S4 Brakes squealing

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Lavis89

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Hi guys, replaced my stoppers last week (all pagid parts), haven't upgraded yet unfortunately. But the squeal from my fronts are horrendous, apparently a common issue for these cars and audis line is the brakes need to be warm to reduce the squealing.
Does anyone know if swapping the pagid pads out for some ceramic pads would help reduce the noise?
 
Ceramics would definitely stop the noise. I have exactly the same issue on my B8.5 on stock pads however once they are "warmed up" the squeal is gone. Have you tried it or is it there regardless.
 
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I only really notice it when driving at slower speeds, through areas with speed bumps etc so was thinking it was likely to do with the heat. I'll have to swap them out with ceramics and eat the costs, the squealing drives me mad.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts!
 
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A first post for a good 10yrs (had to re-register with a new username as old linked email so can't reset) but I can concur that my recently acquired B8.5 does just that on it's new standard stoppers.

Made me question whether a liberal dose of copper grease wasn't applied when they were replaced.

Glad it's not just me....

Cheers,

Ben
 
I replaced the front pads and disks myself and they were definitely well greased so was a bit miffed until i started reading up about it.
All down to the pad compound needing a bit of heat apparently.
 
Judging by the state of my wheels after 1000 odd miles I'd say the pads are well bedded, they still squeak so guess I'll try something else when they're finished.

Prefer a grey finish to the peelers anyway!
 
Ginge247 said:
I've got pagid discs with redstuff pads and no squeal at all m8
Click to expand...
^^This^^

Had exact same problem on the S7, the squeal was horrendous and downright embarrassing, so switched to EBC Redstuff pads. These are not 100% ceramic, but have high ceramic content.

Now 24k in on original discs, and with about 6000 on the EBCs. Zero squeal, almost zero brake dust. Highly recommend.

John.
 
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RAF_S7 said:
^^This^^

Had exact same problem on the S7, the squeal was horrendous and downright embarrassing, so switched to EBC Redstuff pads. These are not 100% ceramic, but have high ceramic content.

Now 24k in on original discs, and with about 6000 on the EBCs. Zero squeal, almost zero brake dust. Highly recommend.

John.
Click to expand...

Cheers mate and what about the braking itself. Quite a few people have said that although it reduces squeal and lower brake dust they also lack the initial bite?


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Tashfeen said:
Cheers mate and what about the braking itself. Quite a few people have said that although it reduces squeal and lower brake dust they also lack the initial bite?
Click to expand...

Normal daily braking is absolutely fine.

These are road car use, not race track, so there is no requirement to warm them up etc before using them. They bite as soon as you brake! :racer:
 
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I had the same - If you got them Euro car parts tell them and they will exchange them.
I had issues with brembo's pads and discs.

Cheers
 
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I retrofitted S4 disc, pads and cailipers to my A4 and it's absolutely awful for squeaks.

Il definitely be getting the red stuff pads now as it's getting so annoying.

Let me know where you get them as seem very expensive for pads
 
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Of course mine squeal too. This is the only negative thing about my car. I hadn't noticed that heat stops it, I just brake a bit harder than I would prefer in order to avoid it.
 
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Just replaced my s4 discs for EBC ones and redstuff pads, no squealing
 
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ianv5 said:
Just replaced my s4 discs for EBC ones and redstuff pads, no squealing
Click to expand...

Would you mind sharing any pics of the setup @ianv5. Want to see how they look. Also, which discs did you go for i.e. grooved, slotted etc.


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The reason I ask is because I have been thinking about changing setup as well and thinking about either EBC or ECS. EBC's website shows plain discs for S4 and wanted to known which ones did you get. Thanks.


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I just went for standard ebc discs, not grooved etc and redstuff pads. This was recommended by Quattrotech based in St Ives and know their stuff had my stage1+ revo map done by them. I did however bed the pads and discs in so perhaps this meant I don't have any squealing.
 

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I've said this before in the past, as the sole importer of TMD Friction brake pads into the UK, ECP seem to only carry a "short" range of pads, this can lead to, in some applications, of you accidentally ending up with pads that have the correct profile of backing metalwork and the correct pad material, but no anti squeal device fitted, whereas, the original VAG factory fit parts did have anti squeal devices fitted. In the past I have solved that by complaining to the UK based TMD Friction marketing manager, and he supplied me with the correct version FOC! (twice)
So, if buying TMD Friction brand pads from ECP, first of all check if your car have already got anti squeal devices fitted to its original pads, then go shopping at ECP, open the box in the brand of ECP, if the pads have no anti squeal, walk away! It used to be easy to look on the TMD Friction website for the exact kit part numbers as fitted at factory - then you could check the box of pads before opening them if the TMD Friction kit part number is not correct, maybe if enough people did that, ECP would start stocking a wider range, and a range that reflected what the original factory fit was!
 
rum4mo said:
whereas, the original VAG factory fit parts did have anti squeal devices fitted.
Click to expand...
My car is still on the factory pads & discs. So you are confirming that my squealing brakes must have anti-squeal devices fitted?
 
