eric strauss

Perhaps this issue has been beat to death, if so I apologize for resurfacing it. We currently have a 2014 S4 (12K miles) and a 2015 RS5. Just returned after lease were two S5's (3.0). My wife and I go canyon carving together almost every weekend- typically on a 100-150 mile loop of aggressive mountain driving. Her S4 develops a horrific brake squeal after about 50 miles that can be heard by me in the RS5 with my windows up. The squealing occurs when the brakes get good and hot (they are NOT fading). Typically squealing brakes can be traced to shimmering pads that need lubrication, but these are OEM, with very little mileage, lot's of pad left and no issue with warped rotors. It is not her driving style as they squeal for me when we swap cars.

Also, being in LA, I am forced to use a self-serve car wash (I can bring my own brushes) and not my own hose at home. I am very careful not to blast water at the calipers as this can displace the pad backing plate lubricant.

Any suggestions? Is there a history of this issue with B8 S-cars?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Eric

It is otherwise a great car - here is a pic of the car on the Mulholland Snake with Erin at the wheel

superswiss

Brake squeal seems to be a widespread complaint on these cars. Just search the various forums on brake squeal and you find lots and lots of threads on this topic. The brakes are by far the weakest link on the S cars. Supposedly roughing the rotors and chamfering the brake pads cures the problem. Chamfers prevent tip drag which causes pad areas not supported by the caliper pistons to drag as the backplate flexes by microns under braking. Tip drag leads to glazing and squeaky brakes mid life. Good aftermarket performance pads come chamfered out of the box, so you may wanna consider upgrading her brakes.

eric strauss

Thanks for the reply. I was planning to go non-OEM at replacement time, but I am dismayed at the issue occurring so soon.

Eric

ruthkevin89

I read this thread quite late, however, the brake problems are very serious. I solved it by a scanner and I think who encounter this case should also try. It is best to choose a scanner in the top rated, has a pretty useful list here Top Rated Car Diagnostic Scan Tools for Every Skill Level - OBD2 Land