[T3] Leak under front driver side

[Jacob Adam Schroeder]

On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 10:18 AM, Dave Hall <dave at hallvw.clara.co.uk> wrote:

> Firstly, there are 2 grease nipples each end of the beam, one for each of
> the torsion arms.  The ones on the back top of the beam are not so easy to
> find, but they're vital too.
>
>
Thanks Dave.  I went back out there, jacked up the front end and probed
where the Bentley said to find the other grease nipples.  Sure enough, I
found two more (one on each side) and pumped those full of grease.


Yes, the wheels should spin freely - very slight noise wouldn't be a
> problem.  The brake pads should retract fractionally from the disc when the
> pedal pressure is released, and allow the wheels to rotate freely.  If the
> discs are heavily corroded, there may be rust in the way, but this will
> wear
> off.
> The only thing that moves the piston away slightly is the flexibility of
> the
> seal in the piston - as the piston is pushed out, the seal twists slightly,
> and when the pressure is released, it twists back and moves the piston a
> fraction into the caliper.
>
>
When the car was up again, I checked the front wheels again.  The driver's
side, I can spin and it goes around several times before gradually making a
stop.  The passenger's side, let's just say I would have to spin again if I
was on the Price is Right -- I cannot spin it fast enough to get it to do
one complete rotation from when I let go.

It's most likely the calipers are partly seized - it's a common problem,
> particularly if not used regularly, and can often be overcome by exercising
> the piston until it moves freely -  lever the pistons back into the
> caliper,
> then work the pedal to move them back out. I usually remove the pads and
> replace with an old thinner set. Repeat a couple of times, and replace the
> good pads if you removed them (keep them in the same positions).  See if
> that has helped.
>
>
I will check this in time.  I will start a new thread and post my latest
brake-related problem...



> The flexible hoses may have closed up, as mentioned in another reply -
> that's common, and traps fluid in the caliper under pressure.  They can
> look
> fine externally.  To check that, release the bleed nipple and see if fluid
> spurts out (careful - you don't want to break it or it's a major problem).
> If it simply oozes out, the hoses are probably not the trouble.  If they
> look even slightly cracked, change them anyway.  If the bleed nipples don't
> have rubber seals on them, they may be rusty inside.  They must have those
> fitted to keep out the wet.
>

When I loosened the bleeder on the passenger side wheel, the fluid only
oozed out, so it must not be under pressure.
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