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March 9, 2010 9:05 a.m. Redhornet New Reader

Anyone know what this is hanging off of the right rear suspension of my 2007 Mini Cooper?

Took the Mini in for service on Feb 17 and just noticed this yesterday. The green bit looks all banged up and the rubber coating/sheeth over the wire close to the green part has been rubbed away (the white dot on the wire in the pic) so I can see small steel braids. Some kind of sensor maybe?

Lastly, has Bentley come out with a service manual I can buy for the R56 chassis Mini yet? I'm gettin real tired of dealing with the "service department" of the dealership.

EDIT: On closer inspection there doesnt appear to be the same kind of wire on the left side of the car, so I don't know what it could be.
March 9, 2010 9:07 a.m. iceracer HalfDork

could be the ABS sensor wire.
March 9, 2010 9:13 a.m. Strizzo SuperDork

or maybe pad wear sensor?
March 9, 2010 11:49 a.m. TJ Dork

Tire pressure monitoring sensor wire?
March 9, 2010 11:57 a.m. ultraclyde Reader

That's the rear brake wear sensor I believe. Our MINI has one on the passenger rear but not driver's side. Do you have a brake light on the instrument cluster? The replacement sensor comes with the wire back to a plug for about $20
March 9, 2010 1:29 p.m. Redhornet New Reader

ultraclyde wrote:

That's the rear brake wear sensor I believe. Our MINI has one on the passenger rear but not driver's side. Do you have a brake light on the instrument cluster? The replacement sensor comes with the wire back to a plug for about $20

Thank you, that has got to be it.
March 9, 2010 4:25 p.m. ultraclyde Reader

Hmmm...Maybe not. I remembered a second similar wire in the area. I just got home and checked my Bentley service manual and the second wire is the ABS Wheel Speed Sensor. Of course, this is for the up-to-06 MINI, I don't know on the newer bodystyle.

On the '05, The Brake wear sensor wire goes directly to the inner brake pad through the inspection opening in the caliper. The end on it is a small metal..puck thingy, and it's black. The other wire that runs right beside it is the ABS sensor, and it mounts to the hub with two small screws at the wheel bearing.

The piece you have dangling does NOT look like the brake wear sensor on our '05 S but that probably means nothin!
March 9, 2010 4:43 p.m. WilberM3 New Reader

that really looks like a BMW brake pad wear sensor, it looks to have the groove where the little metal clip slips on it to snap onto the pad's backing plate.... and the clip looks missing which might be why its hanging. check the other side, there probably isnt one as bmw puts one sensor on the LF and the other on the RR.
March 9, 2010 5:50 p.m. Ian_F New Reader

it may look like a BMW pad sensor, but it doesn't look like a MINI one (I replaced one last w/e).

OP: you really need to pull the rear wheel to see if the pad sensor is there or if this is the ABS sensor.

It could be a local receiver for the TPMS. I'm not familiar with that system yet.
March 9, 2010 6:27 p.m. WilberM3 New Reader

im not sure if the image will show (here's a link if not http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/j/r/239.png ) but realoem's picture of the rear brake system shows a drawn picture almost exactly like your pic for the pad sensor for an 07 R56 mini cooper. if it is the pad sensor you might need a new one if the metal clip isnt stuck in the pad still (even if it is since it obviously doesnt hold well!)

like Ian_F said pull the wheel to get a good look in there.
March 9, 2010 7:08 p.m. Datsun1500 Dork

Are you sure it's not the wiring for the trailer hitch?
March 9, 2010 8:24 p.m. pigeon HalfDork

Looks like a BMW brake pad sensor to me. If it is the pad sensor you always have the option of unplugging it or zip tying it up out of the way, just remember to check the pads periodically. It's so cheap though that I'd just replace it. Bigger question - how did it escape captivity and get out into the wild like that? When I've done brakes on my BMWs those sensors were really, really stuck into the cavity on the pad.
March 9, 2010 8:26 p.m. TJ Dork

Brake pad sensor? Really? Color me a caveman, I didn't even know such a thing existed. Do cars other than BMW have those?

I really was unaware, but haven't seriously looked at new cars in a while.
March 9, 2010 8:37 p.m. Strizzo SuperDork

lots of cars use them, i guess they figure if there's a light on the dash, people will do something about it instead of just ignoring the squealing every time they hit the brakes.
March 9, 2010 8:37 p.m. WilberM3 New Reader

In reply to TJ:

yea, bmw's used them for 30+ years, mercedes for a long time too, i'd bet most german cars have for quite some time. dunno about many other makes though. it's just a wire that gets worn through and when there's no continuity it turns on a light.
March 9, 2010 8:38 p.m. pigeon HalfDork

It's actually a low tech item - plastic coated ground wire slots into the pad, once the pad wears down enough the sensor scrapes against the rotor, eventually exposing the contact and grounding the circuit. Then the idiot light comes on to tell you to go bend over at the dealer for $1200/axle...
March 10, 2010 8:06 a.m. Redhornet New Reader

See, this is why the GRM forum is my favorite one. You guys are awesome, thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. My wife is now going to take the Mini up to the dealership and ask them why this was allowed to hang loose and wasn't attached properly.

