# Leaking rear caliper



## TravisaKaBiggie (Apr 9, 2009)

I've had no way of changing my leaking rear caliper.

I was changing the rotor and pads on the back, and a friend of mine pushed the brake pedal in to the floor, and my car started leaking fluid from the left rear caliper...

I haven't had any tools, or jacks since to look at it.

I've been driving it like this for a week now, at times I think I have NO fluid at all, but the brakes still work (after pushing it to the floor, and some more) I don't even know how to remove the brake lines from the caliper.

Anyways, changing the rear caliper tomorrow (not sure if this leak is fixable or not since I haven't been able to inspect it) 

All I know is that I'm changing the caliper, and adding brake fluid. I think I need to bleed the brakes? What else should I be doing? I couldn't find any threads on how to bleed my brakes to begin with, but at the same time, why would I need to bleed them when I have little to no fluid to begin with?

Also, what is this I hear about our trannies using this fluid as well? Someone please school me.

Thanks


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

You've blown the seals on your caliper...STOP driving till you get it fixed! If you really need to stop fast you will not be able to with all the air in the fluid system and blown seals..you could hurt folks..and I don't mean you! Get a shop manual, read it B4 you start tearing into safety related systems like brakes and suspension etc! It's one thing to slap on a set of trick tailights lenses..you mess up..all you do is crack the plastic and waste some $$..you mess up on brakes you can cause big harm!!!


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

:facepalm:


> I was changing the rotor and pads on the back, and a friend of mine pushed the brake pedal in to the floor, and my car started leaking fluid from the left rear caliper...


 Right there, you needed a brake caliper. It's leaking. No money for a new one? You *do not drive the car*.
(Side note: you *do not *let this friend "help" you fix your car in the future. Hitting the brake pedal, when caliper(s) is/are removed, will blow them apart.)
There's nothing to "look at" here, either - it's broken. You know (and, have known!) it's broken. You already know what's broken.



> I've been driving it like this for a week now


 :facepalm: again. And, you've kept on driving it, even as it's deteriorated further.

No, the leak is not repairable by you. Unlike the front calipers (which themselves are a bit of an art to properly re-seal), the rear calipers are not "field-serviceable." Their insides are rather intricate.

_*Yes, you need to bleed the brakes*_. They're hydraulic (fluid-operated.) No fluid = air in system. Leak = air in system. Remove a line = air in system. Air = *bad*.

Please, please buy a Bentley (best), or, at least, a Haynes (decent) for the car before you do any more work on it.
And, if the master cylinder has run dry, and the car has ABS, you absolutely must take the car to a dealer (or, to a decent independent VW shop, that has a VAG-COM) to bleed the brake system. If the MC went dry, there will be air in the ABS hydraulic unit - this requires diagnostic equipment (in addition to a power bleeder) to bleed properly.
Even without ABS, it can be a challenge to fully bleed a brake system (master cylinder run 'dry') without a power bleeder. 
But, so long as you haven't run the reservoir empty, you should be able to bleed a single caliper easily.



> Also, what is this I hear about our trannies using this fluid as well?


 The transmission doesn't use brake fluid. But, the clutch hydraulics do - they're fed off of the same reservoir.

If I've sounded a bit harsh here..... I'm not going to apologize. You knowingly drove (and, have continued to drive) the car with a brake hydraulic leak. That's a serious safety issue, both to yourself, and to all of those around you. If you were to hurt (or, worse, kill) someone because of that, it's your a$$ on the line for it.
That's my common-sense view; my parent view; and my master tech, been fixing cars since before I could drive (and, professionally since I was 18) view.


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

cuppie said:


> :facepalm:
> Right there, you needed a brake caliper. It's leaking. No money for a new one? You *do not drive the car*.
> (Side note: you *do not *let this friend "help" you fix your car in the future. Hitting the brake pedal, when caliper(s) is/are removed, will blow them apart.)
> There's nothing to "look at" here, either - it's broken. You know (and, have known!) it's broken. You already know what's broken.
> ...


AMEN! Well said!...There is a responsibility involved with owning and driving a car on public roads used by all...keep your mind on the driving (NO TEXTING or other stupid stuff), don't drive "Impaired" and keep your car's critical systems (all the stuff needed to make it move out of the way, steer and stop the way it was designed to do) in GOOD operating order!...Knowingly driving around vilolating these responsibilites as you are now doing is criminal!


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## TravisaKaBiggie (Apr 9, 2009)

Thank you very much for your replies.


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## Tollis (Nov 13, 2010)

1. Your a complete idiot for driving without brakes.

2. If you dont know what your doing with something as important as a Brake system *DONT DO IT* Either bring it to a shop or get someone who does know how to help you. (And not that idiot friend who hit the pedal because he clearly doesnt know how)


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

Stepping on the brake pedal with the caliper off the car will overextend the piston past it's normal operating range.

This can damage the parking brake mechanism sometimes, and will usually cause the caliper to start leaking.

If the parking brake mechanism is damaged, you will have to replace the caliper, as there aren't any internal replacement parts available for the calipers, other than caliper seal kits.

Before trying to scrap up the money for replacement calipers, you might want to try removing the pistons and installing a caliper seal kit. If the caliper seal kit stops the leak/s, and the parking brakes are still working, then you don't need to replace the calipers.

You can order a OEM TRW caliper seal kit for less than $7 from several Online Sellers. PM me if you can't find a place to order the TRW caliper seal kit.


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