apc143

I'm new to Audi with my recently purchased CPO 2009 A4 and I immediately noticed the brake dust accumulation problem on the fronts after only a few days

I did some research and ended up trying ArmorAll Wheel Protectant. This stuff works. I used about half a can on the four wheels and allowed it to dry overnight. I used a tight sealing dust mask when spraying.

I've been driving for about two weeks now since the application and there is almost no brake dust accumulation on the wheels, and none on the body panels. The car has not been washed yet so I can't comment on how the coating performs after washing but I suspect that it's effectivness will be reduced.

Question:
- why doesn't Audi use a low-dust brake pad formulation?

SFV A4

The high-dust pads are generally better performers and what most sport sedans use from the factory. My Lexus IS had horrible brakedust. But after enough complaints, Lexus offered free low-dust replacement pads for those who wanted them. I went for it and they barely give off any dust, but they feel a tad less effective during hard braking. There are other aftermarket pads you might look into later down the road.
Personally, I don't trust coating my rims with someone else's formula. Overtime, it could possibly eat up the clearcoat and cause problems with the finish.

snagitseven

I've found that a good, simple coat of wax on the wheel clearcoat after a thorough cleaning helps to keep the dust down and makes it easier to clean. I use Sonax Wheel cleaner which won't hurt the clearcoat over time.

apc143

I'd gladly trade a bit of braking performance for low dust, but I'm leary of after market solutions. If Audi offered a low-dust factory solution I'd go for that right away.

uberwgn

Audi does. And they're expanding it across the product line...maybe it won't ever hit the hi-performers, though.

This is my wheel after 500 miles of driving. Probably the cleanest brake pad I've ever seen:

apc143

[QUOTE=uberwgn;24357501]Audi does. And they're expanding it across the product line...maybe it won't ever hit the hi-performers, though.[QUOTE]

What exactly is the Audi solution?

That wheel looks great!

uberwgn

Some vehicles started receiving ceramic brake pads in Dec 2010.


There are loads of choices in terms of ceramic pads in the aftermarket.

apc143

Great, thanks I'll check that out.

I suspect that the introduction of ceramic pads by Audi also comes with a newly engineered caliper/rotor. I've read that ceramic pads, because they don't absorb heat as much as conventional pads, put more heat stress on the rotor and caliper.

When I take the car in for service this week I'll ask the dealer about ceramic pads for my A4.

MonzaA5

Actually, they do. Audi introduced low dust brake pads in the middle of the 2011 model year. I have an early '11 A5 that came with the 'dusty' pads. They were replaced under warranty by the dealer when I complained about squeaky brakes. The new ones are dramatically cleaner and produce virtually no brake dust.

You may want to simply swap out your pads for the newer type. In the long run, this may actually be a cheaper solution...that Armoral stuff is like $10 per can and is good for two applications max.

a5sport

As the others have said...they do now. My 2013 A4 has very little dust, while the 2010 A5 has moderate dusting.

However, the brakes on the A5 grab much better than the A4. The A4 is not bad...and if I didn't have two cars to compare with, I'd probably not know any difference...but there is a difference.

Try Akebono Euro Ultra-Premium pads.

http://www.akebonobrakes.com/afterma...uro/index.html

Used them in several cars, and the dust issue is virtually non-existant, and they stop very well.