After replacing the rear brake rotors and pads, the brake became soft?

Tiny
PHILIP GAO
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
My vehicle listed above has the same problem (Same model with the Caravan and Town and Country), after replacing rear brake rotors and pads, the brake became soft, Google search said air or water in the brake fluid, but the mechanic didn't do this part job, all the brake line is still same as before. I bought new dot 4 brake fluid and replaced all of them, but it didn't work, and until I watched this video, I confirmed the problem is caliper didn't adjust correctly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKXA3CMlP8
It means, all this type caliper brake, after the brake repairing and install them back, the caliper should push the piston to keep the brake rotor and brake rotor has no space there, if you have a big gap there, the brake pedal should use more move distance to move this gap, this is the reason the brake became soft, this type caliper is come with a parking brake. Its design can move the piston when the brake pad becomes thin, but this function could be lost without regular brake maintenance.
I can't find a picture to show this, it's just rotate the piston, it can adjust the piston stop location, make this location is minimal gap between rotor and pad.
Thursday, July 21st, 2022 AT 10:26 AM

1 Reply

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,755 POSTS
Hi,

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. Anytime the brake rotor or brake pads are being replaced, the rear caliper piston must be seated (bottomed) to compensate for the new brake rotor or lining. Because the parking brake self-adjuster mechanism is attached to the piston, a special seating method is required. The only acceptable method is by rotating the piston back into the bore using (T10165) as described below. Any other seating method will damage the self-adjuster mechanism.

Is that what you needed to know or is it something different?

Let me know.

Joe
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Thursday, July 21st, 2022 AT 6:44 PM

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