Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mmm.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!mmm!schley From: schley@mmm.UUCP (Steve Schley) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: Scirocco break problem Message-ID: <253@mmm.UUCP> Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 09:54:23 EST Article-I.D.: mmm.253 Posted: Mon Oct 28 09:54:23 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 22:04:04 EST References: <314@ccivax.UUCP> Reply-To: schley@mmm.UUCP (Steve Schley) Distribution: net Organization: 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. Lines: 48 In article <314@ccivax.UUCP> susan@ccivax.UUCP (Susan Micciche) writes: > Any Scirocco owners out there? I drive an 85 and like the >car. There are, however, a couple of, shall we say, features, that >have me confused. > The breaks squeak. I've had the dealer check them out and he >says that they're ok. I haven't noticed a problem stopping, just >squeaking. I've also noticed that the front wheels get a lot >dirtier than the rear wheels. The dealer says this is "break dust". > Please help. Am I being paranoid, or is something fishy? I don't own a Scirocco, but I've owned two Rabbits and now an '85 Jetta GLI, and I have had some experience with their brakes (not "breaks"). First, disk brakes have a tendency to squeak. I've been told that this is normal, at least to some extent. I fixed a squeaking problem on a Rabbit by throwing out the "no-name" replacement pads I had gotten cheap and putting in VW replacement pads. On my new Jetta, I have some squeaking, but I don't know whether it's bad enough to bother with. There are plastic shims placed between the pads and the pistons that are supposed to reduce squeaking. Check to see that these are in place. There are products sold to combat disk brake squeaking. The stuff I have is a blue liquid, much like rubber cement. They say to paint it on the backs of the pads, then reinstall the pads. It helped a little on my Rabbit, so you might want to try it. A well-stocked auto parts store should carry this product. Finally, on dust. Your car has disks on the front wheels, and drum brakes on the rear. Both generate the black dust you saw, but drums don't put it on the wheels. Disk brakes do. (If I'm wrong, and you do have disks on the rear, as I do, you still will get most of your dust on the front, as that's where most of the braking is done.) There are two solutions. First, you can wash your wheels often, like once a week. If you don't, the corrosive dust will permanently etch your wheels, and they won't look so nice. Second, there are pie-tin shaped guards that can be mounted between the wheels and the brakes. I've not tried them; maybe someone out there who has can testify to their performance? Summing up, minor squeaking and dust generation are normal side effects of disk brakes. -- Steve Schley ihnp4!mmm!schley