MK7 GOLF GTI R S3 BRAKE + CLUTCH FLUID DIY - IMPORTANT YET OFTEN OVERLOOKED

[@stco2426]

Excellent. Many thanks for this. Am about to do a brake bleed on a mk7 GTD after having to fit a new rear caliper. Ah the joys of the EPB!! Agree that the Haynes manual says to use the bleed sequence as you have it here. This is a bit odd / novel as I’ve tended to do the brake furthest from the master first, which is a common approach, but I’ll do this new sequence. Agree with the tools and sympathetic approach to the process however, I’ve just got a vacuum bleeder, which I hope will be useful for all sorts of suction jobs. These are not perfect but might have a few more general uses than the pressure system, but I know these are pretty good as you show. I think my rear brakes are the same as you have here and it can be hard to access the nipple. The Haynes manual also recommends bleeding the clutch when doing the brakes and again the details are scant. Great to see the technique (bleed, pump bleed) you used here. Very many thanks!! Is the VCDS ‘brake bleed’ setting only necessary if the master cylinder or ABS module have been drained, do you know?

[@fatwalletboy2]

I would add 2 things; 1. Always wash your hands before entering the car for the test drive.....you dont want fluid anywhere on the leather touch points or plastics. Or use disposable nitrile gloves. 2. Wear eye protection when you undo the nipples as the fluid could spurt out under the pressure. Did the pedal feel any better after after the fluid change? The old stuff did look bad. Also I take it all the valves are open in the ABS unit for a full fluid clean out?? £3 for those bolt caps is an absolute bargain but wheres the link?

[@MauriceNL1]

On my A3 8V the fluid was a little bit darker and the pedal feel has gotten a bit better after changing it to DOT5.1

[@MonkeyKong21]

glad somebody told me that my clutch pedal also uses the brake fluid. I would've guessed it pulled a steel cable

[@colinboyle7955]

Good explaining everything I love it. Where do you get that print out of instructions to bleed the brake and clutch fluid?

[@JamesGadbury]

Thanks for the thorough walkthrough. Good stuff, will help loads of people 👍

[@volkswizard]

Thanks James, helping other is what it is all about 👍🏻

[@jwester7009]

Why are you only bleeding it on one side on the car? Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I always start bleeding the brakes at the wheel furthest away from the brake pedal and I do it on all four corners until I see new clean brake fluid coming out. During the process I keep adding new brake fluid to the reservoir. This process is to make sure all the old fluid is out of the entire system along with water that has been condensing into the system over time

[@mda5003]

Indeed, most will say to do just that - furthest away first. But, according to the manual for my VW it says left-hand front first then right-hand front followed similarly with the rears. I've no idea why.

[@michael6125]

He’s only showing us from one side of the car maybe for time convenience as it’s the exact same process for the opposite side on that axle. However he does include a caption stating that the side he’s showing us is after the other side opposite. Also to add he is following the actual manufacturers guide on how to bleed the system so he’s doing exactly what the manufacturers instructed us

[@964tractorboy]

A job well done. It's easy to see why DIYers aren't too enthused by the task, but there's no excuse for a dealer-maintained car to miss out on such basic work. Hope the track-day goes well!

[@pequod1]

I'd consider DOT5.1 as something between OEM and a 'track' fluid a la RBF600, it's ridiculously cheap at GSF now too.

[@volkswizard]

I will check that out, thanks

[@garybocking4541]

I had Brembo 5.1 in my Ed30 pedal feel was great.

[@malchowle5618]

Bleeding brilliant.. Thank you 👍

[@conradorodriguez9498]

Perfect man! Saved me 35 dollars!

[@jpgpearson]

i use my oil suction kit....which i use for the sump.....first suck old brake fluid out of the reservoir...put fresh brake fluid in.....move your oil suction kit to the nipple and then suck out old fluid until it changes colour making sure you top up the reservoir.

[@thecomanche1]

It says in my VW workshop manual that the bleed sequence must be performed 5 times per calliper. Only if air is in the system though.

