722maa

I absolutely hate the brakes on my S6, don't get me wrong, they stop like a.. BUT, the noise is driving me insane !!! I'm starting to hate my car because of this and I really don't want to.

It squeals and squeals and it makes me feel like I'm driving a truck, I already changed my pads even though the car has only been 12k km.. My last pads were cracked and messed up, I think these are too.

Do you guys think I should upgrade to a better braking system ? or should I just invest in better pads ? (money is no problem, I just wanna know what would be better )

Thanks

DeerHunter

My brakes are quiet, as are those of many other C7 S6/7 owners. If you've destroyed a set of pads already, then your usage is atypical (significant track use and/or repeated braking from high speeds). Given the videos you've posted here, I suspect the latter, coupled with the hot ambient conditions in your part of the world. Heat is what destroys pads, particularly stockers that are designed for more sedate usage. The base braking system is pretty well designed (6-piston calipers reduce pad taper and the rotors are about as large as you'll ever need on any car). I doubt any aftermarket system will improve on the OEM components.

I would recommend changing to a more race-oriented pad. Have the rotors turned (or replaced, depending upon wear levels) to eliminate the previous transfer layer and then do a proper bedding-in with the new pads.

722maa

Given the fact that you're buying a "sports car", you'd at least expect the brakes to perform as good :/
I didn't buy this car to cruise at 50 and drive it like a hybrid..

DeerHunter

I'm not passing judgement. In fact, I'm pleased that you're pushing things and finding the limits for the rest of us. As it happens, you've just found one of the limits

Look, most things are a compromise and this especially holds true for brake pads. Keep in mind that the S6 is a sporty sedan, not a sports car, and Audi chose pads that will work well for 95% of its customer base. If they went with a track-ready pad, cold performance would suffer (the first stop of the day) and they would undoubtedly be much noiser.

Do you remember when Car & Driver did their Lightning Lap with the Nismo 370Z. The brakes faded catastrophically and they hit the wall. Nissan/Nismo, for a car that is more of a sports car than the S6 is, chose a pad that didn't work at all well on the track. The pads for the GT-R are much more track-friendly, but then all the owners complain that they're noisy on the street. Manufacturers can't win.

I went through this with my street/autocross/track Miata. I have significantly better-than-stock brakes (4-piston calipers, large two-piece rotors). Stock pads would disintegrate with hard use. Intermediate pads were okay for a while but would still give up the ghost at a certain point. Track pads tended to eat rotors, didn't stop well when cold and sounded like a bus when driven on the street. I could change the pads in less than ten minutes, but then the transfer layers didn't play well with each other. I finally found a pad that did most things well, but they required fresh rotors and they cannot ever be mixed with another compound. They stop well when cold or hot, but still make the occasional squeal or groaning sound when braking lightly. As I said, compromises.

thebossbot

I actually had the same issue. And i had not even come out of my break in period. Took it into the dealer and was told that there is a bulletin that the calipers may be under lubricated. they ended up lubricating the caliper pistons and giving me new bads. Have not heard a squeak since.

thebossbot

*new pads

HyperS4

Hmm, the brakes on both my S6's were dead quiet. The S4 I had was a different story. I think they went to a softer compound in order to keep the noise lower, hence the additional brake dusting.

That being said, this is exactly why I always put on black wheels. They never look dirty...

///M Traitor

I went for a ride tonight and paid closer attention. The noise I hear is certainly the brakes and not the tires. It feels and sounds like a rough pad on rough metal actually. I looked at my front rotors more carefully, and can actually see wear in the rotors already after only 1500mi! There is a lip forming at the inner and outer edge of the rotor, and some groves inbetween. Looks normal, but shocking for such low mileage.

I don't see much of any deposits on my rotors, and I have tried hard braking to clean deposits to no avail.

I'm concerned now about changing the pads being that the rotors are already showing wear. I'm concerned about having the rotors cut (and taking them off the car) just to put new pads on. What a hassle this is becoming..

DeerHunter

If you have deposits on your rotors, the only sure-fire cure is to have them turned. Alternatively, you can do another bed-in procedure, which may or may not work, depending upon the pad compound. For those not familiar with it, the correct procedure is as follows:

Find a long, lonely section of road (so you won't get rear-ended or arrested). Do a series of moderately hard stops, say from 60 to 20 mph, to get the brakes nice and hot. Then do a series of hard stops from from high speed (say, 80 to 20 mph). I say stops, but it's critical that you don't actually stop, as that will create more pad deposits on the rotor. Once you start to smell your brakes or experience minor fade, drive around for 10-15 minutes, not using your brakes at all if you can help it. Park the car and let it cool for several hours, leaving the hand brake off (I'm not quite sure how to do this last part with the electric brake on the C7). You should now be properly bedded-in.

edporsche

I have 5000 miles on my C7S6. Brakes are quiet from day 1 for tithe last 6 months. I don't drive this car hard. I have other vehicles for that. It's too heavy and I want it to last. However, the brake dust is ridiculous. One of the reasons I powdercoated my rims was to hide this problem.

I will put new pads on mine for brake dust alone. Please post your results if you put exotic brake pads and keep stock rotors. I want to make sure the rotors hold up.

Cheers.