what have you done to your car today ?

[iammooks]

If you've already done the window regulator panels then check around the door speakers as these can also leak.
Next on the list if places should be beneath the scuttle tray where the engine harness passes through the bulkhead.
I've just done mine as I'd had the loom apart so the seal was broken.

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Thank you - I've done the doors a couple of times over the years and I'm pretty confident I've got them sorted - although if anyone has any advice on getting the residue off - either from the original tape or the butyl sealant - that'd be great - just to make sure there's nowhere for the water to get through.

I take it it's just a matter of putting butyl sealant around the edge like you've done there? That's easy enough to do...

I managed to get outside to check the shocks to see if the bounce test shed any light on my ride issues. The best way to describe what's happening is that it feels like all of my wheel nuts are loose and the car's swaying on the axle. Just to say, no, the wheel nuts are all tight and torqued!

I can afford to spend the money replacing the shocks, but I can't afford to replace the shocks if that's not what the problem is, if you see what I mean.

Any help very gratefully received...!

 

[Connor H]

Thank you - I've done the doors a couple of times over the years and I'm pretty confident I've got them sorted - although if anyone has any advice on getting the residue off - either from the original tape or the butyl sealant - that'd be great - just to make sure there's nowhere for the water to get through.

I take it it's just a matter of putting butyl sealant around the edge like you've done there? That's easy enough to do...

I managed to get outside to check the shocks to see if the bounce test shed any light on my ride issues. The best way to describe what's happening is that it feels like all of my wheel nuts are loose and the car's swaying on the axle. Just to say, no, the wheel nuts are all tight and torqued!

I can afford to spend the money replacing the shocks, but I can't afford to replace the shocks if that's not what the problem is, if you see what I mean.

Any help very gratefully received...!

Check your front subframe bolts and bushes, mine were loose and the car felt weird. Arb bushes all good? your rear beam bushes might be the culprit also but you have that in hand.


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[iammooks]

Check your front subframe bolts and bushes, mine were loose and the car felt weird. Arb bushes all good? your rear beam bushes might be the culprit also but you have that in hand.


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Knowing my car, they probably all need replacing. What torque should the subframe bolts be, do you know? ARB I'll have to check - I'm convinced it's bent (how, I don't know), and will have a closer look next time the car's off the ground, so the bushes could be worn out too. No clunks or other issues though, so there's that...

 

[Connor H]

Knowing my car, they probably all need replacing. What torque should the subframe bolts be, do you know? ARB I'll have to check - I'm convinced it's bent (how, I don't know), and will have a closer look next time the car's off the ground, so the bushes could be worn out too. No clunks or other issues though, so there's that...

Subframe bolts 100nm + 90 degrees when torquing, as long as they’re not proper loose with a ratchet you can probably discount them being the issue. Silly one but have you checked your tyre pressures?

Your arb bushes might be worn? they are just crappy rubber, mine were loose when I took them off and yours is older than mine


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[iammooks]

Spent half the day cursing it whilst attempting to bleed the clutch & brakes.
I couldn't get VCDS to run on my laptop so wasn't able to cycle to ABS pump either which resulted in my efforts been wasted.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, what with all the problems I've had with my brakes, and I don't want to spend time and money on a job I might not need to do.

How are your brakes performing without doing the ABS bleed? How does the pedal feel?

In the past few months, I've either bled or had my brakes bled about four times, and I still don't have a positive brake feel, as well as a sinking pedal. That said, I've got to push firmly and keep pushing for the pedal to keep moving. It's obviously not right, but I'm on the verge of replacing the master cylinder and then having to bleed the whole system once again, and I only want to do that if it's going to solve my problem.

When I garaged it, I mentioned the VCDS ABS bleed and they just dismissed it out of hand - and they're supposed to be the VAG specialist for Brighton, which pissed me off a bit to be honest, given they charged me £115 for fitting two crush washers and doing a bleed.

So, what I definitely don't want to do is replace the master cylinder and then need to get the ABS cycled if all I really need to do is get the ABS cycled, but I don't want to get the ABS cycled, find out it's the master cylinder and then replace the master cylinder and have to pay to get the ABS cycled again.

If that makes any sense?

 

[iammooks]

Subframe bolts 100nm + 90 degrees when torquing, as long as they’re not proper loose with a ratchet you can probably discount them being the issue. Silly one but have you checked your tyre pressures?

