Changing Brake Pads
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Changing Brake Pads
Is it difficult to change brake pads (A3 '06)?
What can go wrong?
What brake fluid do you guys use in hot, humid climates?
I hear that the '06 doesn't have a brake wear sensor. Can you still use pads with sensors and just cut off the wire?
What can go wrong?
What brake fluid do you guys use in hot, humid climates?
I hear that the '06 doesn't have a brake wear sensor. Can you still use pads with sensors and just cut off the wire?
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Changed to Hawk HPS (I had Jurid on...) and to OEM rotors all around.. Not only I don't see any improvement compared to my OLD pads, even feels WORSE! only better thing is dust (less). How can that be? Maybe will improve flushing brake fluid?
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Your questions lead me to strongly recommend that before working on brakes for the first time, you hire and observe a competent and trained individual to demonstrate.
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Audi spends a lot of R&D choosing pad material for a reason. Of course, it's still a compromise between wear, noise and dust.................Changing to a different (non-OEM) pad on only one end of the car can upset the front/rear braking balance. In other words, maybe the new front pads have a different coefficient of friction than the OEM so now you have, for example, less braking on the front but the original on the rear. Now there's "too much" rear brake and not enough front.....hard to explain in a few words but you get the idea. In other words, the brakes will won't feel right and the car may be unstable under heavy braking.
Flushing the brake fluid can help a lot. It's part of the required maintenence every 2 years, regardless of miles. Gets rid of the water that has been absorbed, any air that's gotten in to the system, and other contaminates. Doing that extends the life of all the hydraulic parts (i.e. the $1,600 ABS unit). Use DOT 4 fluid only. Do NOT substitute DOT 3 please! DOT 5 silicone is not recommended either since it's about impossible to get all the air out and you may not like the pedal feel (sort of spongy). Plus DOT 5 doesn't absorb water, so the water (and there will be water in the system after a time) forms drops, and in the winter will freeze solid and you then you have no brakes.
It does scare me, thinking a person who has never done brakes, has had no training in brakes or has seen brakes done,,,,,,,is doing it themselves. The brake system is THE single most important system on a car and shouldn't be messed with unless you know what you're doing! I've seen the results of the latter.............................
Flushing the brake fluid can help a lot. It's part of the required maintenence every 2 years, regardless of miles. Gets rid of the water that has been absorbed, any air that's gotten in to the system, and other contaminates. Doing that extends the life of all the hydraulic parts (i.e. the $1,600 ABS unit). Use DOT 4 fluid only. Do NOT substitute DOT 3 please! DOT 5 silicone is not recommended either since it's about impossible to get all the air out and you may not like the pedal feel (sort of spongy). Plus DOT 5 doesn't absorb water, so the water (and there will be water in the system after a time) forms drops, and in the winter will freeze solid and you then you have no brakes.
It does scare me, thinking a person who has never done brakes, has had no training in brakes or has seen brakes done,,,,,,,is doing it themselves. The brake system is THE single most important system on a car and shouldn't be messed with unless you know what you're doing! I've seen the results of the latter.............................
Last edited by aspen79; Jun 10, 2012 at 06:39 AM.
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Just FYI I had a shop do the work..... I never mess with my car, not the DIY type
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See below, didn't do it myself.
Also, as I said, pads were changed for FRONT and BACK, same for rotors.
LOTS of people use Hawk HPS on A3s and they all report good results. The Jurid that were on are not OEM I think.. They were put on by previous owner.
When you say that flushing helps a lot, do you mean with braking power?
The car does stop fine, just NOT as trust-inspiring as with the Jurids.. I notice they are more progressive now, just hate to have to put pressure on the pedal to stop better, as you really gotta push harder than before at low speeds. At higher speed it's not as noticeable but still not as good as the old ones..
What's the point of getting new pad and rotors if the old ones brake with at least $30k stop just as good or better? that was my question..
Also wanted some feedback from actual users of Hawks HPS
Also, as I said, pads were changed for FRONT and BACK, same for rotors.
LOTS of people use Hawk HPS on A3s and they all report good results. The Jurid that were on are not OEM I think.. They were put on by previous owner.
When you say that flushing helps a lot, do you mean with braking power?
The car does stop fine, just NOT as trust-inspiring as with the Jurids.. I notice they are more progressive now, just hate to have to put pressure on the pedal to stop better, as you really gotta push harder than before at low speeds. At higher speed it's not as noticeable but still not as good as the old ones..
What's the point of getting new pad and rotors if the old ones brake with at least $30k stop just as good or better? that was my question..
Also wanted some feedback from actual users of Hawks HPS
Audi spends a lot of R&D choosing pad material for a reason. Of course, it's still a compromise between wear, noise and dust.................Changing to a different (non-OEM) pad on only one end of the car can upset the front/rear braking balance. In other words, maybe the new front pads have a different coefficient of friction than the OEM so now you have, for example, less braking on the front but the original on the rear. Now there's "too much" rear brake and not enough front.....hard to explain in a few words but you get the idea. In other words, the brakes will won't feel right and the car may be unstable under heavy braking.
Flushing the brake fluid can help a lot. It's part of the required maintenence every 2 years, regardless of miles. Gets rid of the water that has been absorbed, any air that's gotten in to the system, and other contaminates. Doing that extends the life of all the hydraulic parts (i.e. the $1,600 ABS unit). Use DOT 4 fluid only. Do NOT substitute DOT 3 please! DOT 5 silicone is not recommended either since it's about impossible to get all the air out and you may not like the pedal feel (sort of spongy). Plus DOT 5 doesn't absorb water, so the water (and there will be water in the system after a time) forms drops, and in the winter will freeze solid and you then you have no brakes.
It does scare me, thinking a person who has never done brakes, has had no training in brakes or has seen brakes done,,,,,,,is doing it themselves. The brake system is THE single most important system on a car and shouldn't be messed with unless you know what you're doing! I've seen the results of the latter.............................
Flushing the brake fluid can help a lot. It's part of the required maintenence every 2 years, regardless of miles. Gets rid of the water that has been absorbed, any air that's gotten in to the system, and other contaminates. Doing that extends the life of all the hydraulic parts (i.e. the $1,600 ABS unit). Use DOT 4 fluid only. Do NOT substitute DOT 3 please! DOT 5 silicone is not recommended either since it's about impossible to get all the air out and you may not like the pedal feel (sort of spongy). Plus DOT 5 doesn't absorb water, so the water (and there will be water in the system after a time) forms drops, and in the winter will freeze solid and you then you have no brakes.
It does scare me, thinking a person who has never done brakes, has had no training in brakes or has seen brakes done,,,,,,,is doing it themselves. The brake system is THE single most important system on a car and shouldn't be messed with unless you know what you're doing! I've seen the results of the latter.............................
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Joined: Jun 2015
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From: United States
According to my opinion Changed to Hawk HPS (I had Jurid on...) and to OEM rotors all around.. Not only I don't see any improvement compared to my OLD pads, even feels WORSE! only better thing is dust (less). How can that be? Maybe will improve flushing brake fluid?
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