I've a Mk IV Golf 1.6 for my runabout car - gets used once a twice during the week then here and there at the weekends. Nice wee thing, bit on the soft side but the nice high profile tyres are ideal for the crappy roads.
Although it has been fully dealer serviced till now (only 55K miles, 1 elderly owner) I will now probably do the servicing myself on it, at least the basic stuff - and once I source a filter I'll do the oil asap.
I need to do the front pads and I think discs too as they are fairly worn with a defined lip.
So - worth going for better items or just cheap ones from ebay sellers ?
Can pick up a full set, front + rear, with pads and discs for £60 or so or source a branded set such as Pagid, from somewhere like Euro Car Parts which will probably be nearer 2x the price for a full set of front and rear ?

Also I think the job will need a caliper tool to wind the pistons in/out ? This correct and again, any suggestions as to one to go for or just get the ones on offer for about £10 ?

 

On our MkV I broke my wind back tool as both rear calipers were seized, even though it was turning clockwise as it should.

 

The dreaded TRW caliper (the legacy of Lucas )

If the handbrake works via the caliper (which I'm 99% certain it is), You will need a wind back tool.

And as John says they can be stiff to wind back or even seized, especially if the pads have been worn right down with dodgy gaiters (exposing more piston to the elements). You may need to put a ring spanner over the the winder to get more leverage (don't blame me if you break it though )

I've got an ancient Sykes Pickavant wind back tool which has proven to be bullet proof (if only I had all the adapters for it ), but Sealey do a few good sets; I also have a the sealey set (VS0282) which has both a clockwise and anti-clockwise winder (the Picavant is clockwise only) that has also took some heavy abuse and is still OK, I can't say if the cheaper sets will take such abuse.

Obviously if you go cheap with tools, thay can break. Sealey do make some utter shyte as well as good stuff; You pays your money.

And don't mix up the winders...most TRW calipers wind in clockwise.


Like I do with tyres, I only use branded parts for brakes. Two of the most important components on the car regardless of its performance....no? Thats just my opinion though.

 

The weld broke on my cheapo Sealey, as well as bending the plate. I was using a 2ft bar on it. Caliper has been away for a month getting 'express unseize' because they had to subcontract getting the bleed nipple helicoiled. Other side was turnaround of a few days as it didn't. I did the Subaru calipers myself but these were trickier. Would have been better just replacing them given the delay and cost in hindsight.

I have used Pagid pads and Mintex discs on the Golf and they have been good, but I think the rear calipers were seized for a while as the rear pads wore in 10000 miles whereas then originals did 50000. I didn't fit the replacement discs and pads at 50000 as my garage roof had flown 100m up the hill in hurricane Bawbag, so I had given it to a local place to do.

 

Hes doing the front disks and pads so no wind back tool needed, just take the cap off the brake fluid reservoir first and then push the pistons back with a big set of grips. Make sure you clean up the caliper shims and sliders and youll be fine.

always put descent brakes on your car, whats the point in putting crap on the car its not worth it for stuff that saves your life.

 

My mistake

Front just need a spreader tool, or whatever will push the piston back.

If the rear brakes (or front at that)haven't been touched for over 4years it worth removing the pads, and make sure they move in the guides (if not, remove the rust build up), also makin sure the sliding pins aren't seized.

 

Cheers guys - yes, the fronts are needed, not so sure about the rears, will have to check them at the w'end.
Ebay shop is offering the Mintex pad/disk set which should be ok I reckon although I hadn't realised that Mintex also own Pagid (as well as a couple of other brands I'm not familiar with).
Anyway, have now ordered the Mintex set so we'll see how I get on, hopefully nothing to seized as it has a full service history.

 

Yeah Pagid are part of TMD friction.

IIRC Pagid non-performance pads are only supplied via Euro Car parts.

Chances are the Mintex are the same pad with a different label printed on it and in a different box. (assuming they are not counterfeits)

 

Haven't yet done the disks/pads as I checked both sides and there is still a decent amount of material left so I'll run them for a little while yet (not too long though) and may well get a set of rears also since they are heading for renewal also.

