Mk7 Golf R/GTI PP/Audi S3 w/ Electric Parking Brake rear brake pad change WITHOUT using VCDS/VAGCOM

This is a tutorial on how to change the rear brake pads on a Mk 7 Golf R & GTI performance pack with electronic E brake using only hand tools.
PLEASE USE PROPER PRECAUTIONS WHEN JACKING UP A VEHICLE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE OFF!
This general procedure can be applied to many makes and models of electron parking brakes, however some systems may vary completely in their design so be careful and research before attempting this with a non VAG vehicle.

[@ployaerials1033]

Just wanna say thanks for this video. Followed this tutorial today on my Golf R MK7 and it worked a treat at a fraction of the ridiculous cost that I would have been charged (£35 as opposed to £150+) Thanks again buddy!

[@KarlFosburg]

Thanks for this... worked perfect. Simple allen wrench works best for loosening the pins. Also, confirming what some other commenters said - you don’t need to remove the carrier with the special 14mm triple square to swap in new rotors. Used a similar clamp to push the piston back in and it also worked perfect. Remove the electric plug on the motor to free up the caliper to make it easy to work on. So, basically no special tools required!

[@Super-kx3fn]

Thanks to your video i did this job perfectly today! Vw golf 7

[@pauldaly9896]

Awesome cheers, completed this morning on a MY17 DSG 1.4 Auto. Test drove and no problems or codes etc. (took an angle grinder to my 7mm socket to make it 5mm shorter lol) That was the trickest bit. 1hr on 1st wheel, 30mins on 2nd . . .taking it slow and easy.

[@ernie68cars]

This got me out of a major problem with my daughters car tonight. You learn something new every day

[@v5garage629]

Glad to helped!

[@garytaylor9215]

Golf 1.4 tsi mk7...Worked for me! Thank you!! recommend snipping 2 cable ties that secure flexi pipes to gain better access to servo motor when winding back motor..

[@timsmith2956]

Excellent tip on the handbrake motor worked perfectly ,with lockdown happening ,saved me a lot of hassle Many Thanks 10/10

[@v5garage629]

Happy to have helped!

[@richardeastwood5852]

This was a massive help! Saved me a big chunk of money. Works perfectly!

[@joecarrolljnr]

Great tutorial. Have to do discs and pads on mk7.5 GTD in coming weeks. Thanks guy.

[@aussiedriver]

Rather than removing the motor, using a jump start pack you can unplug the electrical connector and apply 12v power. Only two wires and you simply connect in the orientation to rewind. When reinstalling, from the drivers seat simply keep applying the park brake until it winds enough. It only winds a small amount each time, so it takes a few goes.

[@sanjaysivnarain1258]

When I reverse polarity on the motor to wind it back, how do I know at which point to stop? In other words do I apply power till the motor wnd back till it stops, or will I strip something if I contnue applying power after the motor has driven to the end?

[@johan5453]

@@sanjaysivnarain1258 Works great with a small 9v battery also, less risk to strip something to.. stop when you hear it starts to get heavy for the motor.. When done with both sides pull the e-brake a couple times and it will self adjust.

[@iHadWaterForDinner]

I KNEW I’d find some work around vs going the computer way blah blah. Thank you so much for this. My s3 rear brakes will now be going on thanks to you!

[@sweetmarch251]

One of the best tutorials for brake pad replacement with e brake I've seen so far. 👌

[@milladyavari2801]

Thanks for the video, was great help, worked fine on 2013 audi a3 v8 DSG (automatic). 👍🏼🍻

[@2693andry]

Thanks bro, it worked perfectly for me. Everything went easy and its working fine. :)

[@dntlss]

Great video man,nice to see someone as detailed as i am,Ive heard on other cars you have to do this with a computer because you have to figure out how much the new pads measure and input this into blah blah blah,seems to me like once the piston stops it sends a signal to the computer "hey man, i'm done" and thats it and the piston stops but if you dont do it with the computer it can ruin the caliper and what not,yeah its a nice electric system but like i said it cant be that complicated, just a servo motor like a window motor.

[@ConEgan99]

Worked perfectly. Good straight forward video

[@ignasst]

Worked perfectly! No issues.

[@ivorcutler0309]

Great video done my 2014 audi a3 tdi sline following these steps no fault codes thanks👍

[@carbonio28]

Dude this is going to save me few hundred bucks.even replacing rotors too 👍 cheers guys 😉

[@STITCHWA]

Hi thanks so much for this tutorial i tried to attempt this with no knowledge and freaked out when i couldent do it and the car was left on my friends hoist for a couple of days. Much appreciated 🙏

[@paulsyms8707]

Procedure worked perfectly on a Mk7 golf gtd without vag com

[@rayner1704]

Very helpful and saved me a good amount of money

[@HansSoloYolo]

Huge thank you, this made it easy and worked like a charm.

