Brakes

I had been worried about my brakes. A visual inspection confirmed the pads on the rear right-hand side were completely shot, and were taking the rotor with them. I hadn't bothered to check the left-hand side, since my mind was made up for me at that point.

I fired off an order for pads and rotors rather quickly, but ran into a small snag: starting with the 1989 model year, all Audis and Volkswagens require a special tool for retracting the rear disc break piston. My tool arrived in the mail today.

The rear pads and rotors took several hours to take care of, mainly because I take my time to clean all the parts and visit with friends. Some bolts were rather stubborn, and I had to make a trip in order to locate an 8mm Allen wrench.

With the help of a friend I bled the brakes. The right-rear brake had tons of air in the lines. That will do it... It looked like someone had worked on the left-rear brake - even changed the bleeding 'nipple' - but never touched the right-hand side.

The whole procedure cost ~$200 including tools. I had ordered a $50 brake bleeding kit, but it wasn't necessary to use as a friend was available to assist. I might return it, bringing my total cost to ~$150. You'll never believe what I had been quoted by a mechanic: $300 in pads/rotors alone. Who knows what the labor would have looked like?

On the Audi World forums, people keep referring to specific brake hydraulic part as the "bomb". Evidently it is one of the more common problem parts these cars have. I have no clue what they are referring to, but their test procedure & symptoms lead me to believe my "bomb" may need replacing. Despite the name, it does not appear to be a high priority item.

P.S. - My wife and I just brought another vehicle into the family: a 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI (turbo charged diesel). I never would have thought I'd be the one saying this about a New Beetle, but it is a beauty and I love driving it. I'm calling it the Blue Meanie.