'10 jetta rear brake issue.

[jetlagmech]

Bought my new Jetta TDI sedan just a few weeks ago....Am enjoying the heck out of it. have 1000 mls on it. noticed at hiway speed when I touch the brakes the would grab very hard, then not seem to let go all the way. So started to pay attention and noticed when I get to work or home that my front rotors are cold and my rear roters are very hot. also when setting my parking brake the handle would only pull up about half an inch. Took it into the dealer (I know I know I've seen it in many threads but I have to give them a chance) the official paperwork says the park brake cable was found within VW specs and a check and test drive showed no issues and after contacting the area rep suspect normal break in feel. As I was signing the paperwork the cashier noted to me that mine was the third one in for this issue and one was actually smoking when they brought it in.
Now comes the strange part........ When I get in car to drive away I pull the parking brake handle and it moves up easily 2 inches or so. It feels just like I think it should feel, even the wife noticed it when she took it later in the day..... touched the brakes on the hiway home and no more grab......had to run some errands on the way home so all rotors were hot when I got there so will have to wait on that issue.
I wonder why they couldnt admit they adjusted the park brake cable unless they are having some brake issues on this car and dont want a first strike towards a lemon law.

anyone else notice the rear brakes getting too hot like the park brake rubbing???? I will update with the rear rotor hot issue in a day or so to say what I find.

 

[StaceyR]

Brake issue

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be sure to check the parking/emergency brake adjustment before I take delivery...hopefully this weekend...of my new JSW.

I'm sure they found yours out of adjustment but didn't want to take responsibility for any brake damage that might have already been done.

 

[RV8 Mike]

Just went out to the garage and checked my brake handle. Pulls up about four inches - seems normal. Just have 360 miles so far.

Mike - Sammamish, WA
2010 JSW red, nav system, no sun roof (no sun in Seattle)
2002 RV-8 at KPAE

 

[740GLE]

On my sedan i noticed the PB handle would only raise one click from the lot, like you mentioned. After putting miles on it and applying the PB liberly, ie hauling on the handle a few times while leaving it parked over night. It seems this streatched the cable out to where it now raises one click with no resistance and lifts 3-4 inches before grabbing.

my guess is the dealer just applied the PB nice and firm to streatch the cable out. Reading from the process to adjust the PB it would take quite some time and a few panels removed, so for the dealer to go ahead and do that for you seems a bit much.

I haven't felt my rear rotars after a drive but haven't noticed and drag or any decrease in mileage, 45 avg so far.

 

[jetlagmech]

have felt me rear rotors several times no after a drive and the problem seems to be gone. maybe its all thats needed is to pull the parking brake very hard for a while till it streatches out. I looked up the p-brake adjustment also and your right it looks like quite a procedure to get to it. thanks for the input. learning a lot here about my car.

 

[HEV]

My driver's side rear caliper seems to hang up once in a while. Rotor will be hot and smell of hot brake lining. This has happened to me twice (car only has 540 miles on it). I can tell when it is happening by my fuel mileage. It will plummet! I too think it has something to do with the parking brake cable. The last time this happened, I pulled over and shut the car off. I then pulled up hard on the parking brake and then released it. I resumed driving and all was back to normal. I think for now on, I will engage the parking brake fully to stretch out the cable.

Does anybody know the design of the rear rotors? I've had some that have a small drum brake integrated into the rotor hat, and I have some that apply pressure to the caliper when the parking brake is applied.

 

[pawel]

My driver's side rear caliper seems to hang up once in a while. Rotor will be hot and smell of hot brake lining. This has happened to me twice (car only has 540 miles on it). I can tell when it is happening by my fuel mileage. It will plummet! I too think it has something to do with the parking brake cable. The last time this happened, I pulled over and shut the car off. I then pulled up hard on the parking brake and then released it. I resumed driving and all was back to normal. I think for now on, I will engage the parking brake fully to stretch out the cable.

Does anybody know the design of the rear rotors? I've had some that have a small drum brake integrated into the rotor hat, and I have some that apply pressure to the caliper when the parking brake is applied.

rear brake and PB use the same pad. when you pull the pb, you apply pressure to the caliper piston.

light to medium brake pressure - rear brake bias
hard braking - front brake bias

 

[HEV]

Thanks pawel. That confirms my suspicion.

