Just finished the entire job this afternoon. 4 new rotors, new pads, and new sensors.
The rotors and pads are OE, but I purchased the sensors aftermarket from 2 places online, Only $35 for all 4 total. Dealership wanted $448 -EACH!!
I also got a decent discount on the pads and rotors, just under $500 total for all of it.
As it turns out, I really didn't need rotors, but I replaced them anyway. My rotors both front and rear were BARELY worn after 74000 miles. Each front rotor was 31.7mm (new is 32mm and 30mm is MIN) thick, and the rears were 27.8mm thick (new is 28mm and 26mm is MIN). Only a very small lip on each rotor, I was very impressed. there was still nearly 40% pad life left on the rear pads too. The didn't look bad, but I replaced everything. Hopefully don't have to do it again until 150000 miles.
I'll keep the rotors and have them turned before the next brake job.
I did have the "BRAKE WARE SENSOR", Volkswagen's spelling not mine, light up a week ago, and I ordered the parts. My driver side front inner pad was worn to about 4mm of material and the sensor wire was cut through. The other side on the front was nearly cut through on the sensor.
The fronts are straightforward, and except for having to hang the caliper, and disconnect the sensor (it's tricky!!), it was easy, Each rotors requires removing a small capture bolt with a T50 TORX bit. They are not very tight.
The rear caliper removal to get the rotor off also requires a 14mm triple square MALE tool and I bought a bit set in anticipation of the job. Strangely, there are also small threaded plug which is ALSO triple square. It was a 5mm I think. I had to soak those with Kroil (a great anti rust agent) to remove them. I think the threaded bung hole is there for adjusting the parking brake star wheel adjustment through the front of the rotor. I didn't need to do anything with the electronic parking brake system. Just made sure it was off, the rear rotors were very easy to remove. The ELSAWIN manual called for 30NM of torque for the rear caliper bolts PLUS 75° degrees more. A very strange call out. The fronts are 200 foot pounds!! My torque wrench only gets to 150, so I just put a large bar on it and gave them a good tightening.
REAR Specified torques:
Multi-point socket head bolt to wheel bearing housing Use new bolts!
30 Nm + 75° = 22 ft-lb plus 75 degrees - weird -
FRONT Specified torques:
Hexagon bolt to wheel bearing housingt Use new bolts!
270 Nm = 200 ft-lb
Cleaned the slight rust corrosion on the brake surfaces with a wire wheel brush, and installed the rotors. Also I only remembered to spread the brake calipers to maximum on the rear calipers BEFORE removing the calipers. I used a couple screwdrivers to spread as far as possible before taking off the caliper. Installing new pads is very easy. I did no other cleaning or prepping, just swapped pads.
The brake sensors are a bit sticky, and removing the connectors took the most fussing. I didn't want to break the MALE mating part of the connector. When I removed the sensors from the old pads though they each broke into pieces very easily!! Good thing I had new sensors for installing. The plastic must get very brittle from heat.
After reassembly, the parking brakes work fine, and hold even when in gear, no problem as before. A 50 mile brake pad bedding and test drive was excellent. No noise and a small improvement in stopping power. Total time was about 4.5 hours, but knowing what I now know, I bet I could cut that to under 3 hours if I didn't take so many breaks to walk away.
The rotors and pads are OE, but I purchased the sensors aftermarket from 2 places online, Only $35 for all 4 total. Dealership wanted $448 -EACH!!
I also got a decent discount on the pads and rotors, just under $500 total for all of it.
As it turns out, I really didn't need rotors, but I replaced them anyway. My rotors both front and rear were BARELY worn after 74000 miles. Each front rotor was 31.7mm (new is 32mm and 30mm is MIN) thick, and the rears were 27.8mm thick (new is 28mm and 26mm is MIN). Only a very small lip on each rotor, I was very impressed. there was still nearly 40% pad life left on the rear pads too. The didn't look bad, but I replaced everything. Hopefully don't have to do it again until 150000 miles.
I'll keep the rotors and have them turned before the next brake job.
I did have the "BRAKE WARE SENSOR", Volkswagen's spelling not mine, light up a week ago, and I ordered the parts. My driver side front inner pad was worn to about 4mm of material and the sensor wire was cut through. The other side on the front was nearly cut through on the sensor.
The fronts are straightforward, and except for having to hang the caliper, and disconnect the sensor (it's tricky!!), it was easy, Each rotors requires removing a small capture bolt with a T50 TORX bit. They are not very tight.
The rear caliper removal to get the rotor off also requires a 14mm triple square MALE tool and I bought a bit set in anticipation of the job. Strangely, there are also small threaded plug which is ALSO triple square. It was a 5mm I think. I had to soak those with Kroil (a great anti rust agent) to remove them. I think the threaded bung hole is there for adjusting the parking brake star wheel adjustment through the front of the rotor. I didn't need to do anything with the electronic parking brake system. Just made sure it was off, the rear rotors were very easy to remove. The ELSAWIN manual called for 30NM of torque for the rear caliper bolts PLUS 75° degrees more. A very strange call out. The fronts are 200 foot pounds!! My torque wrench only gets to 150, so I just put a large bar on it and gave them a good tightening.
REAR Specified torques:
Multi-point socket head bolt to wheel bearing housing Use new bolts!
30 Nm + 75° = 22 ft-lb plus 75 degrees - weird -
FRONT Specified torques:
Hexagon bolt to wheel bearing housingt Use new bolts!
270 Nm = 200 ft-lb
Cleaned the slight rust corrosion on the brake surfaces with a wire wheel brush, and installed the rotors. Also I only remembered to spread the brake calipers to maximum on the rear calipers BEFORE removing the calipers. I used a couple screwdrivers to spread as far as possible before taking off the caliper. Installing new pads is very easy. I did no other cleaning or prepping, just swapped pads.
The brake sensors are a bit sticky, and removing the connectors took the most fussing. I didn't want to break the MALE mating part of the connector. When I removed the sensors from the old pads though they each broke into pieces very easily!! Good thing I had new sensors for installing. The plastic must get very brittle from heat.
After reassembly, the parking brakes work fine, and hold even when in gear, no problem as before. A 50 mile brake pad bedding and test drive was excellent. No noise and a small improvement in stopping power. Total time was about 4.5 hours, but knowing what I now know, I bet I could cut that to under 3 hours if I didn't take so many breaks to walk away.