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Dippy said:
My car is still on the factory pads & discs. So you are confirming that my squealing brakes must have anti-squeal devices fitted?
Click to expand...

But still they squeal. I booked mine twice with Oxford Audi and all the 'Master Tech' did was to drive aggressively and apply emergency brakes and it went away, momentarily! They did ask me to rubbing the rotors or something like that but I asked not do as I have seen couple of people where the dealership actually heavily scratched the rotors including alloys. Believe the only solution is to use redstuff / ceramic pads with stock rotors that gets rid of it. My only hesitation is that again, people have reported initial bite issues and that you've to press them a bit too hard for them to work effectively.


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Dippy said:
My car is still on the factory pads & discs. So you are confirming that my squealing brakes must have anti-squeal devices fitted?
Click to expand...

Absolutely, if you look at them once you remove them, you will see either tapered shims of a layer of anti-squeal stuff/paper like on the backs of the pads.

When I initially fitted new ATE pads bought from ECP to my old Passat, it immediately sounded like a taxi, fitting either Textar or Pagid pads from ECP - which were fitted with anti-squeal stuff sorted that out, unfortunately as the front pads I bought from ECP were listed for use only in Japan(! ? !) in the TMD Friction web-cat, I had to get the UK TMD Friction sales guy to supplky me FOC a proper set as I pointed out that their sole official importer of these parts to the UK aftermarket (ECP) just were not selling the correct parts for that car and obviously the equivalent Audi A4 B5.

Edit:- I think, it these techs are old enough, the next excuse is that since the braking industry is not allowed to use asbestos then there will always be issues, ie not the car manufacture's fault - which does not go down very well for me. Just a small point, I bought my early S4 when it was just over two year sold, and by that time, for various reasons, it had got new discs and pads all round at its 2nd birthday and maybe 10K miles!

Another Edit:- the current pads on my S4, genuine VW Group spare parts fitted at its 2nd birthday, have a slot across them, I've forgotten which end of the car, and that used to get done to get rid off squeal years ago in the asbestos age!
 
Last edited:
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So do the anti-squeal devices actually reduce squeal? Would it be worse without them?

To be fair I'm not really complaining. My B5 S4 had Porsche front brakes and they would squeal. The solution was - hard braking...
 
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Oh yes, lots of ways have been tried to get rid of squeal, as I said slots across the friction material, metal tapered shims, some sort of damping material and off course heavy duty/high temperature double sided sticky tape - then as a last resort good old CopperEase! There are probably other ways as well including the composition of the friction materials.
 
Tashfeen said:
But still they squeal. I booked mine twice with Oxford Audi and all the 'Master Tech' did was to drive aggressively and apply emergency brakes and it went away, momentarily! They did ask me to rubbing the rotors or something like that but I asked not do as I have seen couple of people where the dealership actually heavily scratched the rotors including alloys. Believe the only solution is to use redstuff / ceramic pads with stock rotors that gets rid of it. My only hesitation is that again, people have reported initial bite issues and that you've to press them a bit too hard for them to work effectively.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Did you get the squealing sorted in the end? Or is it just simpler to switch to red stuff pads?
 
MattS5 said:
Did you get the squealing sorted in the end? Or is it just simpler to switch to red stuff pads?
Click to expand...

Switched to RedStuff and no more embarrassment :)
 
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Cool, I think I’ll do the same. Im still under warranty for a year but I can’t see pads causing an issue with anything warranty related.
And I don’t think dealers are able to cure it either from what I’ve read.
 
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MattS5 said:
Cool, I think I’ll do the same. Im still under warranty for a year but I can’t see pads causing an issue with anything warranty related.
And I don’t think dealers are able to cure it either from what I’ve read.
Click to expand...

It was actually Oxford Audi who replaced the pads for me; I bought the pads and they replaced and charged me the labour. They were even willing to change the rotors as well as my initial plan was to do them both at the same time.
 
Sounds like they treated you well, I might give my local dealer a call on Monday to see what they can do.
Initial research looks like the red stuff don’t have a wear indicator fitted, but they might just use a stock image on all the different part numbers.

Thanks again
 
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I had this also and replaced with ebc redstuff pad and all good. Wish I’d done it sooner
 
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jdp1962 said:
I'm in exactly the same boat as @Dippy; on OEM factory-fit discs and pads, and they squeal when cold and/or damp.
Click to expand...
Same with mine. First 20,000 miles or so they didn't squeal but the last 5,000 miles it kicked in and they've been getting worse. Other than ask at the next service is there any way to see how much wear is left before they need replacing?
 
I assume people are just changie the front pads for red stuff and leaving the rears as they are ?
I ran brembo discs and pads on the previous S5, which I sourced from GSF, I'm also wondering about getting just the front pads and trying them with the OE discs as they were fine last time.
Anybody tried that as an alternative ?
 
looks like red stuff is the answer!
I put a bit of copper grease in the pad backings, can't say I noticed any improvement tbh.. just noisy on pagids I guess
 
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