Hmm, I don't know what it is about the Fairfax, VA area that makes Vanagon
problems crop up (hope your van is feeling better Karen...too bad we
didn't see you and have a chance to hook up the Digitool), but we had the
left front brakes start making horrible sounds on the way to FoxhntrPat's
place.  We drove on since the sound was basically only when applying the
brake and we had mostly highway miles to go.

At Pat's I pulled the wheel and found one pad hoplessly shot with the
spring already cockeyed.  Since I didn't have a set of pads with me
(bummer...already bought them from the Bus Depot, but forgot 'em at home)
and the local shops couldn't get me a set, we drove on the next day with
the pads reinstalled.

Now the question: having never done brakes myself, this seems almost
ridiculously easy since I'm not removing the rotor.  What's the catch?  I
know it would help to have a spreader to push the piston back in and a
siphon to catch the extra brake fluid.

What about bleeding at the same time?  Is the procedure in Bentley
complete enough for a newbie?

Oh yeah, and it's DOT4 brake fluid, right?

-Karl

PS: one interesting tidbit: we passed a German Ford high-top van with
Hamburg license plates on US 15 in Maryland.  We honked and waved since we
have a (D) sticker, but I think they just thought we were "verrueckte
Amerikaner."  :-)

Karl F. Bloss - blosskf@apci.com or bloss@enter.net
'87 Vanagon GL Weekender "Beverley"; Trexlertown, PA
http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/
VW shops: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/vwshops/