Brake pad sensor light

[KARL E KRUEGER <kkrueg01@medlib.iaims.georgetown.edu>]

I recently bought my first Audi and just joined this list after I found
out about it yesterday. I normally do all my own repairs on my cars and
hope to get my new ('86) 5000 S on the road which will have to pass
inspection.

Right now I have a problem with the brake pad sensor light (not the
brake warning light). The car has relatively new pads on it which are
still thick. Once after working on the car I inadvertently left one door
slightly ajar so the battery ran dead. After recharging the battery I
took the car for a small drive and then the brake pad sensor light came
on and has continued to come on since that time. I have tried to fool
the system by bypassing the wiring to the brake pads (either keeping
apart or tying together the 2 wires going to each front wheel -
according to my wiring diagram it seems the correct setup is to keep
both wires tied to each other) but none of these tricks turns off the
light. Since I am still a novice with Audis I have several questions
related to try to solve this problem:

1. Could the battery going dead have messed up the Auto-Chek unit and if
so how would I reset it?

2. Is it possible that something like not enough hydraulic fluid in the
power steering reservoir could cause this symptom? My owners manual
makes you believe the brake warning light, not the brake pad sensor,
should be activated.

3. Are there any other things I should check into? I don't think it is a
coincidence that this problem started right after the battery went dead.

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

Karl Krueger