I recently changed the rear brake pads on my 6n2 but had to take the calipers off as the pistons had seized..

I've bled all the brakes but yet the the pedal still feels *spongy*...

I've been having a look around and some people are saying to just drive 100miles and see if it's any better, others are saying the master cylinder needs bleeding and others are saying the ABS module might have air in it....

Can anyone shed any light on what might be the cause? I don't know where to start because everyone is saying something different....

The brakes work fine i'd just prefer the pedal to be more....reassuring.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I recently changed the rear brake pads on my 6n2 but had to take the calipers off as the pistons had seized..

I've bled all the brakes but yet the the pedal still feels *spongy*...

I've been having a look around and some people are saying to just drive 100miles and see if it's any better, others are saying the master cylinder needs bleeding and others are saying the ABS module might have air in it....

Can anyone shed any light on what might be the cause? I don't know where to start because everyone is saying something different....

The brakes work fine i'd just prefer the pedal to be more....reassuring.

Thanks in advance for any help.

i had this problem before with a mk4 golf, i bled the master cylinder and the brakes still felt soft. in the end all it was that the brakepads needed to bed in, so i racked up about 250-300 miles on it and then just to be on the safe side i bled them again. i have heard of this problem with air in the abs module and from what i read on various forums is that you have to get the car plugged into vagcom, and the vagcom runs the abs module to bleed the air out of itself without the engine running. however i read somewhere on the net( i can't remember where.) some guy swore by driving the stones out of the car and repeatedly slamming on the brakes hard, so as to get the abs to kick in and therefore the very action of the pump cycling would purge itself of any trapped air. but i dont know if it works or not.i would start with the simple stuff first and just drive the car as normal to let the pads bed in over a couple of hundred miles use. if at the end of that period there wasnt a vast improvment , i would pony up the dough and bring it to vw or a good vw independent to get it checked out with vagcom. best not take chances where brakes are concerned. hth

Cool, thanks for the reply.

I've been driving it still and it does seem better but i cant really tell if it's only because i've got used to it or not...i'll see how it goes.

As for the ABS the warning light came up before i changed the pads, which is why i was doing the brakes in the first place but i'm hoping its just a sensor...

Not to clued up on ABS systems, will it still come on even with a dodgy sensor?

Cool, thanks for the reply.

I've been driving it still and it does seem better but i cant really tell if it's only because i've got used to it or not...i'll see how it goes.

As for the ABS the warning light came up before i changed the pads, which is why i was doing the brakes in the first place but i'm hoping its just a sensor...

Not to clued up on ABS systems, will it still come on even with a dodgy sensor?

if you mean will the abs still work if the abs light is lit up while driving. i would think not. as far as i know if the abs light is lit up on the move it means there is a malfunction in the system and the abs part of the braking system is switched off until it is fixed. it is the same with airbags as well if the light is lit up the system is switched off. i think you should invest in a code reader and see if it throws any codes up. they are cheap enough these days and it will take the guesswork out of it.

Cool, thanks for the reply.

I've been driving it still and it does seem better but i cant really tell if it's only because i've got used to it or not...i'll see how it goes.

As for the ABS the warning light came up before i changed the pads, which is why i was doing the brakes in the first place but i'm hoping its just a sensor...

Not to clued up on ABS systems, will it still come on even with a dodgy sensor?

if you mean will the abs still work if the abs light is lit up while driving. i would think not. as far as i know if the abs light is lit up on the move it means there is a malfunction in the system and the abs part of the braking system is switched off until it is fixed. it is the same with airbags as well if the light is lit up the system is switched off. i think you should invest in a code reader and see if it throws any codes up. they are cheap enough these days and it will take the guesswork out of it.

I've had vag-com on it and the rear left ABS sensor came up....also the mass airflow sensor? Dont think that's relevant to the brake system though is it...that's to do with the turbo?

I'm going to have another go at bleeding the brakes today, can't see it changing anything, but worth a shot.

Cool, thanks for the reply.

