TorqFix

Removing and installing brake caliper pistons, six-piston brake — AUDI

Removing and installing brake caliper pistons, six-piston brake on Audi: 18 steps. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.

Overhauling the pistons in a six-piston front caliper on the Audi A8 D4 (4H) is a bench job: the caliper comes off the car, is clamped in a vice with soft jaws and the pistons are blown out with compressed air one at a time. Piston resetting appliance T10145 holds the opposite piston, blocks of wood keep the other four in their bores, and a wooden pad in front of the piston being pushed out stops it slamming into the tool. Then the protective cap is tapped out, the seal is lifted with removal wedge 3409, everything is cleaned with methylated spirits and the new kit parts go in. Two things decide it: controlling the air so nothing flies, and keeping the paint and any ceramic piston inserts undamaged. A scored piston or bore means a new caliper.

18 steps

🧭 Before you start

Brake pads and caliper come off and the caliper is disconnected from the hydraulics, then clamped in protective jaws. Each piston is pressed out with air through the brake hose thread while T10145 and wooden blocks hold the others, followed by the protective cap and seal. After cleaning with methylated spirits only and a thin coat of lithium grease, the new seal is fitted, the cap goes on the piston, the piston is pushed in straight and the cap pressed into its groove. The cycle repeats for each piston before the caliper and pads are refitted.

Fits: Audi A8 D4 (4H, 2010–2017)

  • Opens: brake fluid

Don't miss

  • Only one piston can come out at a time; hold the rest with T10145 and wooden blocks.
  • Wear goggles and gloves, cover the bore with a cloth and keep fingers out when using air.
  • Clean pistons and seals with methylated spirits only, then dry them before greasing.
  • Never separate ceramic inserts from the piston; a damaged insert means a new piston.
  • Renew the caliper if any piston or bore is damaged.
  • Bleed the brakes after refitting; the caliper was opened to the hydraulic system.

Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.

📋 Procedure

  1. Remove brake pads .
  2. Remove brake caliper and disconnect from hydraulic system .
  3. Clamp brake caliper in jaws of vice. Use protective jaw covers. [Note: Take care not to damage paint on brake caliper when removing brake caliper pistons and protective caps.The brake caliper pistons can only be removed one at a time.]
  4. ⚠ Risk of injury.Wear safety goggles.When pressing out brake caliper piston, DO NOT reach into brake caliper with your fingers.Place a cloth over bore in brake caliper to catch any brake fluid spatter. Wrap another cloth tightly around nozzle of compressed-air gun applied to brake caliper.Always wear chemical-resistant protective gloves to prevent brake fluid from contacting skin. — Use the piston resetting appliance T10145(item a) to hold the opposite brake caliper piston in place in the brake caliper.
  5. To avoid damaging the paint on the caliper, insert a piece of rubber between the piston resetting appliance T10145 and the caliper.
AUDI? Steps differ between engine variants — check this job against your exact car before you commit to it. Check my car — free →
  1. Use blocks of wood or similar (b) to keep the other pistons in place. Also place a piece of wood (c) against the piston resetting appliance T10145 to prevent the brake caliper piston from being damaged when it is forced out.
  2. Apply compressed air nozzle to threaded hole for brake hose and press piston out of caliper.
  3. Carefully drive the protective cap (1) out of the brake caliper using a screwdriver (2) (tap it lightly with a hammer (arrow)), taking care not to damage the paint on the caliper.
  4. Remove seal using removal wedge3409. [Note: Install all parts supplied in repair kit.Use only methylated spirits to clean the brake components.The brake caliper must be replaced if a brake caliper piston or piston bore is damaged.]
  5. The surfaces of the piston and seal must be cleaned only with methylated spirits and then dried.
  6. Apply thin coat of lithium grease to brake caliper piston and seal Electronic parts catalogue.
  7. Insert seal in brake caliper.
  8. ⚠ Risk of damage to brake caliper pistons for ceramic brakesThe ceramic inserts on the brake caliper piston act as heat insulators and must not be separated from the brake caliper piston. If the ceramic insert is damaged, the brake caliper piston must be renewed for safety reasons. — Fit protective cap onto brake caliper piston.
  9. Push piston into caliper, exerting even pressure and making sure piston is straight.
  10. Press protective cap into groove on brake caliper.
  11. Repeat procedure on next brake caliper piston.
  12. Install brake caliper .
  13. Install brake pads .

🎬 Related video tutorial

Independent AUTODOC tutorial for the same job, filmed on a different model (A6 C5 Avant) — the technique carries over, the fasteners and figures on this page are the ones for your car.

How to change rear brake caliper on AUDI A6 C5 Avant

How to change rear brake caliper on AUDI A6 C5 Avant

Other AUDI procedures

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TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.

The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.

Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.

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Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.