[@neilcaunter3147]

Just a quick follow up, to release the calliper where there is limited space especially at the top I used a stubby 7mm Allen key with a 10mm Rachet spanner this makes releasing the bolt so much easier.. Many thanks again for the video

[@jasonjay7650]

Great video and well explained. Thanks.

[@oisinmcmahon8630]

Hi, would this method of pushing the piston hack in with my Mark 7 golf 2013 blue motion model. car sat for a week as winter temperatures came in. was working fine prior to this. but it has left the drivers rear sticking. 150 for a new caliper surely pushing the piston back slightly would be enough?

[@apriliaaars]

great video! i have just one question... at the end... it is important if you first lock or unlock parking brake...? first tighten ?

[@fedolfs]

Thanks!! Worked perfectly!! 😊😊

[@garytaylor9215]

Hi... Would this be the same procedure for Mk7 Golf 1.4 Tsi?? thanks..

[@c40united]

Procedure worked fine for me. One thing I would suggest is replacing is the seal (p/n 5Q0698365) on each parking brake motor during reassembly. They're only $8 a piece.

[@v5garage629]

Great suggestion!

[@joaopauloduartetulio2074]

Very nice work. Thank you for the vidéo.

[@edwardmolocznik9017]

Great job, thanks for the video!

[@StUtP9R4]

Thank you! This was helpful :)

[@craigwthomson]

🇬🇧 2017MY Golf GTI DSG Keyless Stop/Start These instructions worked great. It was only on the second side that I realised it wasn’t necessary to remove the pad carrier bolts in order to replace the brake discs. As others have described, the EPB is disabled by putting your foot on the brake and turning on the ignition/ pressing start-stop. Remove your foot from the brake. With the gear lever in park, switch off the auto-hold feature and then the parking brake before turning off the ignition/ pressing start-stop. I found that it wasn’t necessary to leave the ignition on whilst working on the brakes. I did unplug the EPB module whilst I was working on it but I’m not sure that’s strictly necessary. Fitted Brembo discs and pads front and rear for £275 versus £1100 for parts and labour at the VW dealer. 🙌🏻

[@kimirferrari]

Great video Looks straightforward I take it this is the same for the Golf Mk 7 gtd.

[@v5garage629]

As long as it has the electronic parking brake it will be exactly the same.

[@kimirferrari]

@@v5garage629 Brilliant, thankyou!

[@honestreview1043]

Did this work ok on your gtd?

[@kimirferrari]

@@honestreview1043 I decided against risking it and got my local VW Specialist to do the job although I would have loved to have done the job myself. Cost me £250 all in cash including genuine parts plus new back plates which were looking scruffy.

[@tonymcflattie2450]

Great video!

[@neilcaunter3147]

Brilliant video, clear and easy to follow, will this be the same on a 2016 GTD with E handbrake ?

[@v5garage629]

VW shares parts with tons of their vehicles, so I don't see why it wouldn't be the same. At a minimum it will be a very similar process.

[@majstorivan4805]

Hmmm... There is nothing easier than use VCDS or other good car diagnostic tool. You can't call yourself "car mechanic" if you dont owe one... But it is good to know an "opposite" way for emergency situations. So thanks for your video.

[@alixxworkshop846]

After doing this you must reset car computer or It will show errors.But this method saved me a lot of time and money.Mechanic was returning the brake pistons by force and I told him just to put the old brake pads back since I felt something was not right...Thanks for this video!

[@v5garage629]

This is the first time I've head about error messages, but I'm glad this was useful to you anyways.

[@dominicding7201]

Very good idea, but use 12v to the motor , when the piston turns ,you can pull the piston in.

[@traymeezybeatz]

I have a 2016 Audi A3 8V Quattro and I can’t find rear brake kits for my car. Any help suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

[@v5garage629]

I am unfamiliar with your specific car, but I’m pretty sure it will be similar to the regular golf. Does it have an electric parking break? If so the method in the video may work.

[@NicoMall1234]

Bigman you just saved me some bread 💰 💙

[@mengistuhenok526]

God bless you brother.

[@Senna-xi1gr]

Brilliant 👍 cheers.

[@gerhardpetersen]

I would have thought the rotors would be worn out after wearing out a set op pads on them. False economy to go through all the hassle of changing pads without rotors too, especially as you track the car. Better rotors for track use should have been put on. However, the tip for winding back the electro handbrake is very welcome. Saves money and potential disaster by fiddling inside the ECU to wind them back.

