How to Change Brakes on an Audi


1. Place a brick firmly behind each rear wheel to prevent rolling.
2. Raise the front end of the car with a jack and place jack stands underneath the car to secure it.
3. Use a tire iron to remove the lug nuts.
4. Pull the wheels off of the car and set them aside.
5. Use a ratchet wrench and socket to remove the two bolts on the back of the caliper that are keeping it in place. In most Audis, these bolts need 7 mm sockets.
6. Pull the caliper housing off of the rotor, but be careful not to pull off the brake fluid line. Disconnecting this line will make the whole process much more difficult and messier.
7. Inspect the rotor to make sure that it is not warped and has no notches or grooves in it. You can do this by running your hand across the back and the front of the rotor, but make sure the rotors have had an hour or so to cool. If the rotors feel damaged in any way, they will need to be shaved or changed.
8. Take out the old brake pads from the caliper and discard them. Many Audis use an adhesive to keep the pads onto the calipers; if that is the case on your car, you will need to pry them out.
9. Use a brake caliper tool push the piston in the caliper back into place. Doing so will make room for the new, thicker brake pads.
10. Put the new brake pads into the caliper and place the caliper back onto the rotor.
11. Bolt the caliper back into place.
12. Lower the front end of the car, and move the bricks from the back wheels to the front of the front wheels to keep the car from rolling forward.
13. Raise the back end of the car with a jack. Place a set of jack stands underneath the rear end to keep it secure.
14. Use a tire iron to remove the lug nuts on the rear wheels and remove the wheels.
15. Remove the two bolts behind the caliper housing and pull off the caliper. In some newer Audis, the piston is controlled electronically, and as a result it will keep pressure on the rotor. In order to retract the piston, you will need a tool known as a VAG tool. If you have this tool, use as directed to retract the piston, if you do not, purchase it or have your brakes changed by a professional.
16. Remove the brake pads from the caliper and replace them with the new ones, using a brake caliper tool to push back the piston if it is not electronically controlled.
17. Inspect the rotors by hand to make sure they are free of warps, notches or grooves.
18. Place the caliper back onto the rotor and bolt it into place.
19. Put the wheels back onto the car and bolt them in securely.