Jayhawk94

After spending several hours perusing the forum’s threads here I finally found Total Technik’s YouTube videos which were excellent. From those I created my own sequence to follow along with a tools and parts list.

The rears were just tough. I had a floor jack and jack stands to work with. Even placing the air suspension in its highest setting and then jacking up from there still left me with not enough space underneath to do the rears easily. Finding the right geometry/contortions and combination of socket extenders to remove the caliper bolts was frustrating. Putting them back in and properly torquing them to 132ft-lbs was also swear inducing. Having it up on a lift would’ve simplified the rears greatly (I think). However after having struggled with the rears, the fronts were straightforward.

A CTA Tools Master Cylinder Adapter (BMW/Audi) #7026 does not fit quite right. I’d dumped about 0.5L of new brake fluid on the driveway after pressurizing the CTA Tools pressure brake bleeder before realizing the adapter was leaking badly. I used the brake pedal method to flush instead.

Audi Q7, Brakes & pads
Rear Brakes (passenger then driver’s side)
(Total Technik)

1. Loosen lugbolts
2. Jack up, place jackstand
3. Remove wheel
4. Flush brake fluid but don’t refill
5. Clean up the brake pad retaining bolt and spray with penetrating oil
6. Spray caliper bolts with penetrating oil
7. Flush brake fluid
   1. Use an 11mm socket to initially loosen the nut (to avoid stripping it) and then an open wrench or a flare wrench, outer nipple first then the inner nipple,
   2. Attach drain hose
   3. closing each after flushing, ~0.3L total. I found 10-12 pumps of the brake pedal per bleeder nipple accomplished this.
   4. Do *not* allow reservoir to empty (it shouldn’t)
   5. Don’t refill reservoir yet.
8. If skipping the brake fluid flush, either ensure the brake fluid reservoir isn’t over full or attach a line and open the brake bleeder nipple (11mm socket or wrench) to catch fluid overflow created by pushing back the brake pistons in the next step
9. Remove the brake pads
   1. Remove brake sensor plug
      1. Remove the brake sensor plug from its socket by pulling hidden retaining tab away from the plug and rotor with a hook tool
      2. Remove cable from the slot on the caliper, and from under the clip
   2. (Rears) Pull the circlip (can hammer it inward a bit to break up the crud before pulling it out)
   3. Tap on the retaining spring to break up the crud
   4. Using a ~6mm punch, drive out the caliper retaining pin
   5. Lift out the retaining spring/clip, noting orientation of the sensor cable retaining clip (downward facing)
   6. Using a flat blade screw driver, insert screwdriver in the vented portion of the rotor and rewind/lever back the pads just a bit.
   7. Remove the pads. Inspect the rubber seals and the pistons.
   8. Either use a piston spreader tool or temporarily put the old pads back in using them and a screwdriver to rewind the pistons, both from the top and bottom (screwdriver in the ventilated rotor and then between the rotor and pad for the lower angle)
10. Remove the caliper bolts
    1. Clean out the bolts with a hook tool or probe so that the driver will fully seat. (Drilling these out would be a stone bitch)
    2. Starting with the lower? bolt, fully seat the spline bit with a hammer
    3. Using a 1/2” breaker bar, either from above or below with an extension remove the bolt, most of the way leaving it in place to retain the caliper while removing the second bolt
    4. The next bolt has a speed sensor cable in the way, maybe easier to unplug using a flat bladed screwdriver
    5. Carefully remove the caliper, minding the brake line, and then zip tie to the strut
11. Remove the rotor
    1. Spray the two bolts with penetrating oil
    2. Using an M5 spline bit, remove the parking brake adjustment cover screw.
    3. Partially thread on a lug bolt then
