  I haven't checked my Superb but my previous two Fords had them fitted to the rear pads.

Edited 18 January, 2014 by Pesmog

[yesman]

Just a quick up date, Just done the pad and disc change on my car and found what I can only presume is the handy work of some heavy handed "mechanic" who must have changed the pads at some point before and damaged the cable or plug and has made the cable of crudely and taped it back to the wiring loom hence why I couldn't fing anything, Problem was I had already cut the flying cable to the pad of before I found this, besides there is no socket to plug in to anyway! On the look out now for a socket to solder back into the loom for next time I do a pad change! Shouldn't have doubted Skoda, Cheers for all the replies!

Edited 18 January, 2014 by yesman

[andycowuk]

Hi all, been searching and can't see the answer I want, so digging up this old one....

 

Just changing the front discs and pads on my 3t 2014 superb elegance hatch.

 

The new pads came with a single inner pad with a sensor, the pads I took off had no sensor - see pic.  The obvious answer is to snip off the flying lead on the new pad, but that doesn't sit right with me!

 

I've owned car from new, this is the first work done other than interval servicing.

 

Surprised there wasn't a sensor on originals, and can't understand how the warning light that flashes on at turn-on expects to trigger, given general consensus that there is no rear detector.

 

Don't need the car tonight so will leave it hanging to see what your thoughts are!

 

Cheers

 

Andrew

[silver1011]

Could the worn pads you've removed have been replaced before i.e. they aren't the originals?

 

Sounds like it is common practice for mechanics to cut off wires and plugs.

 

Although there is no wire on the worn pads can you see a socket that it could plug into?

 

As has been mentioned there should be something there!

[andycowuk]

I've had he car from new, now 44k miles. Main dealers for servicing, this is the first thing other than tyres not done by main dealer. Am certain there hasn't been a previous pad change.

 

There is a bracket on the suspension strut that looks like it could hold a connector for this job but it is empty, and there is no sign of anything else in the wheel arch.

 

Is there a PR code on the boot sticker that denotes wear sensors? (Mind you according to that sticker there are no front brakes...)

Edited 3 June, 2017 by andycowuk

[26DIPP]

When I got my car - a 2014 Superb - I went through VCP and thought I would like the wear indicator warning. So I activated it. The warning kept going all the time. The dealer told me afterwards I had no wear indicator.... It is now deactivated again.

[Snapper1725]

Haven't had pads out of my superb so not sure what's what, wife's Fabia asnt any indication on the pads but Like what's been said some pads have a metal piece that would start rubbing on the disc but before the pads are worn right down.

Also years ago when I worked on Hgv's we used to service the company cars, I used to tell one lad to stop topping the brake fluid up as when you came to change pads and pushed pistons back the fluid would just flood back out the reservoir. To me if the fluid light came on it also indicates that the pads are low

[Breezy_Pete]

@andycowuk The PR codes for brake wear indication are 9U0 (without) and 9U1 (with).

May need to request full car data from a friendly dealer to get all your codes. You can get it from erWin but it'll cost you 7 euros + VAT 

[andycowuk]

Thanks for replies, and thanks @Wino for the codes.

 

I've looked out all the history I have for the car, including the sales brochure showing the factory fitted equipment. Brake wear indication is included on in the S and above.

Got a better pic on the codes from the service book, and in line with the absent code for the front brake variant used, there is neither 9U0 nor 9U1!

What sort of response does Skoda UK give to this sort of thing? This seems to appear that I have not received what I thought I was buying... not that VAG  have any form in that area

Edited 5 June, 2017 by andycowuk
Auto correct correction

[Breezy_Pete]

The sticker has only a small subset of the full car data, maybe 1/4 or 1/2 of the codes. Phone the dealer that supplied the car, or the one that services it if different, and ask for Car Data pdf or printout.

Edit: the list for our humble Fabia runs to 178 codes.

Edited 5 June, 2017 by Wino

[andycowuk]

So just had a call with the service dept of the dealer i bought from - he has confirmed that no wear indicator fitted (code 9U0).  He's off to speak with the sales team, and expects to call me back with some sort of explanation as to whether I should have had it or not.... 

[kitkat72]

I can confirm there is no front pad sensors! 

 

I own a elegance may 2014 and use the car as a taxi! Changed the rears at 35k miles was maybe 5k left on them ran the front expecting to get a warning of low brake pads car was in for a oil change and my mechanic gave the car a once over said I needed new front pads! They where worn to the metal almost at 55k!! New pads he cut the sensor cable of to fit the pads!

[andycowuk]

The story seems to be (In my case, and I suspect some others, but not everyone) that up to end April 2014 the sensors were optional extras, and from May they were standard.

I went into Skoda dealership in May, to order a car, but wanted it for baby arriving in June - there wasn't time to get one built, so I got one that was pre-built and ready for shipping - it was built in April.

So although I was given May book to understand what I was buying, and was charged May price, I got something a bit less than I paid for.

No failure on behalf of Skoda (group), nor any unscrupulous workmanship from garage sinse delivery, just poor communication and questionable ethics from dealership that sold to me....

[silver1011]

I don't ever recall seeing brake pad wear sensors on the options list!?

[Solarstorm]

Mine is a 2011 SE; and it has front wear sensors; but not rears - bought second hand so couldn't confirm is they were a standard fit or not

[26DIPP]

Does anyone know where the cable would come from / go to and where it is plugged in? The wiring loom is the same across the Superbs, only some things are not used on some cars.

[Breezy_Pete]

9 minutes ago, 26DIPP said:

Does anyone know where the cable would come from / go to and where it is plugged in? The wiring loom is the same across the Superbs, only some things are not used on some cars.

Pin 16 of a 32 way connector at the instrument cluster, yellow wire to two-way pad wear connector pin 2, red wire from pin 1 turns into a brown wire and is earthed within the loom.