sambub

I've always bedded the brakes on new cars and have never had brake problems down the road. I plan to in new Q7. I'd like to think bedding is ensuring best performance and prolonging the life of the pads/rotors, but who knows. No idea if it will prevent noise later on..

But, some folks recommend it seriously as a must do....

I's easy. You don't have to be a race car driver. Here's a short vid and some solid, clear instructions:

https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.co...In-Your-Brakes

TheAudiConnect

Just read your post the braking noise is normal on all German vehicles. I know it is frustrating. The noise is caused by the material of the pads and is more apparent when the weather gets cold. Replacing the pads will do nothing. They are working on a different material for the brakes however here is a tip. ABS stops a few abs stops will allow the pads and rotors to heat up and the noise to go away especially in the cold weather. Another is to make sure that the brake dust does not build up excessively as it will also cause noise due to accumulation. Try these and see how you fell afterwards.

hammer458

I have spoken with two Audi mechanics, one retired, one active. Both stated bedding will "decrease" the noise and improve the life of the pads. I also agree the dealerships should do this.

Nedstand

When I called Audi they tried to tell me similar. My reply... I've owned VW, MB and BMW and NONE made noise like this Audi. My next door neighbor has a 2015 Q7, and it makes no brake noise at all. I rode in his Q7 just about 2 weeks ago, when we went out for dinner.

Personally I think Audi just botched the design and they could fix it by hiring Brembo, Cool Carbon or another German brake manufacturer to design and manufacture pads and rotors to fit the Q7. And if it's just German cars, then hire Ford or GM to build their brake systems. Heck, our BMW X5 had a GM transmission!

Force-1

FWIW the brakes on my 2011 Q7 squealed; brakes on my 2014 Q7 and 2017 S5 squeal. My garaged '14 Q7 never squeals in the morning when I drive to work - only after sitting all day, on my way home.

Wires

My 2016 BMW 340 with the sport brakes squealed like a **** right from new (so this isn't just and Audi issue, and they are Brembo rotors/pads with the sport package).

In my car I'm 100% convinced it was just the rear pads, and the issue is they didn't put any of that copper lube on the slides for the pads. The pads get hung up with brake dust, and no longer clamp in straight causing the squeal. If you use hard petal, it rams them into the rotors, and all is fine. Doing some hard braking (or bedding) tends to loosen them up and re-aligns the pads so they are "fine" for a while until the dust builds up again.

The German OEM pads are soft so you burn through them to get consistent braking performance which results in god-awful amounts of dust (it's a trade off for repeatable hot braking performance vs brake dust). My guess is putting the lube on those rear pads with that much dust will cause issues as well (hence the "No fix in sight"). Real cure is replace the pads with a lower dust variant, and ensure all metal contact points for the pads are properly lubed.

I don't know what the pads are in my 2018 SQ5, but they are 100% different than any OEM pad I've had in the past. My guess is they are semi-metallic and not organic. When they apply, it sounds like metal to metal clanking (but grip insanely hard). I have no squealing issue, but get the trade off of a harsher petal during engagement and more initial noise (at first contact, not squealing though).

It is highly likely that Audi has this silently resolved in newer models. If they come out and say "it's our pads, you need different ones" they would have EVERY Q7 owner requesting replacements regardless of need ($$$). It is also possible that the buyers of a Q7 wouldn't tolerate the clanking/harsh engagement of a metallic pad as well (chicken/egg situation for Audi). Still sucks regardless.

Nedstand

I forgot to mention that my current 2016 Audi A6, and the prior 2014 Audi A6 make Zero brake noise.
Too bad y'all have problems with all German brakes but that has definitely not been my personal experience.
The other cars were 1985 VW Cabriolet, 1999 MB E320, and 2005 BMW X5.

NABS4

Rjim

And you keep buying Audi's

Force-1

I'm not a snowflake that gets all bent out of shape about it.