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posted on November 1, 2006, 2:22 am
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Ok, going to sound like the stupid questions of the week, but figured
someone out there might have had something similar or some good advice.
Have a 2.5 month old 2006 Jetta 2.0T with about 3200 miles. Noticed
over the last week it felt a bit sluggish, but figured I got a wonky
tank of gas (filled up last week in the boonies rather than the usual
place). Today saw that the rear wheels (both of em) have a LOT more
brake dust (reddish brown) all over the back rims. Pronounced and very
noticable. While filling up today, after about 20 min of driving
(about 16 miles or so on Pacific Coast Highway) took a closer look and
it looks like the back pads are touching a bit. Also noticed the back
rotors were a *lot* hotter than the front, and the entire rim on both
rears for that matter were much hotter than the fronts. Did not touch
the rotors, but could feel a *lot* more heat from the rears than the
fronts, and touching the rims, the difference between the front and
rears was very noticable.
And yes, I am positive the emergency brake was totally disengaged the
entire time I have been driving.
Okay, so my guess is that the back pads are dragging. Kinda strange
for a new car, and especially since it has become more noticable only
over the last week or so. Figure to call VW tomororw and take it in to
get it looked at.
Couple of questions: 1) anyone out there had a similar experience? 2)
Am I going to get hosed by the VW dealer? I know brakes are 'normal
wear' items, but 2.5 months should be covered by the guarantee, right?
The car has not been driven hard by any stretch of the imagination.
3)any advice for dealing with VW on it?
Any and all inputs will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
-Chris
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
Jack up the rear of the car on level ground with the front wheels
blocked. Do the rear wheels turn without any drag? Rear brakes get
used a bit more on VWs than some cars if the VW has ABS. It might be
possible that the parkig brake mechanism is goofed up.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
1. Your brakes are dragging for whatever reason.
2. If your Volkswagon dealer holds true to form he is going to try and
hose you down.
Get ready for them to try and blame whatever they can get away with on
your driving habits. Also be prepared for the standard "they all do that"
line.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
my dealer and he told me that there is a problem with the
proportioning valve (it goes kinda backwards).
My Jetta has 65,000KM and I have 60% front pads remaining and 25% rear
pads remaining. He told me it has something to do with the stability
control option and its affects on the braking system. (He told me
about a customer who used up his rear brakes pads in 23,000KM.)
Helps to account for why it costs half as much to do the rear as front
brakes.
Just another VW oops I guess.
( A walk around the dealer lot looking at the used cars showed me most
have more rear than front brake wear.)
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
I would prefer to ONLY have to change the pads on the rear while keeping the
rotors/discs.
As opposed to replacing the rotors that are rusted out and look like they
have done nothing all of their lives.
YES I have seen the rear pads wear down quicker than the fronts and I was
told at VW that they are using softer (AKA quicker wearing) braking
materials.
AFAIK This softer material should help braking and keep noise down.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
every VW Diesel of recent years gets many more miles per pad than a gas
engine. You give up a few ponies but have better engine braking and that's a
added bonus for brake pad life.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
which causes more engine breaking than a gas engine. cranking compression is
about 400psi per cylinder and when no fuel is added the engine wants to slow
down quickly.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
Drive my 84 GTI and you can throttle drive the same roads going
faster. No throttle body means there is nothing to suck hard against.
You get the same affect on a gas powered car. Go fast in third gear
with the throttle wide open. Flick the kill switch for the ignition
with the throttle still wide open. The car will slow down but it is
more aerodynamics that engine braking. Close that throttle and watch
it slow down faster with engine braking. Note that the ignition kill
switch is used instead of the key on your column so you do not lose
steering ability. That is why people who drive diesels in the
mountains install jake brakes. The valve which resists the pumping of
the engine is in the exhaust instead of in the intake like a gas
engine. So they have some sort of engine braking to save wear on the
brakes. http://www.jakebrake.com/technology/exhaust.php
On Wed, 8 Nov 2006 07:23:14 -0500, "Lost In Space/Woodchuck"
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
But the fact is, diesels have less engine braking effect than gas
engines, you can feel it immediately when you drive one, after being
used to driving gas engines. That high compression only matters when
the valves are closed. When they're open, there's no impediment to airflow.
