1 hour ago, Gizmo said:

 

You are going to need VCDS etc to put the EPB into service position  

I think I remember there is a procedure in the manual for that without using vdcs. Might be mistaken but worthwhile checking. 

3 hours ago, Albourneboy said:

Those of you that have bought non-OEM after-market discs for their car - how did you go about getting them fitted?

 

I read somewhere that the rear discs and pads need to be done by a dealer because of the electronic handbrake. I more than capable of doing the job myself if I can and will be doing the fronts when the need arises but can the rears be done without using a VCDS (or similar)?

I did it myself, but I have VCDS. But there are various other means of retracting the parking brake (little handheld electronic gadgets like code readers) and I would think a decent non-dealer specialist garage would have such a thing.

 

Apparently one can bodge it by connecting the brake motor to 12v in the correct polarity to unwind, but personally I’d be reluctant. You could probably get a parking brake electronic unwind gadget for less than the cost of the difference between DIY and dealer. You also need a 14mm(?) spline drive to undo the (very tight) bolts holding the disc carrier on.

6 hours ago, Albourneboy said:

Those of you that have bought non-OEM after-market discs for their car - how did you go about getting them fitted?

 

I read somewhere that the rear discs and pads need to be done by a dealer because of the electronic handbrake. I more than capable of doing the job myself if I can and will be doing the fronts when the need arises but can the rears be done without using a VCDS (or similar)?

Hi mate,

 

You need a bag windback tool. I basically when the wheel was off turned the ignition on but not the engine and turned handbrake off with the auto break. Managed to do both sides without battery dying and no one software.

12 minutes ago, SpeedyB79 said:

 

You need a bag windback tool. I basically when the wheel was off turned the ignition on but not the engine and turned handbrake off with the auto break. Managed to do both sides without battery dying and no one software.

 

If you turn off autohold, and release the EPB, it will remain released when the ignition is off.

However it does not retract the caliper motors fully so would still be a problem with worn pads/disc replacement.

 

I'm not sure using a wind back tool wouldn't damage the motors as they go through a high ratio gearbox, probably with nylon gears.

 

Afaik the official procedure is to fully retract the motors (using diagnostic s) then just push back the pistons in the same way as the front brakes.

 

5 hours ago, xman said:

 

You can also use OBDeleven and Carista. No doubt other OBD diagnostic devices too.

 

Cheapest option I've seen is Carista, £16 gets the adapter and 1 month free trial of the Pro features.

 

I think you can also disconnect the caliper and supply +12v directly to wind the motor out but I think that might cause all sorts of problems with the cars systems.

 

Can't you disconnect the motor part from the caliper and thus wind it back in as usual? I'm not familiar with them but I've known a few manage to do rear brakes with no diagnostic equipment without any future problems so it must be possible

42 minutes ago, SuperbTWM said:

 

Can't you disconnect the motor part from the caliper and thus wind it back in as usual? I'm not familiar with them but I've known a few manage to do rear brakes with no diagnostic equipment without any future problems so it must be possible

 

Possibly, if you can access all the screws holding the motor on, and if they're not tamper proof.

 

But a few unknowns, e.g. would you comprise the caliper's hydraulic circuit? Reassembly might be tricky if the splined shaft doesn't line up. Not knowing how the EPB knows the various positions, applied, released, retracted, I personally wouldn't risk doing it this way.

 

SpeedyB79's suggestion of using a windback tool makes me wonder if some independents do use this method willy nilly, imo its likely to inflict some damage to the caliper motor gearbox.

 

Here's Carista's take on EPB, it mentions "EPB pressure", which could refer to caliper motor position, but could also refer to system hydraulic pressure, as the braking system is capable of applying and holding hydraulic pressure in Autohold.

 

https://blog.caristaapp.com/changing-brake-pads-or-discs-on-vw-audi-models-with-an-electronic-parking-brake-epb-9a87dfe137d4

 

1 hour ago, xman said:

 

Possibly, if you can access all the screws holding the motor on, and if they're not tamper proof.

 

But a few unknowns, e.g. would you comprise the caliper's hydraulic circuit? Reassembly might be tricky if the splined shaft doesn't line up. Not knowing how the EPB knows the various positions, applied, released, retracted, I personally wouldn't risk doing it this way.