    4. Using a T50 torx bit remove the rotor bolt
    5. Release the parking brake
    6. Using a big hammer, tap outward on the rotor, rotate, tap etc
    7. If rotor does not rotate freely then see about manually adjusting/easing the parking brake via the inspection port
    8. Remove rotor and inspect parking brake shoes
    9. Using wire brush, clean up the hub face and the three flanges(name?). Briefly spray with brake cleaner
    10. Apply a thin layer of anti-seize grease to the face and three flanges. Keep grease out of the lug bolt sockets
12. Install the new rotor
    1. Open up the new rotor’s plastic bag, leaving it in the box
    2. Using brake cleaner and paper towel, outer side first, remove the shipping grease from all three swept surfaces: brake pad x2, parking brake x1. The Zimmerman rotors weren’t greased but instead had some sort dull silver film on them. Lots of brake cleaner (two cans across the four rotors) and 4+ paper towels were required to remove it from the swept surfaces.
    3. Place rotor on the car’s hub, disc offset to the inside, then secure with a partially threaded lug bolt
    4. Using T50 torx bit, torque down rotor screw to 10ft-lbs/14Nm
    5. Partially thread a second lug bolt
    6. Adjust parking brake
       1. Rotate rotor until parking brake inspection window is to the rear
       2. Using a flat bladed screwdriver adjust the cog one notch at a time toward the rear until there is firm resistance *and* rotor cannot be turned by hand
       3. Release the adjustment (move the cog toward the front of the car) by six clicks. Rotor should now turn freely.
       4. Apply parking brake; rotor should not turn freely. Adjust if needed.
       5. Disengage the parking brake
       6. Install parking brake adjustment cover screw, torque to 10ft-lbs/14Nm
    7. Clean crud from the mounting surfaces of the caliper bolts, caliper and vehicle, perhaps with brake cleaner but avoid rubber boots of the caliper pistons.
    8. Free up caliper from ziptie, place, and hand tighten the top bolt, then bottom. Torque to 132ft-lbs/180Nm. This was the most difficult item of the entire brake job: finding the geometry to apply that much force with the car only on a jack stand (floor jack backup in place too). I’m considering either paying a shop to do the rears next time or rent time at a full car lift instead.
13. Insert new pads (pad faces are porous - no grease/oil!)
    1. Apply brake grease or copper anti-seize grease to the backing plate where the piston contacts the pad and and concave edges that slide along pins for less brake squeal
    2. Insert pads into the caliper
    3. Place the retaining clip, sensor wire retaining clip oriented downward. Take care with alignment of the clip that it is in contact with the pads at all four corners
    4. Apply anti-seize grease to retaining pin and insert from inner to outer face of the caliper. Will need to compress the retaining clip downward to advance the pin across it. Tap with hammer to fully seat. Orient circlip hole for later easy removal and insert circlip
14. Assemble brake sensor
    1. The sensor plug should be oriented toward inner side of rotor.
    2. Insert outer edge brake sensor, fatter side toward the rotor.
    3. Tuck the wire going across the rotor under the clip of the brake pad retaining clip/spring.
    4. Insert inner edge sensor, fat side toward the rotor. May use a flat blade screwdriver to seat them
    5. Reinsert speed sensor cable
    6. Insert brake sensor cable into socket
    7. Tuck cable into slot/groove of the inner side of the caliper housing, and then tuck behind the bleeder cover.
15. Apply thin film of anti-seize grease to the wheel mounting surface of the rotor, the hub flanges, and then replace the wheel and torque lug bolts to 120ft-lbs torque.
16. Top off the brake fluid reservoir
17. Repeat on rear driver side (remember, brake fluid flushing sequence is furthest to closest to the master cylinder)