So I thought I'd do an oil change - service light has just come on anyway, got some cheap Havoline oil - Semi Synth Morrisons which I thought it was ok, 10W40 to VW spec 505 but now I check the manual it mentions only 500.00 and 502.00 spec oil is correct whilst this stuff is 505.00 spec. Car is a 1.6SE 75kw (105bhp) petrol, 2002.
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Vo...0011&0&cc5_245
Searching the 'net I cannot determine if this stuff is ok or not, some sites indicate this was actually the spec for the diesel VW engines of a few years back whilst I recall seeing mentions on some sites that really a 12 year old, low'ish power engine is not that demanding and this spec of oil was fine.

Any help ?

 

As long as you use the right grade oil youll be fine ie 10w40 semi, 5w30 semi etc etc. Just check what it says to use in the handbook.

 

hmm, most of the searches I've now been doing, eg the Castrol web site, Mobil site etc, point towards the thinner 5w30 so it looks like the 10w40 is a step too thick yet some sites, eg Opie, have a range of viscosities from 0w30 through 5w30 all the way to 10w40, some of which state 502 (as per handbook) AND 505. Unless I can be pointed to something that firmly states my existing oil is ok then I'll play safe and stump up for some alternative 502 spec I guess.
The Opie oil search I've just done for my specific variant comes up with ONLY a list of 5W30s so I think that decides it for me.

 

Best just to put the reg number into castrol website: http://ew5.earlweb.com/search.php?si...uage=5&brand=1

That recomended oil with be to what ever VW spec it is...look at the spec on opie's website for the oil castrol reccomends to find out which VW spec that is. Generally speaking 500.00 and 502.00 are fully synth oil usually 5w30 or 5w40. 505.00 oil to be frank is pretty much anything LOL. Its the more basic spec: usually semi synthetic 10w-40

If you ever get confused with VW's oil specs, Opie once again makes its easy to understand the differences: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-742-vw-engine-oil.aspx


If its the old 8 valve engine (dates back to the 80's) then 505.00 10w-40 can be used if its on 12month changes - there is nothing really any different on these engines to the ones used in the MKII Golf bar the fueling/ignition and emissions control. But if it has flexible service (over one year) then you should use better stuff.


The 16valve lumps can burn oil. Again, I tend to use the thicker/cheaper 505.00 oils in these if I find one that likes to guzzle the 5w-30.

 

Cheers - mine is a 1600 16V, 105BHP/77KW - it's likely not been thrashed as I am just the 2nd owner, previous was older gent I believe so a chance he trundled around in 1st and 2nd most of the time ! Just gone over 55,000 miles now so for a 12 hear old car it's under 6k a year.

 

Found some info that maybe helps a little and might be of use to others in the future ?

http://www.my-gti.com/2543/volkswage...koda-audi-seat

Not sure where this info has come from but taking it at face value :

Volkswagen Oil Standards – lists of all approved oils – Skoda – Audi – Seat
Volkswagen introduced it’s own specifications for engine oil in the mid 1990′s and these cover Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi and Seat made cars.

There are two new VW standards for oils, 504.00 for petrol powered engines and 507.00 for diesel powered engines. Introduced in late 2005, whilst these are seperate standards every oil made to date has meet the requirements of both standards. Hence why VW refer to the standards as 504.00/507.00.

All VW petrol and diesel engines with the exception of the Touareg R5 and V10 diesels with pump nozzles can use these new oils. Most Volkswagen cars come with a factory fill (first fill) of Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow Longlife III which was joint engineered by Volkswagen and Castrol.