 

 

 

I bet they are dead easy to  take off, they look like torx, Ebay is full of listings for just the motor. The hydraulic circuit is totally separate so not compromised at all, and I cant see why the splined shaft wouldn't line up.

 

Regarding the position, the handbrake motor only has 2 connections suggesting there are no limits and no feedback so I think it is safe to assume the system works on torque via the controller. This means it probably doesn't matter what the actual position is, it just winds the caliper until a set current is reached which means X amount of pressure on the pads.

 

This is why I think you can get away with taking off the motor and winding the caliper in manually and then reassembling

 

I think I'd rather just spend £16, and press a button or two rather than go stripping a (corroded) caliper, but to each his own...

Sounds like I was lucky then. Wound back very easy and still breaking fine. No OBD tools used all worked fine old school.

On 26/02/2019 at 09:45, xman said:

 

Exactly!

 

The EPB can be activated whilst movimg and it will do an emergency brake, which at low speed is extremely aggressive and frightening.

Although this was discussed some time ago, nobody has yet volunteered to do one at a higher speed and report back what it was like.

 

If/when mine get like that, I would simply take the wheels off and get the aluminium oxide 80 grit paper out and clean the surfaces by hand. 

I stupidly did this the first weekend I had the car and it remains one of my only gripes about the superb.

 

The retractable cover for the drinks holder in the center console is made from the exact same material as the hand brake!

 

I put it on about 40ish mph , the car kicked back then released as it realised I was being an idiot and I just carried on driving.

 

Still have some rust on the back I think.

On 27/02/2019 at 12:57, KeteCantek said:

That is a good tip. Even my petrol dsg has significant engine braking in town and I end up using very little brakes. 

 

I don’t really follow that. I use the freewheel economy function, but as soon as you touch the brake pedal it engages the gears again. Any difference would be pretty insignificant, surely!

I have started to 'clean' up my rear discs a little with judicious use of the parking brake as I'm moving along slowly. 

 

Kids appear to enjoy this. 

 

Car doesn't appear to enjoy this. 

 

Other drivers look bemused. 

 

Discs a little cleaner...there actually appears to contact between pads and disc now! 

5 minutes ago, Whenwillilearn said:

I have started to 'clean' up my rear discs a little with judicious use of the parking brake as I'm moving along slowly. 

 

Kids appear to enjoy this. 

 

Car doesn't appear to enjoy this. 

 

Other drivers look bemused. 

 

Discs a little cleaner...there actually appears to contact between pads and disc now! 

 

Careful you don't flatspot those tyres!

On 27/02/2019 at 10:11, Albourneboy said:

Those of you that have bought non-OEM after-market discs for their car - how did you go about getting them fitted?

 

I read somewhere that the rear discs and pads need to be done by a dealer because of the electronic handbrake. I more than capable of doing the job myself if I can and will be doing the fronts when the need arises but can the rears be done without using a VCDS (or similar)?

 

I changed mine over today (Brembo UV coated discs and pads)

 

The rears looked bad enough on the outside, the inside was even worse!

 

 

Not a great deal left on the rear pads:

 

These are 39 months and 52K miles old! (I usually get over 100k out of a set of discs)

 

The fronts (you can just see one of them in the top photo) was good enough to leave, but I changed them as well for piece of mind.

 

I used VCDS for the EPB, and a wind back tool for the rear pistons (you don’t need to remove the rear caliper carriers to change the discs)

Edited 2 March, 20197 yr by Gizmo

2 hours ago, Mph25 said:

 

I don’t really follow that. I use the freewheel economy function, but as soon as you touch the brake pedal it engages the gears again. Any difference would be pretty insignificant, surely!

It does engage gears when you brake in eco mode but coasting means you can let go of the throttle early and still start braking at a higher speed. 

8 minutes ago, Gizmo said:

 

I changed mine over today (Brembo UV coated discs and pads)

 

The rears looked bad enough on the outside, the inside was even worse!

 

 

Not a great deal left on the rear pads:

 

These are 39 months and 52K miles old! (I usually get over 100k out of a set of discs)

 

The fronts (you can just see one of them in the top photo) was good enough to leave, but I changed them as well for piece of mind.

 

I used VCDS for the EPB, and a wind back tool for the rear pistons (you don’t need to remove the rear caliper carriers to change the discs)

 

Those rear discs and pads are truly grotesque. 

 

Skoda must buy them from Poundland.

 

Keep us updated on the Brembos after you've racked up a decent mileage....