# 2000 Jetta VR6 Rear Brake Caliper Question



## Roadblock007 (Jan 16, 2010)

I bought my Jetta last December and started to notice that there was a small grinding sound from the back end. I have been looking at the rear rotors and noticed that they never get shiny, always rusty. I just finished replacing both my rear wheel bearings and had a good look back there and I noticed that the rear drivers side caliper piston boot is off. By seeing both sides and the amount of rust on the rotors I think I can safely say that my rear calipers are seized. I can't find any rebuild DIY so can anyone point me in the right direction? 

Thanks, 

RB


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## Roadblock007 (Jan 16, 2010)

No opinions?


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

There aren't any repair parts available for rear calipers, other than caliper seal kits, and slider pin boot kits. 

The slider pin boots are sold in pairs with a pair of caliper to carrier mounting bolts. One slider pin boot kit per caliper. There are two sets of caliper dust boots and piston seals in a caliper seal kit (one caliper seal kit does two calipers), so caliper seal kit per axle. 

You may be able to save the calipers, but you'll have to remove them from the car to see. Lift the rear of the car, and put it on jackstands. Remove the caliper to caliper carrier bolts. Now check the slider pins to see if they're stuck, and check the condition of the boots. 

If the slide pins are stuck, get them loose (flip the dust boots off and hose PB Blaster in using the spray tube). Clean the slider pins and lubricate them generously, and stuff some grease in the slider pin holes in the calipers. 

Now, reassemble the calipers, and drop the car back on it's wheels. Do you use the parking brakes? Do they work? The parking brake is how the rear brake pad clearance is adjusted. If the parking brakes don't work, the rear brake pad clearance is not being stay in adjustment the the rear brakes are not going to work. 

If the parking brakes are not working, then either the parking brake cables are bad (when you pull the braking brake, are the cables working/pulling out the parking brake levers on the rear calipers? 

If the parking brake levers are not being pulled by the cables, then the cables are no good. 

You can drive the car for a few days to see if the rotors start to shine up, signaling that the rear brakes are working. If they never shine up, then the possiblity that you are going to end up buying replacement calipers becomes stronger. But even if it looks like the calipers may need to be replaced, you are still going to need the slider pin boots if yours are bad, and the parking brake cables (if they're bad. 

So, now you know what to order: slider pin boot kits (cost is $6 each), caliper seal kit (cost is less than $7), and parking brake cables if necessary (cost is less then $15 each). These prices are from autohausaz.com (free ground shipping on orders over $50, so check your car for other parts you need or order spare parts for common failure items like the coolant flange, oil dipstick tube, and the ignition switch). 

You will need a tool to remove and retract the caliper pistons from the caliper bodies. Rear caliper pistons must be pressed and rotated clockwise at the same time to retract them. To remove the pistons from the calipers to replace the dust boot and piston seal, and clean the insides of the calipers you need to rotate the pistons counter-clockwise. You can use the caliper tool to turn the pistons most of the way out, but most probably you will not get the pistons out before you run out of working room (the tool is too tall/thick). To finish taking the caliper pistons off, you will need a thinner tool, like the bicycle "bottom bracket tool" that I use. Take a rear caliper to a good bicycle store, and find a bottom bracket tool in the tool section that fits the notches in the face of the caliper pistons.  

Buy the standard Disc Brake Service Kit (comes in a red box) from Harbor Freight. It's on sale for $25, and you can get a 20% Off Coupon from the Harbor Freight ad in the Sunday newspaper, or the HF ad in many magazines. The newer model kit comes in a blue box, has a reverse direction caliper tool, and sells for $45 (don't forget the 20% Off Coupon if your going to buy this), and a lifetime warranty. 

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE TOOL CALLED THE CUBE. DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE OR RETRACT THE PISTONS WITH PLIERS, YOU WILL NICK OR DING THE METAL AND RUIN THE PISTONS.


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## Roadblock007 (Jan 16, 2010)

Wow that's quite the well thought out response, thanks. The e brake works fine. the pistons just seem seized up. 

RB


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

If the parking brake is working, the pistons can't be seized, since the parking brake mechanism extends the caliper piston to contact the rotor as the parking brake.


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## Roadblock007 (Jan 16, 2010)

I thought of that but is the e brake only connected at the rear passenger side?


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

Roadblock007 said:


> I thought of that but is the e brake only connected at the rear passenger side?


 No. 

There are two parking brake cables running from the parking brake cable handle inside the car, down the center of the chassis, and out to each trailing arm to the drum brake or disc brake calipers. 

Are you saying that your car only has one parking brake cable? 

If so, you need to order a pair of new cables and get them installed ASAP.


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## Roadblock007 (Jan 16, 2010)

I only noticed the one on the passenger side because I was looking for other things. I'll look at the setup again. So you are saying that the e brake cable should go to both rear brake calipers?


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## ozziee51 (Jan 12, 2011)

*caliper Jetta 2000*

How timely. My rim has been warm to the touch off and on for a while. I've been told its the caliper by CT. My e brake was disconnected because of the cold weather and I've lived without it for a long while now. Reading the previous has lead me to believe it will be difficult to change or use the caliper without the e brake. Also I've been told that both rear calipers should be replaced if you replace one. Is this necessary?


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

Disconnecting the paking brake cable won't change anything unless the parking brake cable/s or brake calipers are defective to begin with. Meaning that you had a problem before it got cold, and now you're going to have to fix it.

Replace both parking brake cables, and both rear calipers. Odds, are all of those parts are bad. The parking brake cables are cheap (about $16 each). The calipers not so cheap. Rebuilt rear calipers look like they're running about $80 (plus refundable core charge).


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