Fiat brake wear warning

Barge1914

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We’re on our way to Scotland for a three week trip, slowly up through the Yorkshire Dales. After steep descents yellow brake wear symbol lights up. But after a few minutes goes out again. At first thought it was just one of those sensor issues. But it’s started to repeat. Brakes are performing fine, no squeaks or squeals. I guess they may need checking, but not a good time or place to do. Any thoughts??? Too decrepit to get wheels off and look myself. What period of warning do these indicators usually give before action is urgent???
 
Check your brake fluid level is ok. If you can look into the brake calliper or take a wheel off, then you should be able to see how well down the pads are worn. Same thing happened to me on the descent to Dover docks. Got across to France and at aires had a look to find one pad well worn. Easy enough job to change and local tyre/brake depot sourced replacements very quickly. Good luck.
 
The brake pads on a Ducato are designed to travel around 25,00 to 30,000 miles but a motorhome fully laden at all times will reduce this to around 15,000 to 20,000. This light connects with around 15 -20% pad material remaining. So assuming you have a fully laden vehicle with some brake fluid in the reservoir you should have a couple of thousand miles left (maybe). The light is also there to tell you that you haven't paid for a service recently.
 
There is only one brake pad wear sensor on my Ducato (2008). It is on the front left (nearside) brake. If you have uneven pad wear for any reason you can experience total brake pad failure and terminal damage to the disc on another wheel without the warning light coming on!
 
Agree its likely to be brake fluid. Check that first. Also, if theres a rubber diaphragm on the lid of the resrvoir, make sure it is compressed and not expanded.
K ;)
 
Plenty of brake fluid, no rubber diaphragm. Thanks all for the advice. Rear brake was squeaking in Germany earlier, but stopped. I read now that is an early indicator of wear. I’m fairly light on the pedals, front pads lasted over 40k, rears have never been changed, so I guess after 53k and just about every mountain range in Europe I must by now have had my money’s worth out of them! I’ve booked into a brake fitters in Carlisle on my way through Wednesday.
 
My 2008 Ducato Tribute’s brakes warning light came on after descending our last Austrian mountain pass.
I carried on, after my wife found the warning light indicated it wasn’t an emergency. So we crossed Switzerland thru tunnels and on motorways until we could nip over the Rhine into Germany at Bad Säckingen. Great stellplatz there. Our breakdown company got us to the local Fiat dealer after a visit to a local auto shop said it couldn’t get us in till end of next week (8 bays full), but in end got front discs and pads changed next day. Only €741 ugh, but genuine and what a difference they made.
If we’d stopped in Switzerland, I was told by a Swiss moho owner on site, I’d have had a much higher bill as labour rates are over €200/hour there - phew!
 
The brake pads on a Ducato are designed to travel around 25,00 to 30,000 miles but a motorhome fully laden at all times will reduce this to around 15,000 to 20,000. This light connects with around 15 -20% pad material remaining. So assuming you have a fully laden vehicle with some brake fluid in the reservoir you should have a couple of thousand miles left (maybe). The light is also there to tell you that you haven't paid for a service recently.
Pads on previous van changed at 30000 miles in Spain . Was getting new tyres and , though no warning light , decided they looked well worn . Dare say I could have got a wee bit more out of them but seemed sensible just to get them done
 
A couple of years back had the front pads changed in France at the same time they put 2 new complete hubs / carriers on the front.

Whilst everything was stripped down i told them to change them even though they had " some life " left in them.

It was still on the original pads and had 60,550 miles on the clock all of it driven by me apart from the first 35 miles.

The original front discs along with the rear pads and discs are still on the motorhome which has now passed 80,000 miles.

It easily passes the braking test on MOT and it`s only letdown has been the damned ALKO handbrake cable which is bloody useless :mad:
 
Well whoever said there’s only a brake pad wear indicator in the front was right. That was the problem it was trying to tell me about, new front discs and pads required, also rears as well, that squeaking in Germany was also trying to tell me something! Ouch. Whilst waiting for stuff to be done we walked into Carlisle, never made it, half way there searing pain in ribs at the back...something else to diagnose now! Perhaps strong drink at the Metal Bridge will provide a temporary cure whilst we wait to decide whether to continue tomorrow or retreat, something always seems to throw a spanner in the works when we head towards a Scottish gathering! Grrr!
 

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