I have an 86 300E. I recently replaced my front brake pads. I think the original pads were still on the car. On the internal pads there were a wire connected to the top were the spring is. I just disconected the wire to get it out of the way for my new pads, but I'm wondering what the wire is. Maybe just a heat sensor? I just havent felt my ABS since I did the repair, so I'm thinking something to do with that? thanks. -Joe

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'86 300E (241K)

The coiled wire is the sensor for brake pad thickness and has nothing to do with ABS.

ok, thats good to know then. Is there any reason to try to connect it back again?

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'86 300E (241K)

It would be a good idea to reconnect the wire rather than leaving it hanging. Just pull the wheel and reconnect, its really easy to do.

If the wire has worn insulation at the end (where it inserts into the pad), the warning light will come on on the dash. The friction from the disk/rotor wears the insulation off when the pad is worn down enough, grounding the bulb to illuminate so you'll know the pads need replacing. I dip the worn end in a bit of silicone or that liquid tape stuff and re-use the wires.

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

Or you can disconnect the wire and throw the whole thing away - as long as you're prepared to keep an eye on the pads as they get older.