As much as I love my Mini, and I really do, I can't stand the dealership service. No one seems to actually care about doing a good job, taking any pride in their work or even just doing the bare minimum requirements. But I digress.

Thanks again for the help guys, If any of you are in the Chicago area PM me and I'll buy you a beer or three.
March 10, 2010 8:21 a.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork

"Also - I assume you will be giving me a complimentary oil change for my troubles while it is on the lift? Kthnxby!"
March 10, 2010 8:41 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

Redhornet wrote: As much as I love my Mini, and I really do, I can't stand the dealership service. No one seems to actually care about doing a good job, taking any pride in their work or even just doing the bare minimum requirements. But I digress.

I dunno, but this seems to be a reasonably common occurrence with some BMW-type dealers as well. BMW bike dealers over here seem to fall into that category as well, the one bike I had dealer serviced very quickly got serviced by an independent BMW specialist instead as I didn't want to get shouty after every service. Basic stuff like connecting 3 out of 4 plug leads and things like that.

What irked me most was that upset customers didn't bother them at all, even when I spelled out to the service manager in extremely blunt fashion as to why I was never going to set foot in his shop ever again.
March 10, 2010 8:56 a.m. Basil Exposition New Reader

BoxheadTim wrote:

Redhornet wrote: As much as I love my Mini, and I really do, I can't stand the dealership service. No one seems to actually care about doing a good job, taking any pride in their work or even just doing the bare minimum requirements. But I digress.

I dunno, but this seems to be a reasonably common occurrence with some BMW-type dealers as well. BMW bike dealers over here seem to fall into that category as well, the one bike I had dealer serviced very quickly got serviced by an independent BMW specialist instead as I didn't want to get shouty after every service. Basic stuff like connecting 3 out of 4 plug leads and things like that.

What irked me most was that upset customers didn't bother them at all, even when I spelled out to the service manager in extremely blunt fashion as to why I was never going to set foot in his shop ever again.

He didn't react because it was a routine occurrence, I'll bet.

I've also got a 2007 MINI and echo everything said about the "service" dept. Even getting them to address known problems under warranty was a tooth-pulling exercise.
March 10, 2010 9:09 a.m. 7pilot New Reader

BoxheadTim wrote:

Redhornet wrote: As much as I love my Mini, and I really do, I can't stand the dealership service. No one seems to actually care about doing a good job, taking any pride in their work or even just doing the bare minimum requirements. But I digress.

I dunno, but this seems to be a reasonably common occurrence with some BMW-type dealers as well. BMW bike dealers over here seem to fall into that category as well, the one bike I had dealer serviced very quickly got serviced by an independent BMW specialist instead as I didn't want to get shouty after every service. Basic stuff like connecting 3 out of 4 plug leads and things like that.

What irked me most was that upset customers didn't bother them at all, even when I spelled out to the service manager in extremely blunt fashion as to why I was never going to set foot in his shop ever again.

Any service managers I have talked to lately were not promoted techs. They were imported Bots. They are hired to keep you away from the techs.

m
March 10, 2010 9:18 a.m. Wonkothesane New Reader

Unrelated to service or even BMWs, my 99 Porsche Boxster had pad sensors for all 4 wheels. They were re-usable, though, I don't know if the BMW ones are.
March 10, 2010 9:25 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

Basil Exposition wrote:

He didn't react because it was a routine occurrence, I'll bet.

I've also got a 2007 MINI and echo everything said about the "service" dept. Even getting them to address known problems under warranty was a tooth-pulling exercise.

It was pretty obvious I wasn't the first irate customer, so I voted with my money.
March 10, 2010 10:16 a.m. ultraclyde Reader

I live too far from a dealer to know, and we bought used so no freebie service anyway. Most local dealers are idiots as are the shops, so I do most of my own work. I have found a couple good folks for the stuff I can't do. I treat them well because they do the same for me.

For the uninitiated, the sensor wears through and then has to be replaced. The pads don't have any sort of squealers, and the back pads wore out WAY before the fronts. You also (on the 05s) only get a right rear and left front sensor. So, if you're unlucky enough to have an uneven wear problem, you'll eat a rotor before you know it. But that's okay because the rotors should be replaced every time you change pads anyway. The sole function of the sensor is to keep the dash light turned off. neat, huh? Love our MINI.
March 10, 2010 11:42 a.m. Ian F Dork

Interesting... it seems the R50/53 uses a different sensor than the R56. The sensor for the earlier car just has wire going to the element without the plastic angle.

The sensor is not reuseable once triggered... however, even if you replace the pads before the sensors hits, getting the sensor out of the old pad can be hit or miss.

Re: MINI service. Also hit or miss... and mechanically ignorant "service advisors" have become the bain of the industry... they are nothing more than salesmen.

I regulary complain on the Bentley forums about the lack of a R56 manual. It makes no effin' sense... They published one for the much newer E90... WTF???

Edit #2. For some reason, when I view the OP's picture on this computer, it zooms in more... and now I can see it's a brake pad sensor, judging by the clip. Still doesn't look like the R50/53 version.

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