Front Brakes (much easier after the rears)

(Total Technik)

1. Loosen lugbolts
2. Jack up, place jackstand
3. Remove wheel
4. Turn wheel outward, i.e. to the right for the passenger wheel
5. Clean up the brake pad retaining bolt and spray with penetrating oil
6. Spray caliper bolts with penetrating oil
7. Flush brake fluid, outer nipple first (11mm socket or wrench), then the inner nipple closing each after flushing, ~0.3L total. Do *not* allow reservoir to empty (it shouldn’t) Don’t refill reservoir yet.
8. If skipping the brake fluid flush, either ensure the brake fluid reservoir isn’t over full or attach a line and open the brake bleeder nipple (11mm socket or wrench) to catch fluid overflow created by pushing back the brake pistons in the next step
9. Remove the brake pads
   1. Remove brake sensor plug
      1. Remove the brake sensor plug from its socket by pulling hidden retaining tab away from the plug and rotor with a hook tool
   2. Using a 13mm socket, remove the brake pad retaining bolt from the pin
   3. Tap on the retaining spring to break up the crud
   4. Using the retaining bolt itself, drive out the caliper retaining pin and clean it up. Take care not to hammer on the bolt if only a few threads are engaged in the bolt. A longer bolt with matching threads could be located if necessary. I used the 6mm punch from the rear brake job.
   5. Lift out the retaining spring/clip, noting orientation of the sensor cable retaining clip (downward facing)
   6. Using a flat blade screw driver, insert screwdriver in the vented portion of the rotor and rewind/lever back the pads just a bit.
   7. Remove the sensor cable from behind the inner bleed nipple, the slot on the caliper, and from under the brake pad retaining clip
   8. Remove the pads. Inspect the rubber seals and the pistons.
   9. Either use a piston spreader tool or temporarily put the old pads back in using them and a screwdriver to rewind the pistons, both from the top and bottom (screwdriver in the ventilated rotor and then between the rotor and pad for the lower angle)
10. Spray penetrating oil on the brake line mounting bracket and clean up the hex head of any road grime/dirt to avoid ruining the head on removal
11. Using a 6mm hex head that’s been lightly seated/tapped in with a hammer, remove the brake line mounting bracket. I found this impossible with interfering lines and used a 6mm Allen wrench instead. A ball headed version would’ve made it even easier.
12. Remove the caliper bolts
    1. Spray penetrating oil on the bolts
    2. Using a 1/2” breaker bar, either from above or below with an extension remove the bolt, most of the way leaving it in place to retain the caliper while removing the second bolt
    3. Ensure the T50 rotor bolt is present to prevent the rotor falling off, then remove the two caliper bolts
    4. Carefully remove the caliper, minding the brake line, and then zip tie to or hang from the strut
13. Remove the rotor
    1. Spray the rotor retaining bolt with penetrating oil
    2. Partially thread on a lug bolt then
    3. Using a T50 torx bit remove the rotor bolt
    4. Using a big hammer, tap outward on the rotor, rotate, tap etc, and remove
    5. Using wire brush, clean up the hub face and the three flanges(name?). Briefly spray with brake cleaner
    6. Apply a thin layer of anti-seize grease to the face and flanges. Keep grease out of the lug bolt sockets
14. Install the new rotor
    1. Open up the new rotor
    2. Using brake cleaner and paper towel, outer side first, remove the shipping grease or the Zimmerman coating from all three swept surfaces: brake pad x2, parking brake x1
    3. Place rotor on hub, disc offset to the inside, secure with a lug bolt
    4. Using T50 torx bit, torque down rotor screw to 10ft-lbs/14Nm
    5. Partially thread a second lug bolt
    6. Clean crud from the mounting surfaces of the caliper bolts, caliper and vehicle, perhaps with brake cleaner but avoid rubber boots of the caliper pistons.
    7. Free up caliper from ziptie, place, and hand tighten the top bolt (ideally do not reuse these caliper bolts), then bottom. Torque to 199ft-lbs/270Nm
    8. Using a 6mm hex head, reinstall brake line bracket (no torque value provided)
15. Insert new pads (pad faces are porous - no grease/oil!)
    1. Clean up the caliper’s holes for the brake pad retaining pin and the pin itself of road grime. Lightly apply anti-seize grease to those two holes (too much and it’ll get in the pin’s threads when pushed through)
    2. Apply brake grease or copper anti-seize grease to the backing plate where the piston contacts the pad and and concave edges that slide along pins for less brake squeal
    3. Insert pads into the caliper
    4. Place the retaining clip, sensor wire retaining clip oriented downward.
    5. Apply anti-seize grease to retaining pin and insert from outer to inner face of the caliper. Will need to compress the retaining clip downward to advance the pin across it; a punch can work here to press on the bolt. Align flat faces on the bolt with those of the caliper, and tap with hammer to fully seat.
    6. Take care with alignment of the clip that it is in contact with the pads at all four corners
    7. Using 13mm socket insert and torque retaining pin bolt to 22ft-lbs/30Nm
16. Assemble brake sensor
    1. The sensor plug should be oriented toward inner side of rotor.
    2. Insert outer edge brake sensor, fatter side toward the rotor.
    3. Tuck the wire going across the rotor under the clip of the brake pad retaining clip/spring.
    4. Insert inner edge sensor, fat side toward the rotor. May use a flat blade screwdriver to seat them
    5. Insert brake sensor cable into socket
    6. Tuck cable into slot/groove of the inner side of the caliper housing and then through the cap strap of the inner brake fluid bleeder valve.
17. Apply thin film of anti-seize grease to the wheel mounting surface of the rotor, the hub flanges, and then replace the wheel, torque lug bolts to 120ft-lbs torque.
18. Top off the brake fluid reservoir.
19. Repeat steps 1-16 on driver’s side

Bedding the new brakes
from https://www.zeckhausen.com/catalog/i...Path=6446_6443

1. From 60mph, gently apply the brakes a couple times to bring them up to operating temperature. This prevents you from thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.
2. Make eight to ten near-stops from 60mph to about 20 mph. Do it HARD by pressing the brakes firmly, but do not lock the wheels or engage ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph, then apply the brakes again. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! If you stop completely, with your foot on the brake pedal, pad material will be imprinted onto the hot rotors, which could lead to vibration and uneven braking.
3. The brakes may begin to fade after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade will stabilize, but not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A strong smell from the brakes, and even some smoke, is normal.
4. After the last near-stop, accelerate back up to speed and cruise for a few minutes, using the brakes as little as possible to allow them to cool down. Try not to become trapped in traffic or come to a complete stop while the brakes are still hot.

