Brake pad wear light: how long can you wait?
The pads are approaching minimum thickness. The car still brakes, but book a service. Wait, and the pads take the discs with them, and the bill is a different one entirely.
Can you keep driving?
Yes, but book a service now.
What the warning actually means
The symbol is usually a circle with dashes around it, a brake disc seen face on. A small sensor is moulded into the pad, and when the friction material is thin enough the circuit breaks and the light comes on.
Common causes
- Normal wear
- Uneven wear from a sticking pad or caliper
- A failed wear sensor in one pad
What to do now
- Listen for a light metallic squeal under gentle braking.
- Look at the pads through the wheel if you can see them.
- Book before you hear scraping. Scraping is metal on metal.
What people often get wrong
That you can wait until it scrapes. Scraping is metal on metal, and by then the discs are on the bill. Pads on their own are a far smaller job.
When the car must go to a workshop
If you hear scraping or feel a vibration through the pedal, the discs are probably already part of the bill.
Read next
- Brake warning light: check this first
- ABS light on: do the brakes still work?
- Service light on: is something actually wrong?
This page is general information and does not replace a professional assessment. Symbols, codes and behaviour vary between makes. Always check the handbook for your own car.
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