Removing the Old Brake Pads

• 1). Park your Jetta on level ground, turn off the ignition and, if you have a GLX model with anti-lock brake system, pump the brake pedal 30 times to depressurize the system.
  
  
• 2). Apply the parking brake and block both rear wheels with a piece of wooden block.
  
  
• 3). Loosen the lug nuts on both front wheels with a lug wrench. Raise both front wheels off the ground with a floor jack and support each side with a jack stand under the frame.
  
  
• 4). Remove both front wheels, start working on one wheel assembly and use the other as a visual reference in case you need to verify how the different components of the brake assembly fit together.
  
  
• 5). Open the hood and remove half the fluid from the brake master cylinder reservoir with a clean turkey baster into a sealable container for later recycling. If you have a GLX model, disconnect the ground (black) battery cable with a wrench.
  
  
• 6). Hold the guide pin on the lower caliper mounting bolt with an open-end wrench and remove the bolt with a ratchet and socket. If the caliper of your Jetta model comes equipped with special bolts, use a 6mm Allen socket and ratchet to remove both the upper and lower caliper mounting bolts.
  
  
• 7). Swing the caliper upward on the upper pivot bolt. Note how the brake pads and any other mounting hardware fit into the caliper mounting bracket and remove them. If you removed both bolts from the caliper, lift the caliper off the mounting bracket completely and secure it to a near suspension component with heavy wire.
  
  

Installing the New Brake Pads

• 1). Wipe out lining dust and grime from the brake assembly with brake parts cleaner and lint-free towels.
  
  
• 2). Place one of the old pads against the brake caliper piston with the lining facing the piston. Using an 18-inch C-clamp, slowly push the piston back into its bore and remove the C-clamp and old brake pad.
  
  
• 3). Lodge the new pads and any other mounting hardware into the caliper mounting bracket and replace the brake caliper over the mounting bracket.
  
  
• 4). Brush clean the caliper mounting bolt(s) and apply a light coat of thread-locking compound to the threads and reinstall the bolts finger tight. Hold the guide pin with an open-end wrench and tighten the bolt with the ratchet and socket or 6mm Allen socket, depending on your particular model.
  
  
• 5). Replace the brake pads on the opposite wheel.
  
  
• 6). Reinstall both front wheels and secure them with the lug nuts.
  
  
• 7). Lower the front of your Jetta off the jack stands, pump the brake pedal several times to sit the new pads over the brake rotor. Check the brake fluid level in the brake master cylinder reservoir and add new brake fluid, if necessary, to bring the level up to the "Full" mark and replace the reservoir cap.
  
  
• 8). Reconnect the ground (black) battery cable with a wrench, if you have a GLX model. Close the hood.