 

[skinnyb]

I have not had this issue on my current TDI but on my 07 MKV gasser that I traded, I had the drivers rear caliper replaced under warranty for sticking. I noticed my parking brake handle doing strange things and the brakes grabbing but this was at 30K miles though. I ended up having to replace pads at 40K due to the excess wear...

 

[HEV]

Thanks skinnyb. Good info. Hopefully I don't have a problem.

 

[sinfony78]

I noticed on a recent outing that i could smell something burning, like a regen...but i checked and it was coming from the back...my rear brakes were really hot...i've been reading here - http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f16f1f6/30

not sure if it's been discussed at all on these forums, as i only peruse the MKVI forum, but they say that pulling up the E-brakes further than a couple notches will actually adjust the rear calipers closer to the rotors...when i first got the car, the e-brake would only go up a few clips, but now it's much higher...i've always used e-brakes on all my cars, and this is the first time i've heard of any issues like this

i've also read that the rears in general will have more force while braking than the fronts, but i dont' see how my short trip could have caused the heat and smell from this alone

has anyone with a 2010 dealt with a dealership yet about this in particular? i dont' have 10k on the car yet, but i think i will bring it in for the 10k service and tell them about this specifically

if anyone has gone and gotten a free rear replacement or any real info from the dealership about the rear brakes, please let me know...thanks

 

[dpg]

they probably didn't note it on the paper work or mention it because then there would be a paper trail if you would have to have the rears replaced under warranty down the road. then they can blame you for abuse or something else other than it being the dealers/manufacturers fault.

 

[bmike]

Can some one tell me if the parking brake hits the armrest, when it is in the lowest position, when activated? Like my A3 does.

 

[numl0ck]

If I'm reading your post correctly, the answer is yes. With the armrest all the way down AND extended, and the parking break applied, the parking break handle does hit the armrest. To fully apply the parking break, the armrest has to be raised slightly.

 

[40X40]

If it were my car, I would just be happy it was working right.

Bill

 

[El Dobro]

The only way to correctly adjust the parking brake is by getting to the adjustment nut, which is under the back of the console.

 

[bmike]

How can they possibly engineer something so wrong?

 

[ruking]

Bought my new Jetta TDI sedan just a few weeks ago....Am enjoying the heck out of it. have 1000 mls on it. noticed at hiway speed when I touch the brakes the would grab very hard, then not seem to let go all the way. So started to pay attention and noticed when I get to work or home that my front rotors are cold and my rear roters are very hot. also when setting my parking brake the handle would only pull up about half an inch. Took it into the dealer (I know I know I've seen it in many threads but I have to give them a chance) the official paperwork says the park brake cable was found within VW specs and a check and test drive showed no issues and after contacting the area rep suspect normal break in feel. As I was signing the paperwork the cashier noted to me that mine was the third one in for this issue and one was actually smoking when they brought it in.
Now comes the strange part........ When I get in car to drive away I pull the parking brake handle and it moves up easily 2 inches or so. It feels just like I think it should feel, even the wife noticed it when she took it later in the day..... touched the brakes on the hiway home and no more grab......had to run some errands on the way home so all rotors were hot when I got there so will have to wait on that issue.
I wonder why they couldnt admit they adjusted the park brake cable unless they are having some brake issues on this car and dont want a first strike towards a lemon law.

anyone else notice the rear brakes getting too hot like the park brake rubbing???? I will update with the rear rotor hot issue in a day or so to say what I find.

Assuming nothing is wrong with the braking systems (dealer trouble shooting is obviously the first step for those under warranty who have concerns/issues), the brakes are NOT designed to be touched.

The brakes are designed to be APPLIED and applied in such a way that the majority of the braking is done by the fronts,( aka aggressively, so the weight transfers to the fronts). As all would probably know and agree the front rotors and brake pads are LARGER than the rear rotors and pads. In addition VW's have had and continue to have rear brake bias.

As a consequence, if one continues to (touch the brake) brake in such a way that the rears do the majority of the braking (aka no front weight transfer) the rear bias kicks in, so be prepared to change your rear brakes and rotors app 2 to 4 times more often than the fronts.

 

[740GLE]

Or pull up whicked hard on the parking brake and let it strech out over night. Worked for me.