I have a 2006 A4 1.8T cabriolet with 1500 miles on it. (Caribic blue, platinum leather, Bose) Awesome car - except for the squealing brakes.

The brakes started squealing at 300 miles. I went back to the dealer who told me that it was normal and handed me an Audi pamphlet about brake noise. “They don’t use asbestos anymore and all cars have squealing brakes.” He told me to go out to a deserted road, drive about 55 MPH and slam on the brakes. It would remove the buildup on the brakes and the squeal would be gone. I did it. It didn’t solve the problem.

I’m out of town at the moment and I am so frustrated. My $40,000+ car sounds like a school bus. I called the local dealer and he told me the same thing. “All Audi’s have non-asbestos brakes and they all squeal. I have had a couple of customers who are just as frustrated as you are, and I understand your frustration…blah, blah, blah.” Do all mechanics talk to women this way?

This isn’t my first rodeo, and I’ve been to a couple of goat ropings and a tractor pull or two. I know have a problem. I’m not going to drive this car for the next 3 years deafening all the dogs in the neighborhood.

I think that it is coming from the driver’s side rear wheel. Three wheels don’t make noises, one does. The squeal occurs at speeds under 50 MPH. Doesn't matter if I brake hard or gently, it still squeals. Sometimes at the first pressure on the pedal, other times at the bottom of the travel of the pedal. Occasionally it stops squealing and it will be fine for a while, then it starts up again. Brakes always squeal after the car is parked for 30 minutes or more. After 2 hours at 70 MPH, the squeal was gone for a while, but the annoying sound returned the next day.

I’m not particularly hard on brakes in other cars I’ve owned. My last two Volvos had 60,000 on the original brakes when I turned them in.

So I Googled and found this forum. I need some help in knowing what to tell the service department. I need to know when to challenge their BS and when to believe what they are saying. Is this a real problem for all Audis?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Unfortunatly vw/audis cheap *** response is normal. Go figure. One thing to try is using the parking brake more frequently while driving. Especially in reverse. It can help eliminate condesation and rust buildup in the rear brakes that can cause noise. Another solution is the use of one of the various anti squeek sparys readily availible at your nearby parts store. A third more drastic alternative is to remove the pads and "rough" the surface and chamfer the edges.

 

Find yourself a *GOOD* shadetree mechanic and ask him (or her... HEY! it cud happen!!!) if he'd pull your pads and clean the pads and rotors (with summa that there brake-cleaning solution mentioned by Dank.) Ask him to also lubricate the backs of teh pads with a l'il brake lube gel, also avaialble at the same place you'd get the cleaner from. Comes in l'il packets, for a buck, or two, usually near the front counter) Just like Brylcream, a little dab'l do ya.

They should do it for maybe, what, $30.00... $50.00 at the most. And/or a case of Red-Star Heinekins... (hint: if they ask for $50.00 DON'T offer them teh beer...)

The squealing results from one of two things, generally. Either a miniscule piece of debris has lodged itself between one of your pads and rotors (this usually happens if teh person doing your brakes isn't careful about puttin their grimey hands all over your friction surfaces), OR, a sympathetic vibration is being harmonically amplified by a couple of dissimilar metal parts in close proximity. Could even be a combination of the two. Occassional squealing DOES happen, just like the assclowns at your local Stealership told you. But, it should NOT be a constant occurance, or else EVERYBODIES brakes would squeal. Next time you decide to talk to the clowns at the Stealers ask them why, if their explaination were true, don't ALL Audi's have brake squeal as a "feature"?

Or, you could KEEP going back to the Stealer and complaining, using the "why doesn't everybody elses'" argument, until they capitulate... Document EACH visist, thouroughly, including who said what. Gather enough documentation of not being helped/blown off, and take it to AudiUSA. Threaten to "lemon-law" their punk-asses and make them BUY IT BACK!

As a last resort... turn up your stereo

 

good responses o your inquiry,they havent used asbestos for at least 15 years.only thing i can add is not to use the lube gel on back of pads because audi's use an adhesive backing and without it you will probably hear a clickety click sound from pads walking,it's very annoying.

 

Good looking out, Avant. Respect!

I have aftermarket pads (ceramic), and so I wasn't thinking as thouroughly as I should have.

 

i'd find an independand mech. in your area and bring the problem to him, usually they know a bit more about little problems like that, where as the dealership does everything extremly by the book...

 

One of my rear brakes just started doing essentially the same thing...It made no sound for 18Kmiles, and now it decides it wants a voice. Really starting to bother me. I am hoping for the immaculate or perhaps I should say miraculous spontaneour cure.

 

its a new car take it back and let them fix it until your satisfied

 

i heard from an ind. mech. that audi askes for organic pads to be used and not semi-metallic as semi's can cause this squeel.

 

turn off the TC and check if the noise still happens. I had brake squeal coming out of the front of my A3T and everytime i turned off the TC the squeal would disappear. i know it's not the solution but does it play a part in the brake squeal.

I look forward to hearing you response.