Warning! Warning! Brake Fluid!

J

jonnycwh

Member
Hi All,

Ok here's my story... I was driving home from work today and my car started beeping and the ABS warning lamp came on as well as the brake fluid lamp. So i pulled over. Switched off the engine and started it again. I read the owners manual and it tells me that my brake fluid might be low and to bring it to my nearest Audi dealer to get a top up. Well i drove the remaining 20miles home and the warning lamp never came back on?
Is this a job i can do myself? Where is the brake fluid reservoir and do i need to know anything else when topping it up? I mean do i need to bleed the brakes or release trapped air or stuff like that? Also is there a special type of brake fluid i need to buy? Hope ya can help. Cheers
 
Hi
The brake warning light can signal other brake faults so check the fluid level first then talk to your dealer if the warning lights come on again.
The attached link is from our gallery and shows the position of the brake reservoir (with yellow cap) in the top left corner of the engine bay.
You need DOT4 brake fluid (full spec is in the owners manual) Be careful as the fluid is also a very good paint stripper. If you spill any, wash it off immediately with tap water (have a bottle ready, just in case)
Personally, I never top up the reservoir unless it is below the low mark. If it is much below you need to start checking for leaks.

http://www.a2oc.net/gallery/files/2/Engine4.jpg

Cheers Spike
 
Hi Spike,

Thanks for all that helpful info. I'll have a go tomorrow and see what the story is. Will let you know how i get on. Thanks again.
 
before you panic too much have you checked your brake pad thickness, because if the wire that signals the pads are low has broken/fallen out, the next thing you'll know is when they become so low more fluid is kept at the caliper end than usual, setting the brake fluid monitor off
 
Hi Omitchell,

Yeah that probably sounds right. I haven't changed the pads in ages so i must check that now. Would you trust one of those advance pitstop tyre places to put new pads on or would i be better off going to my own mechanic?
 
jonnycwh said:
Hi Omitchell,

Yeah that probably sounds right. I haven't changed the pads in ages so i must check that now. Would you trust one of those advance pitstop tyre places to put new pads on or would i be better off going to my own mechanic?
Click to expand...


i wouldn't go near them with a bargepole as they'll almost certainly fit a really cheap set of pads without the wire in them for the brake pad warning, you're best off going down to your mechanic and fitting either some genuine audi pads or ebc greenstuff pads, they're both around the same price and you'll know what you're getting
 
Thats great thanks. I went out to Audi and bought the proper audi parts with the wire sensor. I'm giving it to my mechanic tomorrow and they'll fit it for me.
 
Brakes

Ok i got my brake pads done. The parts from Audi cost me 64euro and the mechanic installed them for 40euro. So 104euro is about 70pound? Is that good? The pads were a bit squishy at first afterwards but now they've broken in. And the warning lights have stopped.
 
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