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Ok, pad wear indicator light came on dash a week ago.

I presumed it is rear discs/ pads as discs look knackered upon inspection. However, the pads seem to have quite a lot of width left (more so than the fronts?) but they are not touching the disc across the entire width? There is no lip worn into the disc, the pads are just not touching entire disc?

I am now worried that the wear light was for the front pads and im replacing the rears unecessarily :/

Can someone with a 1.9tdi sport have a look at their rear discs and see if they look like this (or confirm that mine do or do not need replacing!)

PICS:





And one of the fronts, pads are more worn than rears but still not that worn, slight lip on disc but not a thick as a 5p piece!



Comments please!!!!

For the rear discs/pads - I think that sort of wear is normal for a VW. I had a Golf VR6 once upon a time and the rear discs/pads looked exactly like yours do now. I double-checked the pads and discs as I was convinced they were mismatched - only to be told (and shown) by VW that the pads size (to disc) was correct. They just fit unusually small pads to the rear.

Unless someone comes back with anything else, that might be quite normal. Can't explain the light though - but your front pads do look worn, but not quite yet to warrant replacing. It really depends on your style of driving to see how much more they will last. Personally, I'd change them as I would find checking them again and again a pain in the you-know-what-sits

is the warning light a orange circle with like 3 dashes on each side?

if so then it's the front.

mine is on, i should really get them sorted

Several people have said that the pads on the inside of the front calipers wear more than the outers and that they may well be worn enough to cause the light. I'll check tomorrow when I get a chance and may well end up popping in some new front pads.

With regard to the rears I really need someone on here with a 1.9 polo to have a look at their rears and see if mine are 'normal' with the pad only contacting half the disc! As said above this might not be an issue if its normal... ANYBODY?

I have ordered new pads and discs for the rear anyway (£70 from VAG parts) but dont want to fit them unnecessarily, Ill save them!....

pip_polo wrote:is the warning light a orange circle with like 3 dashes on each side?

if so then it's the front.

mine is on, i should really get them sorted

Yes its the orange light with the dashes, how do you know if the light refers specifically to the front pads though?

I know yours is a 1.4, but do your pads only contact half the disc like mine?

Not too sure what you mean...Are you worried that the only the middle part of the pads is touching the disc? If so this is normal they are shaped like this. All the rear disc brakes are the same on the 9N's afaik, regardless of Diesels or Petrols.

I had my rear discs and pads replaced quite recently and the pads on yours looks just a little less thicker than mine, so wouldn't need replacing.

Fronts look worn out to me. I did mine yesterday and they were just a bit lower than that. Its nice to be able to stop again!!

AKs_SlickPolo wrote:Not too sure what you mean...Are you worried that the only the middle part of the pads is touching the disc? If so this is normal they are shaped like this. All the rear disc brakes are the same on the 9N's afaik, regardless of Diesels or Petrols.

I had my rear discs and pads replaced quite recently and the pads on yours looks just a little less thicker than mine, so wouldn't need replacing.

Just though it strange that the pad is only using the 2/3 of inner part of the disc, leaving the outer part to corrode! Seems a little pointless having a disc that size when the pad only touches 2/3 of it! Design?

My MOT last Feb listed the rear brakes as 'juddering' and that the discs were 'slightly pitted' and then at a service in August the recommended new rear discs and pads as they were corroded!

Some people are saying replace them and some say its normal for the outer disc to corrode as the pad never touches it which i'm sure is correct, so are the garage simply 'on the make'?

Think im going to:
1) Replace front pads to cancel the warning light
2) Leave the rears until the MOT in 2 weeks and see what they say this time around!

if you read your manual it'l tell you

the light deff means front's though.

pip_polo wrote:if you read your manual it'l tell you

the light deff means front's though.

I checked in the manual when you said yesterday but it does'nt specify!!

Just says 'No.23 break wear monitor', probably says elsewhere though that ive not noticed


Called GSF today and they want £26 for Pagid (standard, not FR) pads, VW want £50 for the genuine ones!

I have read that the standard Pagid pads are similar/ same as the VW ones but waaaay cheaper?

Forgot to ask when I rang if they have the brake wear indicators on them though to check they are the correct ones, have to call again 2moro!

Any comments on buying the pagid ones rather than VW? apart from saving £25 !

never hurd of them. lol

if they do same job and still have wear indicator then they'l be fine

I believe OE VW Pads are made by Jurid or ATE. Pagid are a very good company with good pedigree so they will be fine. Just clarify if these are 'fast road' pads (or not).

If you're unsure over price, also have a peak at EuroCarParts WWW as a comparator. We don't have a GSF in Milton Keynes so its usually ECP for me. But its nice to compare part prices

Another OEM brand is Textar.

On my old 9N pads (for petrol version), VW just had their logo on them in the corner and P/N but it clearly said Textar.

Cheers guys, checked today and the pagid ones are defo not the fast road ones but do have the wear indicators as necessary.

Will have look at Euro car parts too for prices.

Just worth mentioning that I popped into a local garage today to get an opinion on the discs/ pad wear. Was told that although the pads on the rear are not worn much, it would be very close to failing the MOT on corroded/ rusted discs ... despite the fact that the pad does'nt contact the corroded part!

Going to take the front pads out tomorrow and check the inside ones for depth.

I thought it was only the front that had wear indicators on as they do most of the braking.....could be wrong.