my newish superd 1.9 tdi

is in need of rear pads after only

12k.

the reason i checked them was my mate

said that is only lasted 15k.

is this about the norm for superbs

Yes if you're hard on them. Mine managed about 20k. The fronts will do at least 3x this - lousy design (no warning on rears).

rotodiesel.

Have to agree. My rears went on about 17k. Fronts lasted to about 28k

Better take a look at mine then, I have 19k on mine.

Better take a look at mine then, I have 19k on mine.

Blimey - me too - I'm on 16k!

I don't suppose the number of "clicks" on the handbrake is any indication then, as mine bites like a pirahna at three! I parked it the other day facing down hill on a steep drive with no problem at all!

It does seem to be a common theme that the Superb is heavy on rear pads - Very strange.

It does seem to be a common theme that the Superb is heavy on rear pads - Very strange.

Can't be kerbweight - the "Old" Passat 130PD weighed in at 1586kgs - the Superb is 1518kgs for the 140PD!

are the pistons for the rear pads on the superb the same as the A6 and passat? - do they have to be screwed back in like a corkscrew or do they just push straight back - when i did the ones on a previous A6 the pistons were a right bugger to get back in without tye special vag tool

I think they are wound back.

The new Passat with electronic handbrake requires Dealer VAS or VAG-COM to wind the pistons back :eek:

Does anyone know a part number for this tool or what it looks like as I need to service my Superb, which I will be doing myself but it sounds like I will need this tool for the rear brakie pads?

Just a normal piston windback tool should cover it. Halfrauds sell them if you get desperate.

Righto Stu, thanks.

German Swedish & French stock the right tool and also the "Textar" pads which are identical to the VAG originals.

The screw pitch on the piston wind back tool has to match the thread inside the caliper piston otherwise winding back will be difficult (the tool either becomes threadbound or falls out). The G S & F tool is correct. The wrong tool can cause damage.

rotodiesel.

German Swedish & French stock the right tool and also the "Textar" pads which are identical to the VAG originals.

The screw pitch on the piston wind back tool has to match the thread inside the caliper piston otherwise winding back will be difficult (the tool either becomes threadbound or falls out). The G S & F tool is correct. The wrong tool can cause damage.

rotodiesel.

Thanks mate, I always get my parts from GSF so I will ask them about the tool as well.

Brace yourself then chaps!

Mine needed new discs and pads all round at 40k:eek:

That was a bill I didn't want to see that early:thumbdwn:

Brace yourself then chaps!

Mine needed new discs and pads all round at 40k:eek:

That was a bill I didn't want to see that early:thumbdwn:

That's not too bad really - 30-40k for discs would be average, wouldn't it?

having spoken to several drivers

in the trade(taxis)they are of the

opinion that pattern part brake pads

give better life than originals.

also they are much cheaper.

you can get the windback tools

on ebay.

The problem with some pattern rear pads is that they are too hard. This gives them a longer life and does not unduly affect the service brake, but leads to an inefficient handbrake.

Handbrakes which are incorporated in the caliper need to have a huge mechanical leverage ratio compared with a drum brake because the pads are so small. For the service brake there's no problem - calipers have much bigger pistons than drum brake slave cylinders but the handbrake can be mechanically marginal. If you put harder pads in the rear calipers you risk having the thing rolling away - especially if the handbrake is pulled onto a hot disk which then contracts as it cools. At least drum brakes tighten as the drum contracts.

Beware any winding tool which does not have its thread pitch matched to the one inside the caliper.

rotodiesel.

Yes if you're hard on them. Mine managed about 20k. The fronts will do at least 3x this - lousy design (no warning on rears).

Bit confused by this - when you say being hard on them, are you meaning using the footbrake a lot?

Chris

Absolutely. Using the brakes is a waste of fuel - I buy fuel to move things around, not to heat up and wear out the brakes.

rotodiesel.

Absolutely. Using the brakes is a waste of fuel - I buy fuel to move things around, not to heat up and wear out the brakes.

Ah ok - all the cars I've had have been set up with a front brake-bias which means about 90% of the braking is done by the front of the car so front pads last about 30-40k and the rear pads last for about 70-80k. Is the Superb set up differently then?

Chris

The Superb is an ancient design (old Passat) which I suspect was originally built with a pressure limiting valve for the rear brakes. This would mean that under light load and gentle braking (most of the time, in fact) the rear brakes would do very little work.

When ABS came along, the limiting valve was deleted as the rears could not lock - but it now means that under all conditions the rear brakes see full hydraulic pressure - so of course they wear faster. This makes a nonsense of having a wear indicator of the fronts.

As we now know, VAG just don't support their older designs, so that's how it has ended up - the Superb has inherited this problem from the old Passat + water ingress and a few other nasty things. Thanks, VAG - Jap car next time.

rotodiesel.

Grateful to all concerned for pointing out shortcomings on Superb rear pads - would never have thought of looking at 26k miles.

After reading these posts I have had mine done this week - there was a little meat left, but probably saved the discs.

Thanks

Hmm.

I've just checked my car's history, only seems to list fluid change... no discs or pads being changed... I changed them (all round) myself at 57k.

Motorway miles...?

Brace yourself then chaps!

Mine needed new discs and pads all round at 40k:eek:

That was a bill I didn't want to see that early:thumbdwn:

With no rear warning indication until the grinding sounds started, my 55 plate 1.9 TDI130 company vehicle has just had new rear discs and pads at 35.5 k. :( Same day the noises started, the service interval warning appeared (this leasing company have all VAG cars set for extended service - on normal routine servicing this would have been spotted earlier)