[@davidchambers7622]

Really enjoyed this Video Andrew, 8 years ago my Porsche dealer quoted me £180, a specialist £90, however I can see the labour involved in this process thanks for sharing 👍

[@volkswizard]

Thanks David. I am sure some workshops don't do as thorough a job (some don't even do it at all even though they say there have as it's not easy to tell). Some I gather don't take wheels off and do it on ramp, so either they have a better drain hose than me that doesn't drip or they pour a lot of water or they damage paint on inside of wheel :(

[@NoName-st6zc]

I know those racingline wheels are just your trackwheels and everything but holy crap do these look sheit compared to the pretorias. Just my two cents of course... Apart from that : super useful video explaining something that's done way too rarely on a lot of performance cars where this should be done yearly really. You're absolutely smashing it with your content lately. Keep it up mate!

[@simonvazquez6751]

Great watch, really detailed 👍. Pertinent for me as I recently had the brakes on my 7.5 GTi bled at Inchcape VW Manchester; They came back feeling spongy and soft. I took it back, they cast an eye over it "fine to us" however still not right. Must buy this bleed kit and do a proper job myself 💪

[@volkswizard]

Sorry to hear main dealers couldn't do this basic job right. On plus side at least your nipples will be loose :)

[@Jon-mo9ks]

If you're only bleeding the clutch, does it matter which wheel you extract from?

[@Peterv832]

Sorry to ask. I am unclear if I should remove the pressure bleeder when doing the clutch fluid? I recently did the brakes. But need to go back to do the clutch and not sure if i should connect the pressure bleeder. Thank you

[@rohrbaughfab]

I wonder if since my brake fluid is so dirty it would cause the master cylinder to freak out for the clutch

[@ivanb3303]

Very enjoyable and when you reach 50K I trust 75k and beyond is in reach

[@Sverigebilden]

Nice video, is the procedur the same on a left hand drive? Front left, front right ,left back and right back?

[@merk8641]

What seats are those?

[@papillon5537]

Mk7 share same brake and clutch fluid? Has to replace them separate way?

[@eamol]

Good video but I would add one major thing and it's nothing to do with the actual brake fluid change.....Screwing on wheel studs/ bolts with a power tool is the surest way to destroy the threads instantly...

[@DrFod]

Nothing wrong with that as long as you use a low torque setting and finish tightening with a torque wrench.

[@eamol]

@@DrFod Everything wrong with it as no one uses a low torque setting to begin with....

[@volkswizard]

I do as my gun is really old and it doesn't have that much torque, I only use it to thread the bolts into hub to save time, and then I use torque wrench which always needs to tighten them a bit. TBH I used to tighten then way too much before I had an impact gun and a torque wrench like most DIYers probably do as 120nm is not all that much

[@michael6125]

Was it me who missed the process of filling the brake system with the new fluid?

[@iansaxton8684]

Nope, I was just going to state exactly the same?

[@volkswizard]

The new fluid is in the pressure bleeder, it’s what pushes the old fluid out

[@michael6125]

@@volkswizard Thank you for this. Just that explanation has taught me something new. Didn’t know it was the new fluid that pushes out the old. Thank you

[@Deceptive24]

Legend. Such a clean presentation.

[@wilstw]

if you have EPB electronic parking brake..should the EPB be switched off for the bleeding oil at rear brakes

[@volkswizard]

I think they bleed ok either way as epb is electric, not hydraulic

[@stco2426]

@@volkswizard Thanks.

[@tonyp741]

Excellent video and really informative. I may have to get myself one of those bleeders.

[@volkswizard]

thanks tonyp!