[@MrBigad77]

pads wear faster than the disc

[@matthewwilliams3533]

about to take this job on my GTD, anyone had any issues since completing this ? always look at the cheaper option first as long as it remains the cheapest option in the long run...

[@honestreview1043]

Did you attempt this on your gtd?

[@marcotini4796]

great video bro. Did you bleed the brakes? how do you bleed the abs ecu using vcds?

[@v5garage629]

Did not bleed the brakes. Simply remove the brake fluid reservoir cap to allow fluid to flow from the caliper into the reservoir easier. Bleeding the brakes is not necessary.

[@GIXXERUKX]

Thank you 👍👍👍 lifesaver

[@chrisw9445]

question ... he just slid the caliper over the new pads with no issues at all. can you actually use the c-clamp style tool to compress the piston ? i would have figured you'd need the rotating and compressing "special tool" ... :| i cant put that part together, is this because the spline was compressed by turning it in with the 9mm?

[@v5garage629]

Once the spline has been turned fully clockwise the piston will compress all the way inside the caliper, this has to be done first like in the video. The "special tool" referred to in the video is just a regular brake piston compression kit that can be bought at a local auto parts store or on Amazon. It could be used or if you don't have one (like me) a C-clamp like in the video can be used instead. Regardless something is needed to compress the piston because it is very hard to do by hand. Hope this helped.

[@juderclare]

Chris W a

[@ottofumbler7267]

Great tutorial 👍. Still can't understand why VW didn't just add the handbrake (e-brake) rewind function to the in-car system menu.

[@denniissv1444]

I guess it's because they want people to take the car to the VW shop and earn money Would be great if they add that function👍

[@kvmods]

When the e-break is off, i never put it on, cant you just change the breakpads without all that fuzz?

[@v5garage629]

Do you have an electronic e-brake? Because if you don't then you can replace the rear pads the traditional way.

[@davefrighty]

Hey, I'm going to give this a go but have to know, on my GTI the parking brake activates automatically as soon as the ignition turns off, how do you do this work with the parking brake disengaged? Do you leave the ignition on?

[@v5garage629]

I am not familiar with the parking brake engaging automatically so I can't speak as if I've had to deal with it. However, if I were you I would turn the ignition on, disengage the parking brake and proceed with the instructions in the video (make sure your battery doesn't die!). I can't imagine it would be any different since nothing in this procedure has anything to do with the actual EPB motor so it shouldn't matter that the ignition is on. All you are doing in this procedure is reversing the parking brake pad fill mechanism in the actual brake caliper.

[@davefrighty]

V5 Garage thanks for your reply, appreciate it. I just been and had a look and it’s because I always have the auto hold function activated. So with that turned off I can indeed switch off the ignition with the parking brake disengaged...

[@ottofumbler7267]

@@davefrighty I had the same question as you. I'm still not 100% sure if switching auto-hold off will work for me as my car has DSG transmission. As far as I can tell, if the car is in Park and I switch the engine off, regardless if auto-hold is switched off, it certainly sounds like the electronic brake winds on. Don't quote me on that, as I could be wrong. My question is simply this... is your car the manual transmission or DSG? Maybe it matters, maybe it doesn't, but your answer may help me. Thanks. Sorry, but I should add, the electronic brake on my car can only be engaged/disengaged while the engine is running. Obviously, I really don't want to be attempting this job manually if the only way I can do it with the electronic brake disengaged is by jacking the car up and removing parts while the engine is running. Again, don't quote me on any of this, as I may be mistaken.

[@xtoofur]

Thanks for this

[@v5garage629]

You're welcome!

[@rrc1985]

Does the handbrake self adjust quite happily afterwards?

[@v5garage629]

"Happily"? The motor is on for longer than normal the first time you apply the parking brake after doing this. After the first time it will be normal.

[@stanislavjohn6156]

same on an audi A3 2017 with electric park brake ?

[@v5garage629]

Should be identical

[@mattiacoratella861]

Vag com 0% / hand Made 100% Great 👌🏼

[@spifie2]

Is it just a regular 9mm socket to wind back the spline

[@v5garage629]

Sure, you could use any sort of pliers also but then you risk contaminating or damaging the spline. It doesn't require much force either so you could just do it by hand.

[@ryanvtec3885]

I'm in canada. Whats the cheapest tool I can get to deal with this electric parking brake issue.

[@v5garage629]

This instructional video uses only hand tools, no special tools needed.

[@ryanvtec3885]

@@v5garage629 awesome i've gotta try this on a 2015 tdi

[@rendanin8329]

Does it work on Audi A6 C7 2.0TDI

[@v5garage629]

I don't see why not. The electronic systems parking brakes from all manufacturers function in a similar way, one from Audi will definitely be similar if not identical to the one from VW.

