S4 brake pedal clunk

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steve184

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Hi all,

Not posted on here for a few years as have been in the bmw camp but have just (yesterday) taken delivery of a new S4.

I’ve noticed at distinct clunk from the brake pedal that I can actually feel all through the steering column - it feels awful and not confidence inspiring st all. At first I thought it was a clunk in the steering but it is the brake pedal. It happens when I quickly move my foot from accelerator to brake to prime the brake pedal ready for applying pressure if that makes sense? It’s not moving brake pads or anything like that as it happens even when stationery.

Is this a familiar trait? I really hope not as it spoils the whole driving experience for me!
 
My answer was going to be the ABS pump priming at around 27mph, but if you're saying that you get the same sound when you're stationary then I don't have an answer I'm afraid.

If it's to do with the braking system and seems to be an issue I'd be going straight back to Audi and dumping it with them and demanding a courtesy car on safety grounds. If they refuse then ask them to make a note of it against your car so that the liability is with them should there be an issue, that might make them change their minds.
 
I agree with Daggeritt, any brake issue should be referred back to the dealership if you're not confident in them, but perhaps a tad less dramatic if you wish to have them on your side. But why is there a need to prime the brake pedal? I never do this as I find the brakes on mine very good, although for some over servo'd..
 
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A bit dramatic, but more just if they start to push back and you're really not confident in your brakes. I wouldn't go in all guns blazing to start! Haha.
 
Quite, hold back first, then, if the response isn't adequate, open up with the big guns. I usually, when its my partners car, say to Ford they need to keep my partners happy because if they don't they do not want me dealing with it.
Seems to work ok...
 
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cuke2u said:
Quite, hold back first, then, if the response isn't adequate, open up with the big guns. I usually, when its my partners car, say to Ford they need to keep my partners happy because if they don't they do not want me dealing with it.
Seems to work ok...
Click to expand...

'Partners'? As in... Plural? ;)
 
Yeh I’m first trying to ascertain if this is a ‘characteristic’ rather than a potential fault by asking this community really... ie someone replying and saying “oh yeh that’s normal and a common complaint” or something - but I’d rather hope this wasn’t the case on a £47k car tbh!

So just seeing if anyone else recognised this issue.

Primed brake maybe wrong use of words. I just mean a quick application of the brake at the top of its travel (not stamping on it)
 
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steve184 said:
Yeh I’m first trying to ascertain if this is a ‘characteristic’ rather than a potential fault by asking this community really... ie someone replying and saying “oh yeh that’s normal and a common complaint” or something - but I’d rather hope this wasn’t the case on a £47k car tbh!

So just seeing if anyone else recognised this issue.

Primed brake maybe wrong use of words. I just mean a quick application of the brake at the top of its travel (not stamping on it)
Click to expand...

Understandable I'd say. I'll try to remember to give it a try in a bit and let you know if I hear anything when hitting the pedal while stationary. Is it with or without the parking brake on? Or both?
 
Doesn’t make any difference I initially noticed when driving/manoeuvring and because I could feel it through steering wheel felt almost like a knackered ball joint or something - but then I soon realised nothing to do with steering and coming from pedal and being transmitted to steering column. Still/moving handbrake on or off doesn’t matter. Only time it doesn’t is if engine off and the pedal is pumped so it’s hard but I think that is due to it having no travel at that point.

I can press the pedal at top of travel with my hand and feel a distinct clunk.

(Obv I know you don’t drive with your hand but it’s easy to reproduce that way and feel)
 
I asked the same question here but nobody else bit:

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/loose-brake-pedal.378035/

I too can feel it clunk through the steering wheel. My car went into the dealer and they said they couldn't fault it, nothing is loose and the pedal travel is normal. I asked to sit in a similar car, so they let me start up an A6 automatic and although I couldn't feel it through the steering wheel, it felt just as loose through my foot when I tapped it. The Q3 courtesy car I had felt even worse (although that was manual). I think it's just all the gubbins attached to the brake system in addition to the actual brakes.

I know what you mean about priming the pedal - I try to preload it a bit instead of jumping from accelerator to brake, just to avoid the loose feeling.

If you take yours in and they do find something, can you report back here please?
 
Can't say that I've ever noticed anything through the steering but I'll keep an ear out.
 
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Ok, so I did manage to feel what you're meaning. The sharper I hit the pedal the more pronounced it was.

I will say that I had to actually feel for it though, I've never noticed it before and although repeatable when stationary I can't say that it's perceptible when actually on the move for me. So sounds like it's relatively common then, I just don't know if it's something we should be worried about. My brakes have always worked very well when call upon! :)
 
I don't have a B9 S4, just a B8 S4, but, is this anything to do with the "semi handbrake" ie as in "hill hold", on my B8 S4 I can leave that function switched off or on, when it is on, if the car is almost stationary and I touch the brakes, sometimes you do feel the brakes being grabbed.
 
Oh that’s a shame I’m finding it sticks out like a sore thumb to me and really spoiling the feel of the car. What a poor design :(
 
rum4mo said:
I don't have a B9 S4, just a B8 S4, but, is this anything to do with the "semi handbrake" ie as in "hill hold", on my B8 S4 I can leave that function switched off or on, when it is on, if the car is almost stationary and I touch the brakes, sometimes you do feel the brakes being grabbed.
Click to expand...

Don't think so. I found I could feel it when just in park and no handbrake or when the handbrake was applied, made no difference. Thankfully it's not really noticeable unless I concentrate on it a lot.
 
This. I hear a clunk as i have the auto handbrake on in my 2018 S4, It must be the auto handbrake

rum4mo said:
I don't have a B9 S4, just a B8 S4, but, is this anything to do with the "semi handbrake" ie as in "hill hold", on my B8 S4 I can leave that function switched off or on, when it is on, if the car is almost stationary and I touch the brakes, sometimes you do feel the brakes being grabbed.
Click to expand...
 
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