still in trouble with brakes!!

[mstriker82]

had my brake pads replaced and the brake light warning will not disappear on the dash screen, been told to disconnect the ecu n re-connect it it?? will that work?? also my pads seem abit soft so far, should i need to bleed them and how should i do this?? thanks for any help!! (audi a3 tdi 53plate!!)

[Suresh S]

Hi guys....

Im pretty new to these forums but theres a depth of knowlegde on this site which i really do hope will help .

I do apologise in advance if i were to post this elsewhere but here goes:

I have recently purchased an Audi A4 1.9TDI (51 plate) and am loving it, but as i was driving yesterday morning i found that as i steered round a roundabout my brake light on my trip computer appeared and went away as soon as i applied pressure to the brake pedal. i pulled over on the hard shoulder and checked for leaks and the pads they seem fine. i did notice the break fluid was low but doesnt this compensate for when the brakes are almost on there last thread??

I took it to a local independant dealer who claims that the pads require replacing as do the discs, both front and rear??? is this the case?? i dont want to pay out for pads n discs needlessly if they dont require replacing?! could it be the sensor playing up??

he did however whilst i was at the garage top up the break fluid and the fault has not re-appeared since. coincidence or is there a genuine fault??

Is your problem the same as mine MStriker82, with regards to the brakes??

Your help guys would be much appreciated.

Thanks chaps.

[a8 tech]

If its the pad wear indicator light (orange circle)then i suspect the wiring is defective or the connector.DONT DISCONNECT THE ABS CONTROL UNIT OR THE DASH.You shouldnt need to bleed the brake system after fitting the pads,try pre ageing the pads by slamming on the brakes on a private road until the pedal feels more solid,failing that post a picture of the warning symbol and check the master cylinder fluid level.If in doubt take it ti a garage and dont mess about with the brake sytem it could cost you more than money

[Badger61]

Try and be clear when describing a warning light, the brake pad warning is different to low fluid level, if you saw a large red (!) this could indicate that the fluid is low,the resevoir on the A4 is a bit smaller than ideal possibly due to the difference in manufacturing on right hand drive, and may require top up if the pads are half worn and going round a corner may put the light on.If the pads are low, particualy the front then you will get an orange warning which would stay on indicating the front pads are getting close to their wear limit, this is quite an early warning. The advantage of going to an authorised Audi centre is that they can provide data of minimum pad and disc thickness compared to the pads and discs on your car and determine weather they need replacement. Hope this helps.

[Suresh S]

Cheers guys....

Ill take what you guys have said on board.

The Fault light appearing on the dash is a RED BRAKE FAULT LIGHT (the one that gets displayed when u do a diagnostics check by pressing the 'Check' button). The Orange (ABS) light does not come on during this error. Like i said before when the fluid was topped up by the guy in the garage the fault has not re-appeared since.

i think i may leave it for a couple of days n check the fluid level to see if it comes down if it does then the brakes will require replacing i guess. im currently checking my car before i take off for a journey at the brake fluid level just to be sure its ok.

would a good assumption be that if the brake fluid depletes over a period of time then the brakes would require replacing?? or are there more factors involved??


Thanks.