snagitseven

Perhaps the A4 was different for 2011. I do know that my 2013 A6 pads are semi-metallic and while there's some dust, it's not nearly as bad as other older cars with disc brakes that I've owned.

efett

I do like a festive drive now and then.


I've heard from a local shop that its due to the rain sensing wipers and that does the new brake thing that keeps water from building up on your rotors. Dont know if its true or not but could be a valid reason, my parents just had their rotors and pads replaced at 35K on their Q7.

snagitseven

You know, it's good form to use a smiley if you're joking. You are joking, right? If not, please let us know the name of the shop so we can avoid it.

Macallan21

Wait.. how do the little eyebrow windshield wipers from my headlights reach the brake rotors?

FishBulb

Well, here's my update.

I broke down & ordered ECS slotted rotors & EBC greenstuff pads yesterday. I checked the rotors and theres about 2mm of wear. That's using my calibrated fingers, so it not exact. I'll mic them when they are off. So the OE rotors do wear like a b!tch.

efett

Nope dead serious. I didnt take it too seriously when I was told that. I didnt think Audi had that feature, I know Mercedes do. So guessing by your reply the Audis definitely dont. lol

CharlieG

I can say that my wife's 2011 Avant produces much less brake dust than any Audi I've every owned. It's on par with the low dust ceramic pads I've used in the past. My 2013 S4, however, is more like a normal German car as it will dust up in a few hours on the road.

snagitseven

Perhaps they changed back to semi-metallic after 2011 - my 2013 A6 for example. In researching different pads, it appears there's some trade offs; while ceramic pads produce less brake dust and last longer, stopping effort is greater when cold than with semi-metallics - not a positive for everyday driving. If that wasn't the case than it would seem that all manufacturers would be including OEM ceramic pads on all new cars. While the average driver might not like them, enthusiasts might appreciate the advantages of ceramic pads and be willing to live with the grip trade off.

CharlieG

I completely agree with you. I've swapped twice in the past to low dust pads (once on my 98 A4 and once on my 04 S4) and would not do it again. It just doesn't feel the same and even if I didn't really lose any stopping performance, it felt that way from behind the wheel. I'll live with the dust and cleaning that goes along with it.

audi8k

I got the same warning at my delivery, that leaving the rain sensor active (when it's not raining) would wear out the breaks. It is explained in the manual that when it senses rain, the electronic applies the brakes lightly from time to time to keep the brakes dry. But it will require a major bug in the programming if it does that even when the wipers are not activated.
(Anyway I try to remember to switch it off when not needed.)