Your arb bushes might be worn? they are just crappy rubber, mine were loose when I took them off and yours is older than mine


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I'll definitely have a look when I've got a chance next. With lockdown being what it is, that may not be for a while, but I'll be sure to look you up when I do...

Tyre pressures are all good - after going years with persihed tyres and wheels that needed refurbishing, I'm checking the beggars all the time and I can't stop now, even with everything replaced and refurbed.

Luckily I'll be doing a fair bit of work on the engine side over the Christmas break, so I'll have the undertray off and the axle stands out, so we'll find out once and for all what the problem is.

Hopefully.

 

[Thai-wronghorse]

From my understanding it's important to cycle the ABS if the master cylinder or ABS pump have been drained of fluid.
It's not necessary if you've simply removed a caliper.

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[Dazzalcr]

Well got a big chunk of the engine bay tarted up while its dry just the inlet and hopefully throttle body to be powder coated in warmer weather lol.

The 1st pic is how it was, 2nd is new look.

 

[iammooks]

From my understanding it's important to cycle the ABS if the master cylinder or ABS pump have been drained of fluid.
It's not necessary if you've simply removed a caliper.

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I think I did, to be honest. I'd read some advice somewhere about draining some of the old brake fluid before starting a bleed, and with it being my first time, I probably got too enthusiastic.

How do the brakes feel when they need the ABS cycle? I've heard loads of people say it needs doing, but not so much about what effect it has on braking and how they know it needs doing.

 

[Thai-wronghorse]

My pedal feels absolutely crap tbh, I've lost count of how many times I've bled the master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder and all 4 calipers.
Even after cycling the ABS pump several times which did help admittedly but certainly not enough for me to warrant using the car on the road.

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[iammooks]

Well got a big chunk of the engine bay tarted up while its dry just the inlet and hopefully throttle body to be powder coated in warmer weather lol.

The 1st pic is how it was, 2nd is new look.

Ooh **** me... That is the absolute balls. Put our engine bays side by side and it's the equivalent of the time you take your top off at the beach and you're all pudgy and pale, and then some geezer strolls past all tanned and ripped.

Not that this has ever happened to me.

 

[Thai-wronghorse]

Well got a big chunk of the engine bay tarted up while its dry just the inlet and hopefully throttle body to be powder coated in warmer weather lol.

The 1st pic is how it was, 2nd is new look.

I assume you've chopped up and fibreglassed a standard S3 coolant cover to get that shape?


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[iammooks]

My pedal feels absolutely crap tbh, I've lost count of how many times I've bled the master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder and all 4 calipers.
Even after cycling the ABS pump several times which did help admittedly but certainly not enough for me to warrant using the car on the road.

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Honestly, that does help.

This whole process has been a pain, but working on a process of elimination, the brake fluid is new and has been bled a few times, my calipers are fine and don't have any leaks, the brake lines are fine, so it only leaves the master cylinder and the ABS.

I've learnt a lot about master cylinders refurbishing the spare I've got, and even though my brake fluid was rotten, I find it hard to believe the internals of the master cylinder are shot. The pedal was pretty good before I tried to bleed it for the first time, so either the bleed has revealed problems that the old brake fluid was hiding or it's something new - like the ABS. I tried it on a gritty road the other day and it didn't come on, so that's got me wondering...

 

[Sl1ced]

Well.... I’ve changed both track rod ends. Was one of the easiest jobs I’ve done. Also found out my centre exhaust hanger is no longer connected to the pipe, is this mot failure?

And dropped the car back onto its wheels and I noticed the flat tyre sound drivers side front, jacked it back up and slight resistance for about 20 degrees of the rotation, doesn’t sound like brakes are binding. A quick look under and on the box side of the driveshaft I have fluid on the shield and bottom of the cv joint. Could this be the source of the sound? Only just changed the other shaft a few weeks back. Should’ve done the pair.

Also got a photo of the old track rod ends lol

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[Dazzalcr]

Ooh **** me... That is the absolute balls. Put our engine bays side by side and it's the equivalent of the time you take your top off at the beach and you're all pudgy and pale, and then some geezer strolls past all tanned and ripped.

Not that this has ever happened to me.

Love this comment, so funny, but cheers mate im happy with it.

 

[Dazzalcr]

I assume you've chopped up and fibreglassed a standard S3 coolant cover to get that shape?


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Yeah buddy, saw one ages ago and thats how he did his, bit of work but my dad is a talented man. I just had to keethe kettle going lol

 

[Yellow fr]

Honestly, that does help.

