brake help

[idonthaveabeetle]

i joined to get some info or insight to find out what is going on with my moms beetle

it's a 2000 1.8T

she dropped it off at my house the other day so i can change her rear brakes. after getting brakes out i realize i need special tool to reset caliper so i bought it and reset it
long story short the rear brakes do not work after being changed any ideas? i am a jeep guy so i am clueless as to this.
the piston boots had a rip or 2 in them not sure if that matters or helps

any help appreciated as this is my moms onlky car so i need to get it done for her asap

[pencilneck]

What tool(s) did you use to retract the pistons back into the calipers?

[idonthaveabeetle]

18 Piece Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit

got this from harbor freight thats what i used

[esse10]

Just fyi, orielly has a special tool for $14 bucks that does the same using a 3/8 ratchet, I just did mine two weeks ago. to get to your problem; If your brakes were worn way too low it could be that the calipers got rust inside the piston area and now are getting stuck and will warp your rotors, bummer. You might need to hone out the inside of the caliper piston or just get new ones, I think they are only about 60-70 bucks,
Good luck man hope you find the problem.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by idonthaveabeetle

i joined to get some info or insight to find out what is going on with my moms beetle

it's a 2000 1.8T

she dropped it off at my house the other day so i can change her rear brakes. after getting brakes out i realize i need special tool to reset caliper so i bought it and reset it
long story short the rear brakes do not work after being changed any ideas? i am a jeep guy so i am clueless as to this.
the piston boots had a rip or 2 in them not sure if that matters or helps

any help appreciated as this is my moms onlky car so i need to get it done for her asap

How do you know the "Rear" brakes don't work? Did you remove the cover from the brake fluid reservoir before retracting the rear calipers? Did you unhook the parking brake cable and hook it back up? Did you properly insert the pads and use new clips or clean the old ones real good? Did you reuse the old bolts or new ones that come with the OEM pads?
Check the brake fluid and top it off if it is low. Make sure there is no air in the brake lines. If that brake fluid has been in there for a while I would have it flushed and replaced. A stuck piston in one of the calipers may cause one side to malfunction but very unlikely both sides. I would double check your work and see if you perhaps missed anything.
It doesn't matter if you are a Jeep guy. We forgive you but seriously the basic principle of replacing brake pads are pretty much the same regardless of brand of vehicle. I have changed rotors and brake pads on many different brands of cars and this beetle isn't that much different other than making sure that you slowly turn the caliper while pressing it back in. Did you use the proper adapter of this Harbor freight kit?
I have the same kit and it worked fine on my 2000 Beetle.
The rip in the dust boot shouldn't have anything to do with the proper operation of the caliper piston.
Again, retrace your steps, there is something you may have missed. Did you change the rotors as well or just the pads?
Good Luck to you and please let us know if you have any further questions.

Tom in Indy