Procedure to change rear brake pads using VAG-COM

[ljcougar11]

Anyone know the correct procedures to use VAG-COM to change rear brake pads on 2010 S4?
Thinking of changing to EBC Red to get rid of some of the dust.
Have vag-com but no rep. manual, Any help would be aspirated.

[NWS4Guy]

I don't understand the question. VCDS is for logging data or modifying things in the MMI (seatbelt chime, DRL's ADS). You don't need VCDS to do brake pads, though you DO need to know what you are doing and ideally want to use a special tool on the rears to be sure you don't damage the electromechanical E-brake and servo when pulling the calipers.

EXC tuning has a sweet little brake kit in a hard case for about $40 if I recall, which has the caliper compression tools you need and make sure the servo is out of the way.

[ljcougar11]

I don't understand the question. VCDS is for logging data or modifying things in the MMI (seatbelt chime, DRL's ADS). You don't need VCDS to do brake pads, though you DO need to know what you are doing and ideally want to use a special tool on the rears to be sure you don't damage the electromechanical E-brake and servo when pulling the calipers.

EXC tuning has a sweet little brake kit in a hard case for about $40 if I recall, which has the caliper compression tools you need and make sure the servo is out of the way.

Hi, and thank you for the respoce.
Am very familiar with brake jobs but have never done it on an Audi. I was under the impression that you could use vag-com software to back off the servo motor and set the thickness of the pads?
If this is not so I take it I have to remove the motor, use the tool to bring back piston (if needed) and when the job is complete just reinstall the motors?

I came across the following on the Bently site:
"If you want to change the brakes, you will have to have a cable from Ross Tech and a laptop computer to run the motor to open up the brakes for servicing.
Go to: http://ross-tech.com/ and check them out.

Otherwise, you will have to go to the dealer and this will cost you at least twice the cost of getting the cable and program (program is included with the cable!).

I bought the cable and with my laptop I can diagnose most anything as well as change the brakes!"
Thank you for any help.

[NWS4Guy]

Hi, and thank you for the respoce.
Am very familiar with brake jobs but have never done it on an Audi. I was under the impression that you could use vag-com software to back off the servo motor and set the thickness of the pads?
If this is not so I take it I have to remove the motor, use the tool to bring back piston (if needed) and when the job is complete just reinstall the motors?
Thank you for any help.

It's possible there is a way to potentially back the servo off within VCDS, I haven't heard of anyone posting it though (and I like to think I stay pretty on top of these things, but I'm only human). Hadn't heard about setting pad thickness either. Here is the link to the caliper compression toolset ESC sells, which works on all VAG cars (VW and Audi's) - http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B8_S4-..._Tools/ES9747/

I would think that you can move the motor out of the way, so long as you don't engage the parking brake when doing the job, and then set it back after you reinstall the calipers.

[ljcougar11]

Any potential issues with fault codes for min. bad thickness/wear indication when doing it without calibration via software?

[NWS4Guy]

Any potential issues with fault codes for min. bad thickness/wear indication when doing it without calibration via software?

Not that I have heard, but I'll poke around in the modules associated with the car's suspension/drivetrain and see what I can locate on brakes with my VCDS.

[ljcougar11]

Not that I have heard, but I'll poke around in the modules associated with the car's suspension/drivetrain and see what I can locate on brakes with my VCDS.

Thank you for any info. Do you know if there is an encoder on the motor?

[ChipB]

I'm a little skeptical about using the caliper tool that ECS sells. Having changed rear pads on the B8 S5, which I would guess would have the same set up as the S4, I found that the caliper tool does NOT come with an adapter that properly fits the face of the B8 caliper piston. Audi seems to have outsmarted these guys - the pattern of dimples in the face of the caliper piston is not compatible with any of the adapters in the tool kit (at least, not with the tool kit I bought last fall - though perhap they've changed since then). I ended up using the adapter that has a flat face (no protruding studs) to press against the piston, then turned the piston with a wrench to get it to retract. It worked, but was a total pain. If you have VAG-COM it's an easy command to retract the electric parking brake - here's a link to the procedure:
http://www.ross-tech.net/vag-com/adv...akeTechTip.pdf

[foodplz]

I just had all the brake pads replaced on my S4 to the centric posi-quiet pad.... and YES you need something like VCDS to retract the e-brake and a caliper tool (the calipers are push turn).

I don't know exactly the coding to retract the e-brake... my installer did it... but i would find out what exactly the coding is before you ventured forward with the brake job.

[NWS4Guy]

Great info thanks guys!

[ljcougar11]

Thank you very much for the help!
This makes a lot more sense then taking the motors off, hope this can help others as well.

[NWS4Guy]

Thank you very much for the help!
This makes a lot more sense then taking the motors off, hope this can help others as well.

Check this thread from a while back (but recently bumped) http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...r-Ceramic-pads

Be VERY careful with the wear sensors apparently they break and new non-OEM pads don't come with them.

[ljcougar11]

Check this thread from a while back (but recently bumped) http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...r-Ceramic-pads

Be VERY careful with the wear sensors apparently they break and new non-OEM pads don't come with them.

OEM part: Brake Sensor Contact
8T0 907 637