I have a Elegance Tdi year 2000. I have recently tried to change the back brake pads and to my surprise the rear cylinder has to be screwed back in place. Does anyone know where I can get the tool to do this or is there some way of screwing the cylinder back in?

Also I need to bleed the brakes and is there a set sequence in order I bleed first?

Thanks

Martin Smith

You need a brake rewinding tool, which I believe, Halfords sell as well. Don't do it by hand as you'll ruin the thread which will lead to a more expensive replacement job. You do not need to bleed brakes if just replacing pads, but if you were, I don't think you have to do it in a particular order.

You will need one of these:

Sykes-Pickavant brake caliper rewinding tool - model number 66066500

Available from Halfords for

Bleeding the brakes, you start on the furthest away from the master cylinder. If the cylinder is on right hand side of the engine bay, start on the rear left, rear right, front left and finally front right. This ensures that all the air is gone with minimum wastage.

Before you start, unscrew the cap off the reservoir but leave it seated on top to stop dirt getting in. Have someone press and hold the brake pedal, open and close the bleed valve, then release the pedal. Continue this until there is no sign of air in the brake fluid.

Changing the fluid can be a nightmare, you have to prime the calipers and bleed the brakes. Unless you are totally confident, leave it to a garage. You only have to mess it up slightly and the brakes feel like they were made by utterly butterly.

I've bled the brakes all round a number of times, pedal goes right to the top everything is rosey and as soon as I start the engine, put my foot on the brake, the pedal goes down to the floor. Does anyone know if there is any additional bleeding screw on the brake system?

Martin Smith

Allways best to use some form of pressure bleeder rather than pumping the pedal to stop damage to the master cylinder. If you must pump it out do not push the pedal all the way to the floor, just half way down.

Ross, don't dealers sometimes need to use a VAG 1551/2 to open the valves in the ABS to ensure that all the air is expelled from the brake system?

Only if the fluid level has been allowed to drop sufficently that air has got into the ABS unit. Not normally when just replacing the fluid or fitting new calipers etc.

As long as the reservior is kept topped up it will be fine.

However there are one or two bleed screws for the master cylinder just below the reservior on the cylinder body itself.