Brake warning light

[Larkrise]

Brake pad warning light is lighting up intermittently. We have the van booked for service for end of next week. Does this light up when it gets metal/metal contact- so not really a great idea to drive for fear of damaging disks? We have a couple of weekend trips planned, so not sure if we should not use the van. Haven't heard any grating...and don't really want to! Any words of wisdom?

 

[briwy]

Depending what wheels you have you should be able to see what the pads are like.

 

[Larkrise]

Well, I did have a look and there looks to be pad left, but the dealer did say when it was in a couple of months ago that they would need doing soon, and we've done 55k, and... is it metal/metal that triggers the light (apart from a fault)?

 

[WelshGas]

Well, I did have a look and there looks to be pad left, but the dealer did say when it was in a couple of months ago that they would need doing soon, and we've done 55k, and... is it metal/metal that triggers the light (apart from a fault)?

No. It is a soft metal plug , normally copper, within the brake pad material that closes a circuit with the disc and energises the Brake Pad Warning Light.
I would think you have a few thousand miles, but these sensors are only on the front brakes not the rear, but then they tend to wear quicker than the rear pads.

 

[Larkrise]

Ah good, thank you. If the light is only just showing then the chances seem to be that there will be enough for the relatively short trips we have planned.