S3 Brake Pad Change Tutorial or DIY

[jpy1980]

Did a search and Can't seem to find any tutorials on how to change the brake pads on the car.

The main reason I ask is because I read that the rear brakes need vcds in order to pull the piston back to change the pad?

Any help is appreciated.

[Foagy]

I didn't bother with any coding when I did mine, just jacked it up and left parking brake off, pushed the piston like any other pad job. No issues after 1500 miles.

[Surf2602]

I didn't bother with any coding when I did mine, just jacked it up and left parking brake off, pushed the piston like any other pad job. No issues after 1500 miles.

I was going to do just the front, but might do the back too then. Did you do ceramic pads? The brake dust is horrible.


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[Foagy]

I went with EBC yellowstuffs and they produced about the same amount of dust. I swapped rotors at the same time, but changing pads by themselves will take about an hour total including jacking the car up and whatnot.

[jpy1980]

Thanks for the replies. Still no tutorial though?

I also did the ebc yellow pads but had a shop do it for me. They squeal so much at light braking that I want to put the stock pads back on.

I hAd them bedded in as well as I took them to the track and they still squeal. Thoughts? About 1000 miles on the pads now.

[Foagy]

Mine squeal lightly under light braking as well, but I can't hear it over music, so it doesn't bother me. They don't squeal if they're warm/hot.

As for a DIY, the fronts are super simple. Pull the wheel, undo the clip holding the brake line in place on the spindle, use a 17mm (I think?) socket and box wrench to loosen bolts holding the caliper to the bracket, and fully undo the top one. The caliper should swing away from the bracket and rotor and give you full access to the pads. Do the reverse for install. I will have to look at the rears again haha

[Surf2602]

I went with EBC yellowstuffs and they produced about the same amount of dust. I swapped rotors at the same time, but changing pads by themselves will take about an hour total including jacking the car up and whatnot.

I'll have to keep researching for a different pad then. The dust is my main problem, and it would drive me crazy if the brakes squeal like the others said. Hopefully someone post a rear brake tutorial


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[pabs]

I pad slapped some Centric Posi-Quiet ceramics after 2k miles on OEM pads. MUCH less dust at the expense of losing the hard initial bite of the stock pads. I've gone about 4 weeks since my last wash and my fronts are starting to look like my rear wheels (on OEM pads). I've also been parking outside for the past 3 weeks due to my wonderful neighbors burning their house down and part of mine, when I was garaged and doing bi-weekly washes I hardly noticed any dust at all when cleaning my wheels.

Edit: DIY video I followed for the fronts. I also included link for rears which I didn't do. These videos are for a GTI but its essentially identical (although PP GTIs, which this is not, have the same brakes as S3 and R)

Fronts

Rear

[Foagy]

I'll have to keep researching for a different pad then. The dust is my main problem, and it would drive me crazy if the brakes squeal like the others said. Hopefully someone post a rear brake tutorial


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EBC redstuffs are supposed to be way better on dust, but less track focused pad. This is my first Audi, and I've used Hawk HPS pads on all my BMWs prior.

[Surf2602]

Ok great I'll try the redstuff, great videos. Looks like I'll have a shop do the rears pads with the explanation in the video.


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[DWP]

I didn't bother with any coding when I did mine, just jacked it up and left parking brake off, pushed the piston like any other pad job. No issues after 1500 miles.

Unpossible for the rears. Gotta retract the piston using vagcom.

[DWP]

I pad slapped some Centric Posi-Quiet ceramics after 2k miles on OEM pads. MUCH less dust at the expense of losing the hard initial bite of the stock pads. I've gone about 4 weeks since my last wash and my fronts are starting to look like my rear wheels (on OEM pads). I've also been parking outside for the past 3 weeks due to my wonderful neighbors burning their house down and part of mine, when I was garaged and doing bi-weekly washes I hardly noticed any dust at all when cleaning my wheels.

Edit: DIY video I followed for the fronts. I also included link for rears which I didn't do. These videos are for a GTI but its essentially identical (although PP GTIs, which this is not, have the same brakes as S3 and R)

Fronts

Rear

Video for the rears is not applicable for ours with electronic parking brake - sez so in the video.

[Foagy]

Unpossible for the rears. Gotta retract the piston using vagcom.

I don't know what to tell you, I didn't and got the pads on there fine