Ever heard of a Jake brake?
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
A few thoughts:
One, disc brakes always drag a little bit. It's normal for there to be
no clearance between pads and disc. And it's normal for them to warm up
with driving, and for the drag to increase a little bit when they're
warmer. One of the advantages of drum brakes is that they have less
drag when they're not engaged, because there's a spring that retracts
the pads. There's nothing to retract disc pads. So, just because you
may notice some drag -- for instance, the rear wheels don't spin freely
when you jack the car up and give 'em a spin -- that's not conclusively
the result of a defect or problem.
Two, VWs have softer pads on the rear wheels. They wear faster and
create more dust than the fronts. That, again, is not necessarily a
defect or problem. The rear pads are softer to reduce squeaking noise.
Under normal use, you'll have to replace the rear pads much, much
sooner than the fronts.
Three, it may very well be that the parking brake linkage needs
adjustment. There's a procedure, it's not complicated. Get yourself a
Bentley manual, it goes through the whole megillah and makes it simple.
Because VWs do require owner involvement, you should get the Bentley
manual, no matter what. It's an excellent reference, even if you never
actually do any work yourself.
Four, maybe you ought to just give the rear pads some time to seat.
After they wear in a bit, they'll probably quit dragging as much.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
My wife has a 2006 Jetta with 11,000 miles on it with similar problems.
The dealership says it is normal wear and tear (I laughed in their
face!!). The back brakes ARE dragging!! The back brakes are metal to
metal and need to be replaced. I contacted VW Customer Care and they
are looking into it. If problem is not resolved, the car will be sold
and I will never let my wife buy another Volkwagen again. By-the-way I
own a 2006 Lexus IS350 and 2007 Lexus RX350... I personally would
never buy anything else.... My wife however likes VW... but she is
swaying my way!!!
Doug
Chris wrote:
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
Chris wrote:
This is definitely not right. We have had a VW in the family to one
extent or another for the last 30 years. Every one of them from the '66
Type III to the present two ('87 Vanagon Westie & '99 Eurovan
Winnebago) uses brake pads/shoes at approximately a 3:1 ratio
front-to-rear. Two have had ABS, one has traction-control. One has a
proportioning valve. Pennsylvania State Inspections, if done honestly,
list the pad % on the paperwork, so we have a long history to call on.
BTW, about 30K miles is the most we have gotten from a set of front
brakes. The Eurovan is getting *rear* brake pads now (~40% remaining)
after 59,000 miles for the first time, along with its third set of
front pads (20% remaining on second set). I guess I could let the rear
go another year, but see the scare-mongering line below as to why I did
not.
If the dealer does not make it right instantly and without question or
demur, go straight to the Zone Manager. The next step is the brakes
either freezing or fading... and that could be your life... or your
family's. Just keep that in mind if you are given any resistance.
Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
I wouldn't be too quick to compare older VWs to current ones in terms of
brake pad wear front/rear. Current VWs have been biased quite a bit towards
the rear in terms of braking. Even the '99 Eurovan mentioned isn't balanced
like current VWs are. I have a '00 (same as '99) and it still wears more in
front than in back but VW changed the brakes on '01 and up eurovans to be
more biased in back and this (higher brake pad wear in the back) has been a
case with B5.5 and later Passats too, so the Jetta doesn't surprise me
either. However 2.5 months does sound excessive even by current standards.
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
I have a 2003 Jetta that I've owned since new, and I just turned 70,000
miles. I have the original brakes all around, and they're still in great
shape. It is a manual transmission, though, and I downshift a lot to slow
down. I suppose my situation is the exception rather than the rule.
-Corey
Re: 2006 Jetta rear brakes question...anyone had similar problem?
My 2003 has 140,000 miles on the original brakes with plenty of pad
left. I thought I saw some other person post about the same excessive
wear recently. I have had VWs for 30 years and none have had problems
with excessive brake wear. I suspect you got a problem car which does
happen on occasion.
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