The brake pads on your Audi are an extremely important component of the braking system of the vehicle. Pads are considered wear items and should be inspected regularly and replaced if necessary. Replacing your brake pads in a timely fashion also ensures that the rotors will not bet scored or warped by pads that are worn past their useful life.

What You Will Need

You will need a lug wrench to remove the wheels, a floor jack to raise the car and jack stands to support it while you replace the brakes. You will also need a socket set and ratchet, pliers, new brake pads, spray brake cleaner and clean rags. A workshop manual for your specific model and year of Audi is also highly recommended.

Remove The Old Pads

Loosen the lug nuts for the wheels with a lug wrench or a socket and a ratchet. Use a floor jack to raise the vehicle up and place it on jack stands. Ensure that the vehicle is supported safely, remove the wheels and set them aside. Spray brake cleaner generously onto all of the brake components, including the caliper, rotor, brake line and nearby components. Wipe the parts down with a clean, dry rag until all of the dirt and oil is removed. Disconnect any brake sensor lines that go to the brake calipers. Inspect the caliper, which will be held on by two large bolts and on some Audi models with a large spring clip that holds the caliper to the caliper bracket. Remove the spring clip with a pair of needle-nose pliers by grabbing the clip where it goes into the hole in the caliper at the top and bottom and pulling straight out. Remove the two caliper retaining bolts located on the back of the caliper with a socket. Slide the caliper off of the rotor. Set the caliper on a platform of some type to avoid placing stress on the brake line while you replace the pads. Remove the old pads. The outer pad should just fall right out but the inner may be held in with a clip on some models and will need to be pulled out.

Install The New Pads

Open the cap to the brake fluid reservoir located in the engine bay. Use a C-clamp to slowly push the brake caliper pistons in to make room for the new pads, which will be thicker than the worn down old pads. Keep an eye on the fluid level. If it starts to overflow from the top of the reservoir, you can either remove some brake fluid with a syringe or simply put some rags around it to catch the fluid. Install the new brake pads into the caliper in the same orientation that the old ones were installed. Reinstall the caliper by sliding it over the brake rotor and threading the caliper bolts back on. Put the spring clip back on if your car had one. Tighten the caliper bolts to the correct torque setting as outlined in the manual. Replace the wheels and lower the vehicle to the ground. Take it for a gentle test drive to make sure everything is working properly and the car is stopping as it should. The brake pads should come with directions on properly bedding in new pads. This usually involves performing five or six firm stops from about 30-35 mph and possibly a few more steps. Consult the instructions or the brake pad manufacturer's website.

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Audi DIY: Replace Brake Pads