I've been driving it still and it does seem better but i cant really tell if it's only because i've got used to it or not...i'll see how it goes.

As for the ABS the warning light came up before i changed the pads, which is why i was doing the brakes in the first place but i'm hoping its just a sensor...

Not to clued up on ABS systems, will it still come on even with a dodgy sensor?

if you mean will the abs still work if the abs light is lit up while driving. i would think not. as far as i know if the abs light is lit up on the move it means there is a malfunction in the system and the abs part of the braking system is switched off until it is fixed. it is the same with airbags as well if the light is lit up the system is switched off. i think you should invest in a code reader and see if it throws any codes up. they are cheap enough these days and it will take the guesswork out of it.

I've had vag-com on it and the rear left ABS sensor came up....also the mass airflow sensor? Dont think that's relevant to the brake system though is it...that's to do with the turbo?

I'm going to have another go at bleeding the brakes today, can't see it changing anything, but worth a shot.

turbo? what sort of engine have you got in this thing?

Lol nothing exciting...its a 1.4tdi lol

I wish it had a monster of an engine under the bonnet but unfortunately not.

Lol nothing exciting...its a 1.4tdi lol

I wish it had a monster of an engine under the bonnet but unfortunately not.

don't knock it, the sis in law has the same engine in a cordoba and its grand and has never given a problem in 5 yrs.

Yea its alright, get more that 60 miles to gallon....can't complain at that.

Some people just act like diesels are inferior engines....well some people I know.

Yea its alright, get more that 60 miles to gallon....can't complain at that.

Some people just act like diesels are inferior engines....well some people I know.

i driv a tdi audi a4 myself and it is an absolute belter of a car. big, comfortable and fast. i will never go back to petrol for a big/medium size car. and if anyone says that modern diesel engines are in any way inferior to petrol,well they are talking thru their arse.

That's what I say...I'd much rather have a diesel than petrol.

The Polo's fantastic...well it will be when everything's working lol

Edited 4 September, 201115 yr by PoloKidger

That's what I say...I'd much rather have a diesel than petrol.

The Polo's fantastic...well it will be when everything's working lol

keep us posted on how you get on with the brakes. best of luck mate!

Brake are sorted now. Went up to VW and they told me a different bleeding sequence to what is said in the haynes manual :S

Had a crash on the way back from there though.....luckily only dented the top of the offside front wing ( which has been beat back out now).....guy i went into got most of the damage....looking forward to getting shafted by insurance :/

All thats left now is getting a rear left ABS sensor, mass air flow sensor (dont quite understand why that came up on vagcom though) and it should be mechanically sound.

Wanting to get it re-sprayed at some point, cant find any spray places that rent out booths though...

Also thinkin bout a set of coilovers....like the idea of it being lower... i dont know if i like the idea of harsh ride though lol

Brake are sorted now. Went up to VW and they told me a different bleeding sequence to what is said in the haynes manual :S

Had a crash on the way back from there though.....luckily only dented the top of the offside front wing ( which has been beat back out now).....guy i went into got most of the damage....looking forward to getting shafted by insurance :/

All thats left now is getting a rear left ABS sensor, mass air flow sensor (dont quite understand why that came up on vagcom though) and it should be mechanically sound.

Wanting to get it re-sprayed at some point, cant find any spray places that rent out booths though...

Also thinkin bout a set of coilovers....like the idea of it being lower... i dont know if i like the idea of harsh ride though lol

jesus! out of the frying pan into the fire! check the electrical connection at the air massmeter,we had a nissan patrol in work that the air mass meter electrical plug was always working itself loose and the car would throw a wobbler until the plug was shoved back on.

Ah, thanks mate..ill check that when weathers abit better. Saves me £90 if its something like that.

Ah, thanks mate..ill check that when weathers abit better. Saves me £90 if its something like that.

I have a secondhand one that came off a good runner for sale If your interested

How much you looking at? Don't get paid til 19th, but i would be interested.