Tools
Jack and jackstand
Lug wrench
Wheel stud pin
Torque wrench, 1/2”, at least 200ft-lbs
Torque wrench, 3/8”
Breaker bar, 1/2”
1/2” socket extensions
13mm socket for front brake pad retaining pin
21mm socket for front caliper bolts
M16 spline/triple square bit for rear caliper bolts
6mm hex head Allen wrench for brake line bracket~6mm punch
T50 Torx bit
11mm brake bleeder wrench (flare nut)
Brake bleed bottle(s), e.g. CTA-7786
Zip strips or caliper hangers, e.g. KIT-5470KT at FCPEuro
Flat blade screwdriver for sensors/pads
Wire brush
Brake cleaner, 2+ cans if removing the Zimmerman rotors’ dry coating rather than ones with grease
silicone brake or copper anti-seize grease for the caliper sliding surfaces and back of pad
PB Blaster or other penetrating oil - maybe. I didn’t need it on mine.Tip: breaking loose the caliper bolts - use penetrating oil and if they don’t give way, try to tighten first, then loosen.

Parts (Zimmerman rotors and Pagid pads are OEM)

1. Front rotor R, P/N: 7L8615302 or Zimmerman 600322720
2. Front rotor L, P/N: 7L8615301 or Zimmerman 600322620
3. Front brake pads x4, P/N: 7L0698151 or Pagid T5148
4. Front brake sensors x2 total, P/N: 7L0907637 or Febi 23360
5. Front retaining clip and bolt x2, P/N: 7L0698269A or ATE 610279 (600279 also?)
6. Front caliper bolts (21mm), x4 total, P/N: N90685403
7. Rotor screws x4, P/N: N91028202
8. Rear rotors, P/N: 7L6615601D or Zimmerman 600322920
9. Rear pads, x4 total P/N: 7L0698451 or Pagid T5150
10. Rear brake sensor wires x2 total, P/N: 7L0907637B or C, Pagid P8068
11. Rear retaining clip, bolt, and circlip x2 total, P/N: 7L0698269 or ATE 610280
12. Rear caliper bolts (M16), x4 total, P/N: N10555602
13. Parking brake inspection screw (rear only) x2

Torque values:

1. Rotor bolt, 15Nm/11ft-lb
2. Front Brake pad retaining pin bolt, 35Nm/25ft-lbs
3. M16 Caliper bolts, rear 132ft-lbs
4. 21mm Caliper bolts, front: 270Nm/199ft-lbs

Edzzed

Not being a mechanic. I ordered rotors and pads for the fronts. They were exceptionally easy to change. I then ordered the rears and pads. When they arrived I found out the bolts were so tight I could not get them off. I took it to a guy who has a well stocked back yard garage with a couple hoists. He tried but in the end tapped out. He said he worried about snapping the bolts and then parts become an issue. Nearest Audi dealer is 60 miles out. I then took it to a euro shop. They got them out without snapping them. He said it was a bit of a fight though. I now have all new brakes and all new tires too.

'10Q7TDI_Prestige'

FYI: The rear bolt necessary to remove the caliper/rotor for rotor replacement is the #1 difficulty with changing rotors out on this car; only had a midsized breaker bar to go over the driver handle...under 3 ft long/meter, and then it took two of us in tandem to break those rear bolts loose, while car was up on a lift, having sprayed with PB Blaster, etc. Probably easier if we'd had a longer breaker bar to use. Other than that bit, it's not a terribly difficult job overall. Definitely watch some video if you plan to flush the brake fluid as a DIY project, or have never done brakes prior. FCP Euro also has a video series for DIY brakes servicing.

If you have Ross-Tech VCDS, it can retract the brake pistons into the caliper to allow for easy, full-depth pads insertion, etc. There are also VCDS options that will cycle the ABS pump, and specifically for brake fluid 'flushing'...if you really want to be thorough about it. Otherwise, old fluid still remains inside the ABS system, etc.

Definitely do the research, and be sure you have ALL the parts you will need, as most 'brake kits are the rotors/pads only, although there are some 'assembled kits' with additional parts/fluids included, but still, generally not all you will require.