This whole process has been a pain, but working on a process of elimination, the brake fluid is new and has been bled a few times, my calipers are fine and don't have any leaks, the brake lines are fine, so it only leaves the master cylinder and the ABS.

I've learnt a lot about master cylinders refurbishing the spare I've got, and even though my brake fluid was rotten, I find it hard to believe the internals of the master cylinder are shot. The pedal was pretty good before I tried to bleed it for the first time, so either the bleed has revealed problems that the old brake fluid was hiding or it's something new - like the ABS. I tried it on a gritty road the other day and it didn't come on, so that's got me wondering...

Which caliper did you replace ?
If you replaced one off the rears it may still have some air trapped behind the piston
When we replace rear calipers or even the rear Flexi pipe we bleed them out and also remove the rear Caliper put the bleed bottle on open the bleed nipple and Turn the piston all the way back to see if any air is trapped if no air is seen close the bleed nipple and we refit the caliper and do the same to the other side of air is seen once the piston is all the way back close the bleed nipple and refit the caliper and pump the brake pedal and repeat till no air is seen if new pads are fit at the time we just fit one pad and then pump the brake Pedal to get the piston out about half way then turn it back in till no air is seen
You can also do the same with the fronts in some cases you don’t have to take the caliper off if you can use a pair off grips to push the pad and piston back to see if any air is trapped once all done recheck the fluid level and top up if needed


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[iammooks]

Which caliper did you replace ?
If you replaced one off the rears it may still have some air trapped behind the piston
When we replace rear calipers or even the rear Flexi pipe we bleed them out and also remove the rear Caliper put the bleed bottle on open the bleed nipple and Turn the piston all the way back to see if any air is trapped if no air is seen close the bleed nipple and we refit the caliper and do the same to the other side of air is seen once the piston is all the way back close the bleed nipple and refit the caliper and pump the brake pedal and repeat till no air is seen if new pads are fit at the time we just fit one pad and then pump the brake Pedal to get the piston out about half way then turn it back in till no air is seen
You can also do the same with the fronts in some cases you don’t have to take the caliper off if you can use a pair off grips to push the pad and piston back to see if any air is trapped once all done recheck the fluid level and top up if needed


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It was the nearside rear that I replaced - I remember you suggesting doing that when I first changed it, but it's been bled by two garages since then and one of them took the brake line off to fit a crush washer, and I don't know how thorough they were when it came to squeezing as much air as possible out of the system. I've lent my caliper tool to a neighbour, but will get it back at some point and try winding back all the pistons.

Right now, everything just seems to point to having to spend more money, whether it's putting in the replacement master cylinder and bleeding everything once again before getting the ABS cycled, or just trying to bleed the brakes again in the hope something will work.

The worst thing is feeling like I know more than the garages do about this car - even when I know next to nothing - and having them dismiss everything I say, do a bleed and the problem's still there. "Next time we'll change the master cylinder" they say - yeah, I bet you will.

 

[Yellow fr]

I work at a garage and with Vag cars more than any other we find that the best way to bleed them rear brakes is to do that
I replaced two brake pipes and both rear flex’s on the garage mk5 golf on Friday I just bleed the brakes in the normal way the pedal felt good got to work on Monday morning did a pump and squeeze on the rear brakes the pedal did not feel as good as it did on Friday but no air coming out so it was the turn back time on the rear pistons one side with just the Flexi changed no air the other side with the Flexi and and the short pipe from Flexi to caliper changed there was air in the caliper now I had nothing coming out while the piston was not all the home but when I got to the last turn to get the piston all the way back in I got lots off air coming out. I sorted that and the pedal had resistance from the first touch


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[iammooks]

I work at a garage and with Vag cars more than any other we find that the best way to bleed them rear brakes is to do that
I replaced two brake pipes and both rear flex’s on the garage mk5 golf on Friday I just bleed the brakes in the normal way the pedal felt good got to work on Monday morning did a pump and squeeze on the rear brakes the pedal did not feel as good as it did on Friday but no air coming out so it was the turn back time on the rear pistons one side with just the Flexi changed no air the other side with the Flexi and and the short pipe from Flexi to caliper changed there was air in the caliper now I had nothing coming out while the piston was not all the home but when I got to the last turn to get the piston all the way back in I got lots off air coming out. I sorted that and the pedal had resistance from the first touch


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I might have to drop you a message - if this is going to save me ripping everything out and putting a new master cylinder in, I might just want to go through a few steps in more detail...