UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Please can anyone confirm that calipers with product code 520441 AND 520442 are correct for a 2002 9n (front)?

Where did you get this product code from?

From the packaging - brand is ABS (all brake systems)

Caliper is stamped with Lucas and VW logo and what looks like 32327385/4

There are other stamps on the casting Bosch 473 192 and E035

54mm piston. 25mm pad depth apparently

Looks to be right

https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/abs-7797478.html

Thanks. I just thought they looked big and didn't want to start the job and find I had the wrong parts. Will now get on with it before the rains arrive.

Front discs and pads replaced this morning without too much bother. The new calipers did not fit at all - the pitch of the two mounting holes/bolts was far too big compared to what was on the car. Luckily the pistons on the old calipers retracted OK.

I found the front warning light wire was chopped and not fitted to the old pads (no sensor) but cannot figure how the lamp suddenly came on. I soldered the wires as they were not joined but the warning lamp did not go out. Checked the DTC codes and no codes present. The plug connector to the wire stub is a bit loose (not locking firmly on the plug). Refitted, moved it around a bit and lamp still on. Sensor at rear brakes cut also but appears not to have been disturbed.

Any ideas what is causing the lamp to remain on and how I might clear it?

I disabled the brake pad warning lamp using VCDS. Still not clear how it suddenly came to be illuminated.

That is a bit odd on both the callipers as they are listed as correct, albeit we didn’t validate against your chassis number

As for the brake pad warning that makes no sense.

The rear brakes don’t have a wear sensor. If there’s a cut cable, that’ll be the abs sensor!

All I can add is, my wife used to have a 2003MY Polo 1.4 75PS and it had a single rear brake wear sensor as well as a single front brake wear sensor. I remember this well as I needed to unclip the grommet that supported it and move it slightly when I added external return springs to the rear callipers.

That must be a rather odd series for VW then as generally speaking it’s only ever been front wear sensors on their cars for a long time now

Well here is what I have found with my VW Group cars:- 2000 VW Passat brake wear sensors on both front brakes. 2003MY Polo brake wear sensors on RHS front and rear brakes. 2011 Audi S4 brake wear sensor on RHS front brakes - I think that the 2015 Polo only has a brake wear sensor on the front RHS brake as well, I can't confirm that, just trying to remember what I found when I cleaned the brakes last year.

It appears there is a sensor wire on front nearside and read offside. I'll have a closer look at the rear axle assemblies to confirm. Whichever, still not clear how the lamp suddenly came on coincidentally when the front pads were in fact worn down to about 2mm.

I fitted Febi discs and pads and the pads looked slightly different to those that came off. There is now more brake squeal although it's not constant.

It’ll take 500-1000 miles for them to bed in so the squeal should stop

If they don't stop squealing it might be that you have bought pads that do not have a an anti squeal shim fitted to them, the friction material will be okay and to required EU spec, the material thickness will probable be correct and the steel backing piece will be correct, maybe just the anti squeal shim missing like most cheaper pads are like.
I've only ever had this issue once and it was with rear pads for my 2000 VW Passat, that was the last time that I bought ATE rear pads for that car, they were only fitted for about 1000 miles and the "taxi" noises became too much especially when driving in town with the sun roof open! Sorted that out by buying the brands that VW fitted at the factory which were Pagid at the front and Textar at the rear. After that I was very careful to make sure that any pads I bought had the same anti squeal arrangement on them as the factory ones, though getting the exactly correct versions from ECP did mean complaining to TMD Friction UK marketing - twice and they supplied the correct versions FOC and the ECP supplied TMD versions went into the tip, they would not make much noise in there! (once for Passat pads and once for Polo pads)

Edit:- sounds like I was wrong about which side the sensors on the Polo were, I can't check as that car has gone! What you wrote does ring a bell!

I'm not sure what an anti squeal shim looks like. At the back of the metal plate to which the friction material was mounted there were some spring clips. On the pad that went into the piston it was quite a tight fit and needed a good push. The outer pad spring clip fitted far more easily into the caliper body. The friction material on the inner and outer pads were a slightly different shape with the inner not as wide. Part No 16044.

I bought Febi thinking it would be good quality. Previously I fitted Mintex discs and pads and never had any issues.

EDIT: Just had a look at the front offside. Outer pad is perfectly aligned to the disc. Inner pad appears to be at an angle with the outer edge showing a gap. The hub will not turn freely by hand. Had a look at a photo of the pads I fitted and there is a difference between the inner and outer so it seems I have the right pads.