1. I've got an '04 A4 with 28,000 miles on it. The brakes have started squeaking a little lately. Is this normal or should I be taking the brakes in to be looked at?

2. Also, most cars recommend changing the oil every 5K miles or so, but the manual says the only service it needs through the expiration of the warranty (40K) are the less frequent ones at 25K and 35K. Does that include the oil changes or should I be doing that on my own as I go along?

3. Lastly, anybody know a good Audi mechanic in the Pasadena/northeast LA area? I wish I could DIY, but believe me I've tried and seem to just make stuff worse, and after reading this forum I realize I'd be crazy to have repairs done at the dealer.

Thanks!

 

yeah my brakes started squeaking too. i dont know if its a bad thing or not,but i wanted to ask that question too.

 

Your brake pads have wear sensors in them, if the pads get to worn you will have a warning light pop up on the dash. Its not a bad idea to visually inspect them though. You should be able to see the pads through the wheel against the rotors. Squeeking brakes isnt always an indicator of something bad. As long as there is padding left (1/4 inch or more) and the car stops without pulling to one side or doesnt show any other driveability problems i wouldnt worry about it much. Definately change your oil every 3-5k miles. They say you can go up to 10k miles with full synthetic, but I would never feel comfortable with that. Especially if its with a 1.8t.

 

You should be under warranty for 4 years or 50K mi. The dealer
should clean or change your brake pads. Oil changes are done by
the dealer at 25, 35 and 45K mi.