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Volkswagen Passat Brake Questions

116 messages,  Last post on Mar 23, 2013 at 11:28 PM

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What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Brakes, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 7 of 13

#54 of 116 Re: 2004 VW Passat Brake Vibration [quprof] by skizamii

Dec 01, 2008 (7:44 pm)

Replying to: quprof (Jun 07, 2008 2:57 pm)
quprof,
 
I have the same vibration problem with my 2000 Passat. I don't have any ABS or worn brake pad warning lights, but right before a stop even on dry pavement the ABS kicks on hard. Sometimes it has prevented me from stopping and I nearly rear ended the car in front of me; I had to pump the brakes to get the ABS to stop so I could stop the car.
 
Anyone know what is causing this? The manual says that at 4mph the ABS system kicks in as a system check, but I can't imagine this is what is going on.

#55 of 116 Re: ABS and Brake Lights [rjayt] by pmarhi

Mar 18, 2009 (7:35 am)

Replying to: rjayt (Apr 18, 2008 6:28 am)
Had the same problem with my 2000 Passat. The only way to fix this is to repair/replace your ABS module. I brought my Passat into the dealer and was told I needed a new ABS module. Cost: $890. I found a company not far from me that that will rebuild your ABS module for $139 and guarantee it for as long as you own the car: BAA Reman, Taunton MA http://www.bba-reman.com/us/index.aspx. They also will sell you a rebuilt module for $199, but you must have the module re-coded, and my local dealer would not do that for me (nice guys, huh?). And you must send them your original module. If you have your own rebuilt and re-installed, no re-coding is necessary. So I had my local mechanic remove the module (you can still drive the car), and drove down to Taunton, MA where they are located. They were kind enough to do the rebuild on the spot (only takes about 45 mins.). Had lunch nearby and came back in 45 mins and took it home with me, had it re-installed by my local mechanic and problem solved! No more beeping, no more flashing lights. Total cost to me: $214 ($139 + $75 to remove and re-install). Highly recommend BAA Man. They couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. Even have removal instructions on their website.

#56 of 116 '07 2.0T Rear Brakes - Help! by srn3

Aug 15, 2009 (7:48 am)

Hi,
  
I just went for an oil change and the dealer told me my rear brakes (both pads and rotors!!) need to be changed. I found this very unusual given that the car has only 29,000 miles. The dealer was like rear brakes tend to wear out much faster than front brakes on VWs. The dealer quoted a price of $415 Couple questions -
  
1. Do rear brakes really wear out at 29,000 miles?
2. Do I really need to change both pads and rotors? I would think that changing pads only would be fine.
3. Isn't $415 a lot? Does this sound right?
4. Is it usual for rear brakes to wear out before front brakes? I always thought front brakes tend to bear most of the braking load and would thus wear out much faster.
  
I am hoping someone can help me with my questions.
  
Thanks a lot and any insights are much appreciated!
  
SN

#57 of 116 Re: '07 2.0T Rear Brakes - Help! [srn3] by altair4

Aug 17, 2009 (7:53 am)

Replying to: srn3 (Aug 15, 2009 7:48 am)
I don't have the current gen of Passat, but my '03 wagon definitely goes through rear brakes more quickly than the front. Original factory pad wore out in less than 23K miles. I've never had a car that did this before - neither driving habits nor location have changed. Anyway, I used PBR Deluxe pads and new rotors from Ate. Those lasted longer - 32K - but the rotors started to get rust rot on the swept area and wouldn't pass state inspection. The pads, though, had a lot of meat on them yet. Fronts were done around 57K.
 
I don't ride the brakes andI downshift when descending hills. No other car that I've owned in the past or in the present has this wear pattern.
 
$400+ sounds right for a dealership. You can do better elsewhere, but make sure you use quality products. Can't comment on doing the job yourself because of the electric parking brake - I think you need a VAG-Com to do the job.
 
DIY on the old gen Passat was easy-peasy.

#58 of 116 Re: ABS control module VW Passat [adrian537] by okieinmn

Aug 18, 2009 (2:29 pm)

Replying to: adrian537 (Nov 13, 2007 2:47 pm)
Where could I get the information to get my ABS module rebuilt?
99 Passat 2.8 V6

#59 of 116 Re: ABS control module VW Passat [okieinmn] by altair4

Aug 19, 2009 (7:26 am)

Replying to: okieinmn (Aug 18, 2009 2:29 pm)
Have you tried googling it? Try: vw abs module rebuild

#60 of 116 Brake switch replacement by okieinmn

Aug 19, 2009 (6:54 pm)

how do I change brake switch for 99 VW Passat

#61 of 116 At my wits end here with early 01 Passat front brakes by timbeef42

Aug 23, 2009 (9:14 am)

Ok, bear with me here. Quite some time ago I was driving down the road and brake failure lights came on on my dash. I pulled over and tested the brakes on the side of the road. Noticed no degradation of performance of the brakes so I drove the car home. The warning lights intermittently would come on and off seemingly randomly. I realized it had been quite a while since I replaced the pads so, not having the time to do it myself, I took it to Mineke. They kept the car a day and said I needed rotors and pads. I Ok'd this and they replaced them. The brake warning lights did not go off. I mentioned this to Mineke and they said I may need to take the car to Volkswagen to get them to turn the light off. I have not done this yet because it appears to be just a nuisance. Now, however, the brakes are scrubbing. I have pulled the brakes apart and found that nothing obvious is wrong. Pads are still good, rotors are smooth and unworn. Caliper piston is not sticking and it's getting brake fluid from the brake lines. The car stops just fine but there is a constant scrubbing or grinding as if the pads are not releasing all the way after I apply them. I haven't driven the car much since the brake problems began but need to get it running now.

#62 of 116 brake fluid reservoir check procedure by rgut

Oct 22, 2009 (11:46 am)

My owner's manual for 2004 V6 (2.6L I think) Passat shows a fully visible plastic brake fluid reservoir which can be checked by observation. My actural brake fluid reservoir is concealed behind a dark plastic shield so you cannot see the min max level indicators and the shield cannot easily be removed. Unscrewing the fill cap and you see a plastic screen so you cannot see the actual fluid level. How do you know if you need to add brake fluid. There is a yellow 1/2" dia slotted cap next to the filler cap that i turned 90 degrees with a screw driver hoping I could remove the entire reservoir cap but no luck.
I bring this up because our brake STOP warning light came on recently and
I am told adding brake fluid may correct this condition but I dont want to over fill.

#63 of 116 Re: brake fluid reservoir check procedure [rgut] by altair4

Oct 23, 2009 (7:11 am)

Replying to: rgut (Oct 22, 2009 11:46 am)
It's actually a 2.8 V6.
 
That black plastic shield is very easily removed. Simply grasp the rubber gasket on the front edge (towards the engine) and pull it forward. Then lift the shield slightly and pull it out from under the windshield. It's harder to describe than it is to actually do. You'll then have a full view of the brake fluid reservoir. Youmight even want to change your cabin air filer while you have that cover off. It's cheap and easy to do (dealer has a special running right now to do this for $37. You can DIY for the cost fo the filter fo maybe $12).
 
To give us a better idea what might be going on thw your brake fluid, a little more info would help. How many miles are on your current brake pads? The reservoir drops as the pads wear. This could be telling you it's time for a brake job. Alternatively, your brake fluid could be leaking - in any case, it's worth investigating.
 
There could be other factors at play here, too. You might want to pull the codes with an OBD scanner at your local auto parts store (many do this for free) to see if there are any codes from the ABS module. Good luck!

Messages Page 7 of 13

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