Volkswagen 501.01/505.00 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 502.00/505.00/505.01 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 502.00/505.00 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 505.01 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 503.00/506.00 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 503.00/506.01 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 503.01 Approved Oils

Volkswagen 504.00/507.00 Approved Oils

List of the most common VW standards

VW 500.00 – VW spec for multigrade engine oils for petrol engines with SAE 5W-X/10W-X viscosity for engines built up until August 1999 (MY 2000).
VW 500.00 + 505.00 – Oil meets both VW 500.00 and 505.00 spec.
VW 501.01 – VW spec for petrol engines for engines built up until August 1999 (MY 2000).
VW 501.14 – Brake fluid with low viscosity, VW 2006>.
VW 502.00 – VW spec, oil for petrol engines. Successor of VW 501.01 & 500.00 spec.
VW 503.00 – Long-life petrol engine oil for VW cars with WIV. Meets ACEA A1, SAE 0W-30 or 5W-30. Suitable for the AUDI S4, engines with an output greater than 180bhp should use 503.01 or 504.00/507.00.
VW 503.01 – Special engine oil for some VW petrol engines. SAE 5W-30. Suitable for the Ausi RS4, TT, S3 and A8 6.0 V12.
VW 504.00 – Long-life petrol engines with WIV.
VW 505.00 – Passanger car diesel engine oil, minimum performance level CCMC PD-2. Lists viscosities:- SAE 5W-50, 10W-50/60, 15W-40/50, 20W-40/50 requiring 13% max evaporation loss and SAE 5W-30/40, 10W-30/40 requiring 15% max evaporation loss.
VW 505.01 – Special engine oil for VW turbodiesel with pump-injector-unit and for the V8 commonrail turbodiesel engines. Meets ACEA B4 SAE 5W-40 spec.
VW 506.00 – Special long-life engine oil for turbodiesel engines with WIV, viscosity is SAE 0W-30.
VW 506.01 – Special long-life oil for turbodiesel engines with pump-injector-unit with WIV.
VW 507.00 – Long-life diesel engine oil with WIV.
VW 508.00 – Fuel economy low saps oil in development.
WIV is extended drain periods up to 30,000km or 24 months.

VW OIL Requirements (1998-2006)

Links to a VW brochure on my-gti.com that simply states that 1998 - 2006 VWs need 502 spec oil, nothing else.

My confusion is not helped by the fact that there are some oils, and that includes oils of differing ,ultigrades, that state they meet 502 AND 505, whilst the oil I bought is a 10W40 which only states 505.


So, again, I think that it's probably not going to be immediately terminal for my engine but I'm resigned to getting an oil that does state 502 on the tin.

 

They don't make it easy do they? LOL (even I had to edit my post as I mixed the numbers up )

Ford/Jaguar/LandRover is even worse.

In contrast Vauxhall/Saab is a doddle...Dexos2 oil for everything

 

I posted to another Golf-specific forum and it turns out that we (the UK) are the only European country that has a 5W30 oil specified by VW - others have 5W40 specified. I'd think that in general European driving conditions are similar enough to have just a single oil specified ?? The 30 or 40 number relates to the number of seconds it flows at a temp of 100c with the 30W oil flow rate being between 25 to 34 seconds whilst for 40 it is 35 to 44 seconds so the difference between those 2 could be as little as 1 second or as much as 19 seconds.
I just got hold of Euro Car Parts Triple QX synthetic oil for a tenner for 5 litres, it's a 5W30 and is VW 502 so that's going in the engine now.

 

To be frank, I'd ignore the viscosities...as long as it conforms to the manufacturer's spec which is the important bit.

Unless there is a oil useage issue (thats not caused by a gummed up separator) or a variable valve timing issue (which you won't as it hasn't got any), the viscosity isn't as important as it was, as when the oil ages its viscosity changes anyway hence why most manufacuters have their own specs these days (except the Japanease ).

So yeah 502.00 5w-30 will do just fine

 

Not sure if it's available to the public but I got some Eicher front pads from euros the other day for £5! Aparantly it's an anniversary offer Eicher are doing, sure the bloke said it's for 5 weeks. Might be worth seeing if your model is one within the offer.

If you're not in a rush, it might be worth keeping an eye on euro's website they quite often have good offers on. I usually get pagid discs and pads when I'm servicing normal cars.

 

Yeah, Euro Car Parts do seem to have constant offers on - the 5litres of synthetic 5W30 was a seriously good deal at £10.49 ! Ended up getting oil, brake fluid, box of latex gloves and large can of brake cleaner for £20, great value. Having said that I got the full set of Mintex pads and discs delivered to the door off an ebay seller for £56 which I reckoned at the time there was no way that ECP would beat.