# MK4 Brakes Soft ONLY When I Reverse



## intense1 (Dec 24, 2008)

I have a 2000 Mk4 TDI Golf. I've have it for almost a year/20k miles. Most of the time my wife drives it. About 8 months ago we started having some softness in the brake pedal that seemed to only happen in reverse and because I was in a different state, I had her take it to AU Tuning in Seal Beach. They've been great, I reccomend them. Anyway, so far we have had the MC replaced twice, and had the vacuum booster replaced. They supposedly checked out the vacuum system completly, and the abs system, but we're still haveing the same issue. About 50% of the time, if you're reversing with the wheels turned, the pedal will go almost to the floor with almost zero slowing of the car. If you do that same manouver and slam on the brakes it's a little better. If you want the brakes when reversing, you kinda have to pump them to build pressure. 99% of the time the brakes are great when going forward.
Now, normaly I would say that this was a MC issue, and replace it. Except AUTuning has changed that twice. Then perhaps I would say that it was the vacuum booster... Except that was changed too, and nothing. The problem seemed to happen less, thought I felt like the pedal "feel" was worse. Oh BTW, the car has SSBL's. Also, it has nver used or leaked brake fluid anywhere.

So, I'm at my wit's end, and I'm tired of throwing money at it, so I turn to you, the internet expert. Can you help me?


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## KG18t (Aug 9, 2006)

Well, the MC/Booster really doesn't care which way the drivetrain is going... so wherever that idea came from, drop it.

This sounds more like pads or caliper slide bushings - could be front or rear. After a pump or two, do the brakes feel normal? Is there any softness when you first go from reverse after pumping the brakes to forward and then stop?


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## intense1 (Dec 24, 2008)

Sorry for the late reply, i guess my subscriptions thing isn't working.

The softness is intermittant, it seems to happen more when the wheels are cranked over, like when you're parrallel parking. If you keep pumping while reversing, the pressure stays, or when you then go forward, the pressure comes back after a pump or three.


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## intense1 (Dec 24, 2008)

So I've purchased and installed the Tyrol Sport bushing kit... And nothing. I've struck out. So far, this thing has new SSBL's, new MC, new vacuum booster, some Hawk pads, and the Tyrol bushings. 

To review, the brake pedal will go all the way to the floor 50% of the time, only all low speeds when the wheels are turned. If you pump it once or twice, it's normal. 

The only things that I can think of that are left are the ABS booster, or some phantom vacuum leak somewhere. I suppose that I could rebuild all of the calipers, that's not to expensive. Am I missing something?


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## Ryan E. (Oct 1, 2002)

Sounds like possibly some air in the system. Sometimes an over full mc can cause issue.


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## intense1 (Dec 24, 2008)

Hmmmm. I'll have to re-bleed them I guess.


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## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

Let us know if bleeding it does anything. It'd be odd for it to be the ABS unit because if the rest of the system is working fine, the fluid would have to go _somewhere _when the pedal is depressed. Keep in mind that you're not running the booster off engine vacuum on a TDI, but off a pump. Not that I think that's the issue. I had the opposite issue where the line from that pump to the booster had a small leak and when the pedal was depressed multiple times quickly, I'd lose all assist.


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