Pads and discs are a straightforward DIY on any GTI.
Pads:
- Chock, jack and support the car, wheel off. Free the caliper (two guide-pin bolts on a sliding caliper) and hang it from the spring — never let it dangle on the hose.
- Push the piston back (crack the bleed nipple so old fluid doesn't back up into the ABS), fit new pads, clean and grease the slider pins. Do both sides.
- Bed them in with a dozen firm-but-not-hard stops.
Discs:
- Only if worn — measure thickness against the minimum on the hat, check for scoring, cracks or a lip. Do them in axle pairs.
- The rear disc often has an integral parking-brake drum — check the shoes while it's off.
Fluid: flush every 2 years (it's hygroscopic).
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