I'm getting ready to order a set of new front rotors and pads for my 1998 A4 Quattro 30v 2.8L and have found that there are two possible types of front brake pads... one without a built in wear sensor and wiring and one that does have the sensor and wires.

I don't know if my car has this sensor integrated into the brake pads or not, but in all the searches I've come up with on this website and other sites seems to suggest that the integrated brake pad sensors were not in the regular plain 1998 B5 models, but were in the 1999 year models. Here's the rub... my car is technically a 1998.5 year model, so it *might* be either way

So is there any way for me to find out if my car needs the pads with the built in sensor without pulling one of the front wheels off to see first? I've tried to look under the car and use an inspection mirror with a flashlight to look for signs of brake pad wires, but I can't really see diddly squat with the tire and wheel on.

I guess I could just order the pads with the built-in sensors and cut the wires off if I don't need them, but they're $10 more for the set with wires.

BTW, the parts I'm looking are getting are the Meyle GEOMET coated rotors and PBR Deluxe ceramic composite pads from ECS. I'm kinda on a tight budget right now or else I'd buy something like fancy slotted and drilled rotors and EBC Red pads but the old wallet is pretty thin right now and I'd like at least OEM quality or better braking performance for daily street driving. I'm probably a little rough on the brakes in my driving too, as the car had 75K miles when I bought it, and now has 85K and in 10K miles over the course of one year's driving, I've somehow managed to warp my front rotors pretty badly since the brakes were smooth when I first got the car and now it's shaking more and more under braking now and I need to fix it before another week or two elapses.

 

I have a 2001, so I can't speak from personal experience. But if I were you, I would just pull the wheel off and take a peek to see what brakes you have. The only other thing you could do if you're really opposed to pulling off the wheel, is to call the dealership with your VIN and ask.

 

OK, I got a different inspection mirror and a brighter LED flashlight and it does look like there's a wire coming out of the inner brake pad, so I guess I'll get the pads with the integral sensors.

 

If it doesn't have the sensor in your car, just snip the wires on the pads

 

1998 shouldn't have sensors.

I believe '99.5 were the first to have sensors.

 

^^^ agreed. My '99 does not have them.

 

I agree as well, 1998's do not have sensors on them. Done the brakes many times......the wire you're seeing is probably the ABS sensor wire......

 

.

I went ahead and ordered the pads with the sensors anyway. From what I could see with the inspection mirror and flashlight, it sure looks like the wire is coming out from the center of the inner pad and terminating into a half-round/half square black plastic connector just like the pictures of the pads on the ECS website. If it turns out that this is not indeed the sensor wires, I can just cut the wires off the new pads. The price difference was $9.44 but I needed to get the parts ordered asap.

 

Replaced the rotors and pads today. There was no sensor wires on the old pads,what I was seeing in the mirror was the brake line itself. Snipped the wires off the new pads. Could've saved $9, oh well. These new pads and rotors seem to work very well and my brakes feel like new again. I like the way these PBR Deluxe ceramic compound pads feel. I think they're gonna be good pads. Time will tell how much dust they make on my wheels. The prior set of pads that were on the car were pretty nasty and covered the wheels with black dust a lot.

 

Hi everyone, I have a 1998 A6Q and it has brake wear sensor wire and they work very well.