8V S3 pad change.
Discussion
I do pads and discs for all my cars.
However, checking up on YT just to see what's what on the S3, I see one guy having to use a laptop to talk to the E brake at the rear. Seems if you don't you can really mess it up. After the pads are replaced you need a laptop to re calibrate the E brake (?)
Anyone have any experience DIYing their own pad change on VAG series?
Thanks.
However, checking up on YT just to see what's what on the S3, I see one guy having to use a laptop to talk to the E brake at the rear. Seems if you don't you can really mess it up. After the pads are replaced you need a laptop to re calibrate the E brake (?)
Anyone have any experience DIYing their own pad change on VAG series?
Thanks.
You will need to use an electronic tool for retracting and reinstating the parking brake. Forcing the piston can damage the mechanism, and disassembling the mechanism can lead to the system going out of calibration and lead to the brake malfunctioning afterwards.
There are phone apps like Carista or OBD eleven, which when coupled with an OBD port dongle can do this at much lower cost than high-end tools like VCDS.
Carista works on android phones/tablets via a generic bluetooth OBD dongle, but requires a subscription (about £30 per year). If you buy the genuine carista dongle (about £15) then you get a month's subscription included (so you can do one service, see if the app suits you) and buy a subscription when you need to do the next service. I think that Carista works on iPhones too but requires a wifi dongle
OBD eleven is an alternative but is more expensive - I'm less familiar with the subscription model, and you have to buy the specific dongle which is quite expensive (about £50).
I've used carista on android and it works fine on my 8V S3 - sorts the parking break, resets the service indicators and reads/resets every conceivable fault code (including air bag, ABS, etc.). The dongle also works with other apps like torque pro, to give you real-time OBD data should you want it.
If you do decide to get carista, just be careful with the customisations, I don't know how well tested these are, and I've heard concerns about dodgy configuration changes from people who offer electronic customisations commercially. My S3 is remapped, and I tried some of the powertrain customisations, and it must have interacted with the remap, because it screwed up the ECU and left the car almost undriveable until I had the ECU reflashed by the tuner.
There are phone apps like Carista or OBD eleven, which when coupled with an OBD port dongle can do this at much lower cost than high-end tools like VCDS.
Carista works on android phones/tablets via a generic bluetooth OBD dongle, but requires a subscription (about £30 per year). If you buy the genuine carista dongle (about £15) then you get a month's subscription included (so you can do one service, see if the app suits you) and buy a subscription when you need to do the next service. I think that Carista works on iPhones too but requires a wifi dongle
OBD eleven is an alternative but is more expensive - I'm less familiar with the subscription model, and you have to buy the specific dongle which is quite expensive (about £50).
I've used carista on android and it works fine on my 8V S3 - sorts the parking break, resets the service indicators and reads/resets every conceivable fault code (including air bag, ABS, etc.). The dongle also works with other apps like torque pro, to give you real-time OBD data should you want it.
If you do decide to get carista, just be careful with the customisations, I don't know how well tested these are, and I've heard concerns about dodgy configuration changes from people who offer electronic customisations commercially. My S3 is remapped, and I tried some of the powertrain customisations, and it must have interacted with the remap, because it screwed up the ECU and left the car almost undriveable until I had the ECU reflashed by the tuner.
Done them on my 7R. I've got a proper VCDS cable so just opened the caliper, changed pads and closed again.
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/VW_Golf_V...
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/VW_Golf_V...
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