Instructions for Replacing the Front Brake Pads on a 2002 Passat W8

The 2002 Volkswagen Passat W8 came available as a station wagon and a sedan. The 2002 W8 featured a 270-horsepower 4.0-liter W-8 engine. The front pads on the 2002 Passat W8 consist of four brake pads per wheel. There are two brake pads on either side of the brake rotors. This brake system has a floating caliper with dual pistons. The 2002 Passat W8 has wheel studs that mount into the wheel hub and rotor assembly, rather than the usual lug nuts, which are mounted to protruding studs.

Instructions

1

Open the hood on the W8 Passat. Check the brake fluid reservoir. If the brake fluid is at the "Full" mark, use a bottle siphon to remove the fluid until it is about a half inch below the "Full" mark.

2

Loosen but do not remove the front wheel studs, using a 17 mm tire iron. Raise the front of the Passat with a jack, and place jack stands beneath both front frame rails on either side of the engine. Lower the Passat onto the jack stands. Remove the wheel studs from the front of the car, then remove both front wheels.

3

Position yourself over the caliper on one side of the car. Open the caliper bleeder screw with an open end wrench, to relieve any pressure trapped by the ABS modulator. Close the bleeder screw snug, then add slight pressure to make sure the screw is tight. Do not over-tighten the bleeder screw, or you can strip the head off of the screw.

4

Disconnect the brake wear sensor harness if equipped, by hand. Spin one of the remove lug studs onto the hub assembly to secure the brake rotor in place. Remove the two outer brake pad mounting bolts with a T-40 Torx socket and a ratchet. Insert a flat-head screwdriver between one of the outer brake pads and the caliper body. Pry the brake pad inward to compress the caliper pistons. Switch back and forth between the two outer brake pads to compress the caliper pistons.

5

Remove the outer brake pads from their holder by hand. Disconnect the break wear indicator connector from the inner pad by hand. Press the caliper bracket inward by prying against the caliper gently with a flat-head screwdriver. Remove the inner brake pads from the caliper. Use pliers to grab the brake pads if needed.

6

Spray the entire brake assembly, including the inside of the caliper, with aerosol brake cleaner. Place a tape measure across the top of the brake rotor to measure the thickness of the entire rotor. If the brake rotor is less than 7/8 inches thick (0.900 in thousandths of an inch), then the rotor needs to be replaced.

7

Push the caliper bracket inward again, and insert the inner brake pads into the caliper. Make sure the brake pad with the wear indicator is the lower of the two inner brake pads. Connect the brake pad wear indicator by hand. Push the caliper bracket outward as far as possible. Remove the protective backing covers from the outer pads by hand. Install the outer pads into the caliper. Line the T-40 Torx bolts up with the outer pads. Tighten the bolts to 18 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and the T-40 Torx socket.

8

Open the driver's door of the pump the brake pedal slowly several times, to seat the brake pads against the rotor.

9

Repeat steps 3 through 8 to complete the brake pad replacement on the second side of the W8 Passat. Remove the single wheel stud when you are finished.

10

Press one of the front wheels up against the wheel hub and rotor. Install a small punch awl or metal rod through the stud hole in the wheel and into the stud hole on the hub. This will hold the wheel in place while you align the wheel lug studs. Remove the awl from the wheel and hub, to install the final stud. Install the studs and tighten them snug with a 17 mm tire iron. Repeat this step to install the second front wheel on the Passat.

11

Raise the Passat off of the jack stands and remove the stand from beneath the car. Lower the Passat to the ground and immediately torque all fron-wheel studs to 90 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and a 17 mm wheel nut socket. Check and fill the brake fluid reservoir if needed.