e30 dash light

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badboy007
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Thu May 25, 2006 6:19 pm

can anyone tell me what the light next to the handbrake is for? it has been on for the past month or so now (cab very rarely gets driven) and sometimes flickers when i go over a bump, was wondering what it could be for and how to get it off, its the one next to the handbrake light on the right hand side.
thanks in advance guys.
smithy318i
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Thu May 25, 2006 6:30 pm

brake wear sensor
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badboy007
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Thu May 25, 2006 6:35 pm

take it it requires new pads then or discs too?
cheers matey.
wildeian
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Thu May 25, 2006 7:07 pm

Check the sensor cable first, might have come loose. Two pin plug on the inside of the wheel, near calipers. Can't remember if they are on all wheels, but defo on front passengers, and rear drivers.

This was my problem, MOT guy must have caught it when he was fumbling around!!
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Brianmoooore
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Thu May 25, 2006 10:36 pm

Check the pad wear sensor(s) first, and if they, and their connections, are OK, then it is possibly a common and easily repaired fault inside the instrument cluster.
Sharknose3
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Fri May 26, 2006 11:27 am

Brian,

Can you give a bit more information on the "common and easily repaired fault inside the instrument cluster"?
A friend asked me about this recently and his brake pads and wear sensors are new and the brake wear circuit looked complete.

Thanks,
Sharknose
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Brianmoooore
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Fri May 26, 2006 7:09 pm

There is a small rectangular lump in the back casing of the instrument cluster, roughly behind the top of the temperature gauge. The soldered joints of the component inside this lump become cracked or "dry jointed"
Remove the cluster from the car, unscrew all the hex screws on the back, ( NOT the two nuts - tighten these), and carefully seperate the two halves of the cluster.
On the back part, nearly hidden by the temp gauge, you will find the two cracked solder joints. Just resolder them, one at a time, (or the copmponent may fall out), with a little new solder.
Sharknose3
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Fri May 26, 2006 10:34 pm

Thx Brian, 'will pass this on,

Sharknose
votivequagmire
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Wed May 31, 2006 3:51 pm

I have also had a problem with corroded contacts in the plug/socket of the brake pad wear sensor. The one which is slotted onto the plate.
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