Fiesta Brakes?!?! Arrghhhh

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Tue 30 Dec 2003 21:15
Fiesta Brakes?!?! Arrghhhh - Adam {P}
Hi all,
It seems that I am plagued by problems but this could be serious so I could do with a bit of advice. I own an N reg Mark 4 Fiesta Ghia (which will be relevant in a minute) A while back, when going down a very steep hill on the way home, a red light lit up. This was the same light that warns that the handbrake is on so I thought that it was the sensor for the handbrake. THe light began to light up on a few more gentle hills and now, does it quite a lot.

Now before you go screaming that I have been driving around with faulty brakes I must point out the following.

a) The brake fluid is at the right level
b) The light illunminates sometimes even when not braking

I have been told that the brake pads on the Ghia models have sensors in to warn when they are low but like I mentioned earlier, I\'m not always braking when the light lights up.

The car is booked to go into the garage tomorrow so hopefully it will be fixed but I just wondered if anyone knew what it was to forewarn me

Many Thanks

Adam
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After death, hair grows but phone calls tend to taper off
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Tue 30 Dec 2003 22:30
Fiesta Brakes?!?! Arrghhhh - Robin the Technician
Hi Adam,
This is the sensor in the brake pads telling you its time to replace them. It does not matter that the brakes are\'nt applied when it illuminates as there is always some contact between pad and disc. The wire fitted into the pad has had its outer coating worn away exposing the bare cable. When this is in contact with the disc it earths out and hey presto your light comes on.
Hope this helps


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These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am...
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Thu 1 Jan 2004 23:22
Fiesta Brakes?!?! Arrghhhh - Adam {P}
Robin, you are right
New brake pads were required and duly fitted. Many thanks

Adam
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After death, hair grows but phone calls tend to taper off
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