Brake sensor wires should be replaced at the same      time the brake pads are replaced whether or not the brake pad      warning light has come on. While in the brake pad, the brake      wear sensors are subjected to a lot of heat which makes the      insulation hard and susceptible to cracking. If the      insulation cracks, brake dust can collect and cause the pad      warning light to come on unnecessarily by making contact with      the wires in the sensors. The sensor merely provides a ground      to the warning light on the dash when the rotor wars away the      insulation on the sensor.