[@spills_n_thrills]

I watch Golf GTI videos despite owning an Octavia vRS 245 because no one cares about the vRS, even though it's a GTI with 2" longer wheelbase but better day to day practicality (and arguably better interior)

[@justinkirkhope8810]

Agree, nice car - same with my Superb 280, with the exception of 4wd, much the same on brakes, chassis etc

[@e-proyects6691]

Where did You find the manuals from vw

[@jaketaylor5470]

Imagine the amount of chips on that mint front bumper after 1 track day let alone of a lorry on motorway! Scary

[@volkswizard]

The front end is PPF protected, I've done loads of track days and never got a chip even without PPF. Stonechips are annoying but cars are for driving so you just deal with them when they get bad enough

[@jaketaylor5470]

​@@volkswizard i have been watching your videos for along time.... fair play buy it and use it for its purpose 👌

[@chrisp4899]

Definitely needed it , have you ever used lanoguard to protect the underbody I'm thinking of doing the rear axle on my polo

[@volkswizard]

I'll be using the Bilt Hamber protectant now the weather has warmed up

[@b4b516]

A grade A brake fluid change! unfortunately it’s a dying practice for many no good reasons. I think you should add to these maintenance videos if you haven’t done so before on where the correct locations to jack a VW are. Crushed sills plagued the classics but we can still save the ones to come 😂.

[@volkswizard]

Good point re jacking points. I don't enjoy jacking any sill but it's better than slipping off some other bit

[@joeboycott147]

I like the T-shirt, where did you get it from?

[@volkswizard]

That's very old - I bought it from an official VW Motorsport stall at Rally GB somewhere muddy in Wales in November 2014 I think. Not seen them for sale anywhere since.

[@kentowers2802]

Andrew Have you tried removing the clutch slave delay valve / dampener? It’s a really good little mod to do while bleeding the clutch

[@volkswizard]

I haven't removed that yet Ken but having now driven it on track, assuming no side effects, it's got to go as it's awful. Remember it from my first CSS, weirdly my Cupra didn't have it so must have been removed.

[@kentowers2802]

@@volkswizard I did on my CSS, 7.5 GTI and cupra. Definitely worth doing Also there’s a spring on the pedal which works against the return spring so make the pedal return very slowly Try removing that before the delay valve - it was terrible on my CSS with that spring on the pedal, it just pops off in a few seconds

[@robc5955]

Thanks good reminder, did I see/hear you say do passenger side first then driver? Also, stupid question I guess but if you have either wet or dry clutch dsg there is no brake fluid operated clutch slave? Thanks

[@volkswizard]

The order is definitely as follows; front left front right rear left rear right Left or right is as if looking from sat inside the car The video shows front right just because it suited me for filming So start on passenger side front for RHD cars Not a stupid question re clutch as DSG has 2 clutches but none use brake fluid. HTH

[@robc5955]

@@volkswizard thankyou

[@philipguacci6452]

What about braided brake lines. Race Pads. Wheel bolts rather than nuts, to prevent wheels shearing off. George and Misha at the Nurburgring have done this to their GTI. Or is this to extreme in this case. Cheers from me Andrew.

[@volkswizard]

Thanks again Philip for the input - braided brake lines are a good idea when upgrading brake hardware so one for future. Same goes for upgraded pads. On a VW you can fit studs to the hub and use bolts to hold wheels on (like on a Ford!) , Racingline do this kit but I feel safer on correctly torqued wheel bolts personally, only benefit really is to make wheel swaps quicker and easier, more important for a racing car where they swap wheels on the grid before races as well as pit stops.

[@man1to]

You not driving it hard enough then if you say that braided lines are for upgraded brakes ....I've done my first track with my OEM GTi and 3 laps my brakes were gone. Came back at later date with braided lines... motul rbf660 fluid and mintex m155 pads and the difference is night and day. If you going to Nürburgring in the OEM setup your brakes will be gone after a few corners guaranteed!

[@malcolmscott4150]

Now off to the track 🏎🏎🏎🚒 🎯👍

[@volkswizard]

Pretty much as you typed that, I was indeed setting off. It was an interesting evening that if for sure...........

[@stephenspier9590]

First! 😂

[@volkswizard]

😍

[@davidhaygarth648]

Wife hates pumping the pedal...lol