[@ottofumbler7267]

Great tutorial. Just one question... do you know if this will work on a Mk7 with DSG transmission? I think the car in the tutorial has a manual shift transmission, correct? Reason I ask is because I believe the DSG models will always apply the electronic brake once the engine is switched off, even when the auto-hold function is turned off. If I'm right, then your process might not work for DSG models. It all depends on how the servo reacts (if at all) when the caliper is removed. I suppose I could disconnect the battery terminal, meaning it has no power going to the motor, but I'd rather avoid doing this in case it creates an ECU or immobiliser issue. Appreciate my dilemma?

[@v5garage629]

Yes the vehicle in the video has a manual transmission, and I am unfamiliar with the DSG gearbox and auto-parking brake feature associated with it. If there is a way to disengage the parking brake while the car is off then the procedure in this video should work just fine. It appears others have had the issue you're talking about, maybe just try to disengaging the parking brake when the ignition is on but the engine is off. This whole process shouldn't take more than an hour or so, and your battery shouldn't die with the ignition on in that time frame. Again, I am not familiar with the DSG and please take the proper precautions when jacking up any car without the parking brake on. Hope this helps.

[@ottofumbler7267]

@@v5garage629 No problem. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Safety first as always. I'm determined to get to the bottom of this conundrum, so I'll keep digging around for a solution and I'll post back here if I find one. Love this car, but hate VW for not adding the EPB wind-back function to the menu in the car's own console.

[@ottofumbler7267]

Okay. I've tested the method on a DSG model, and confirm it works. Sequence as follows... 1. DSG in Park, depress footbrake, start engine. 2. Take foot off brake, switch auto-hold off (unlit), disengage EPB (unlit). 3. Turn off engine but DO NOT remove ignition key. And that's it. The EPB will remain off, and this video tutorial can be followed to replace the rear pads. Note: to save the battery while you work, you'll want to switch off the entertainment system and anything that is drawing a current.

[@revinot]

Great video.Would this be the same for DSG Transmission?

[@tonymcflattie2450]

Same procedure with either tranny, no difference in brake system

[@p-anilsson622]

Hi, You are winding the motor clockwise on left side of the car - how about the right side? Clockwise as well?

[@v5garage629]

Yes, still clockwise.

[@Rommellollis]

thanks

[@garytaylor9215]

Oh and unplugging the motor connection too

[@andrewdelieu583]

My splines just keep spinning and will never stop

[@AversaS2]

There's something wrong with my car. I had a family friend that used to work on cars replace my brakes. Now my car feels like there's resistance when I drive. Not only that but every time I start my car up, my e-brake comes on and doesn't go off until I press the gas. This is something new. Any recommendations here would be great.

[@v5garage629]

Sounds like your auto hold is on.

[@AversaS2]

V5 Garage Auto hold automatically is coming on. I usually leave it on until I park, because it makes it easier to have it off. The next time I start my car, it comes on.

[@v5garage629]

@@AversaS2 Do you have a manual or automatic? Someone on here was having the same issue but it turned out the auto hold was on, turning it off by pressing the button on the center console fixed their problem. I don't know how to permanently deactivate the auto hold feature otherwise.

[@arno4391]

@@v5garage629 Or you have the wrong pad on piston side and visa versa,thats what MY FRIEND DID ,PAD WITH THE TENSION CLIP GOES PISTON SIDE AND PAD WITHOUT GOES ON OUTSIDE OF CALLIPERWHERE TENSION CLIP FOR CALLIPER SITS.Sorry for the capitals,two finger typing takes ages.

[@user-zt1ml8hh4h]

gootです。

[@josteinatlejrgensen6962]

7:00 Clockwise , but even on the other side ?

[@v5garage629]

It's the same

[@EMuybridge]

Looks solid to me - anyone take issue with this approach?

[@v5garage629]

It's been more than one year since I performed this service and I've had no issues.

[@garytaylor9215]

Worked perfectly for me too..

[@antekadoic2005]

Playing with brakes ??? Good job

[@igorsydorenko252]

Its probably be the same for audi a3 8v

[@v5garage629]

This method seems to work for just about every VAG electronic parking brake. Doing this with other car brands is similar in principal too.

[@timoklap]

without calibrating the hill hold function will not work

[@v5garage629]

I tested my hill hold this morning and it works fine, is this an issue you are having?

[@arno4391]

@@v5garage629 I did mine and now it gives a fault regarding hill hold ,how do I reprogram hill hold ? ??

[@Cubrider]

Great video but never , never put copper grease on the back of break pads. That was something our parents did years ago. No need now and it bleeds through any holes in the back plate and melts when hot.