To do it correctly you also need new brake hardware (the metal pad return springs and sliders, which allow brake pads to retract slightly from rotor face and work smoothly), brake grease (to allow the pads to slide on their guide pins/surfaces/reducing noise & wear), the rotor locating bolts that secure rotor to hub, new pad wear sensors (diff sized wire harness on front and rear wheels), and don't forget to think about if you need new set of brake shoes for the parking brake too (parking brakes are located inside of the rear rotors drum). If your park brake pedal bottoms out in the floor, perhaps it's time for a new set. Also on the list is adjusting the rear brake shoes to allow the parking brake to function correctly/correct travel in pedal, and how to use the manual adjuster portal in the rear rotors, etc, prior to remounting the wheels.

I list all these bits, as I personally didn't know I really needed other parts until I did the job myself and found out my 'brake kit' was lacking the hardware kit, the inexpensive rotor locating bolts, etc., and so I was forced to clean off significant corrosion and reuse old bits that I would have ordered had I but known they were necessary to do the job correctly, but were 'not included' with the brake kit I bought. All my hardware was fairly corroded, as were the retaining bolts on rotors, and the wheel lug bolts, etc., etc. When I did the next car, I had everything on hand and was ready to get after it; no time wasted.

J. Patterson

“If you have Ross-Tech VCDS, it can retract the brake pistons into the caliper to allow for easy, full-depth pads insertion, etc.”

Not on a 4L Q7 ( Mk 1). This can only be done on Audis with electric parking brake.

Great detailed writeup Jayhawk. Have done the job on previous 2011 Q7. Coming up on it on current 2015. Not looking forward to those rear caliper bracket bolts.

Chuck the Duck

Thanks for the post 2 questions about the bleeding.

1. Did you use the 2 person brake system and if so, is that the 10-11 per bleeder or per corner (outer and inner stems)?

2. I wanted to use the vacuum method, but was sucking a lot of air from the bleeders stems. I know we can use silicone grease/paste (non petroleum) trick to grease the bleeder thread to keep air from coming in, does anyone know if ATE Plastilube Lubricant is safe for this (since it comes in the kits)?

-Wes-

When I last flushed my brake fluid on the Q7, I want to say that the first wheel, outer stem, was probably around 20-30 pumps in order to drain the reservoir (add new fluid before it is fully empty)and begin drawing new fluid through the drain hose, then the inner stem was quick 3-4 pumps, in order to clear any trapped old fluid or air there. The rest of the wheels were much faster, about ten pumps on outer and 3-4 on the inner. I don't recall total fluid use in terms of adding new... probably about 1.5L?

While I have a vacuum pump, I find the fastest and most reliable method is a one-man show: Take a liter/quart jar, add just enough fluid in the bottom to cover the end of the clear tube connected to the bleeder.... Open the bleeder, get in the cabin and pump the brakes fifteen times. Check the reservoir, add fluid if needed, repeat (on the first wheel), check the hose for fluid color (should be clear) and continue until it is clear. Close the stem, move to inner, 3-4 pumps, check for clear fluid, etc.

Works great and is SO FAST compared to either the two man open/close pump/hold method or using a MityVac (or similar). If I need to seal up the drain hose on the stem, I use SilGlyde (silicon).

Jayhawk94

My bleed technique was similar to Wes’s. I discovered that it’s simple, reliable, and even 10 pumps (to the floor) of the brake pedal did not empty the reservoir.

The pressurized system I bought to do the job will probably go in the trash now having filled it with fluid, found that it didn’t create a good seal with the reservoir, and can’t return it.

J. Patterson

I use a Motive pressure bleeder but I use it dry. Refilling the reservoir after each wheel. I used to use it with fluid in it but once I had a hose split and make a mess in the frunk of a Porsche. Lesson learned :-).

Liamfmvt

Thanks for this write up!
First time changing brakes on my wife’s q7 (I’ve done a LOT of brakes over the years, but never on an audi).

Going to do the Fronts first - have pads and rotors in the cart at FCP. Also have the wear sensors (you replace these every time?).
You also list the hardware kit and caliper bolts. Do I need to replace the hardware kit? (I assume the pads come with new slides and springs, so this is something different?)

Just curious - I don’t think I’ve ever replaced a hardware kit before.

Also, my typical is to leave one pad in the caliper, and push the piston back in with a c-clamp. (Either with or without the bleeder screw open, as some will say don’t push old fluid back up the line). But you mention a screwdriver and ‘rewind’ the piston back in. Is it different from a ‘normal’ car in that it needs to be turned, or just pushed back in like most? (The old Saabs had a special tool to turn the parking brake back in when they put it on the front brakes… but I digress).

I’ll have a look through the videos as well - thanks for compiling.

Blackfunk

This is the way I've always done it too. Minus the unexpected leak though LOL