S3 BRAKE PROBLEMS

[t&biskits]

I HAVE ISSUE`S WITH MY STD S3 BRAKE`S. CAR IS 2 YRS OLD, HAD IT SINCE NEW. IT HAS BEEN AROUND THE `RING ` A FEW TIMES. FIRST TWO TRIPS WERE FINE , NO PROBLEMS, BUT THE LAST TRIP WAS RUINED BY EXTREMELY BAD JUDDER / VIBRATION COMING FROM THE FRONT END UNDER HARD BRAKING. AS YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE , TRYING NOT TO BRAKE AT THE `RING` ISN`T ADVISABLE.
THING IS, EVERYDAY DRIVING IS FINE, BUT AS ANOTHER TRIP APPROACHS I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE IT A TEST TO SEE IF THIS WAS JUST A ONE OFF. BRAKING HARD FROM HIGH SPEED, IT`S STILL THERE. SO I BELEIVE I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THEM.
THIS IS WERE MY POINT IS, I MENTIONED IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER ( I LIVE IN YEOVIL), THERE ANSWER IS THAT BECAUSE I DO TRACKDAY`S (I.E. BEEN TO THE `RING`A FEW TIMES) THEN WHAT DO YOU EXPECT. I GOT THAT SORT OF `THEIR NOT REALLY DESIGNED FOR THAT SORT OF USE` FEELING FROM THE AUDI SERVICE ROBOT. I DID ASK THEM WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE LAP TIMER (I.E. TIMING TRIP`S TO TESCO`S PERHAPS?).

ANY FEEDBACK OR PEOPLE`S VIEWS WOULD BE APPRECIATED

P.S. I DON`T HAVE MUCH FAITH WITH DEALER`S DUE TO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE`S & THEIR `COMPUTER SAY`S NO MENTALITY`

 

[S3Alex]

You've probably ****** and warped the discs,and to be honest you do have to sympathize with your dealer,as there is no way that a brake system designed for road use,even fast road use,is in any way up to the demands of a hard bash around a circuit.

For that sort of use you do need something with a bit more reserve,and AP and Brembo would be the first that spring to my mind.

 

[warren_S5]

Sounds more like warped discs than defective pads.

Hit that big button on the left hand side of the keyboard called CAPS LOCK, you'll sound less angry!

 

[edition]

Why did you tell them about doing trackdays?

I presume the warrenty is applicable only for a car that has seen road use.

They are not sold as trackday cars but fast road cars...

Why not see this as a chance to upgrade? The oem parts are made with road use in mind, as such they stop the car well and last ages!

 

[edition]

Sounds more like warped discs than defective pads.

Hit that big button on the left hand side of the keyboard called CAPS LOCK, you'll sound less angry!

Hehehe

 

[N8]

Hit that big button on the left hand side of the keyboard called CAPS LOCK, you'll sound less angry!

lmfao

 

[s3ollie]

if its a warped disc (cant be anything else in my mind) try as you come to a junction or stop somewhere with very light peddle pressure and you should be able to feel an on off type of brake feeling where the warped part i going through the caliper.

 

[boggysv]

t&biskits,

1) Cool it with the caps lock thing, it's counter-intuitive if you want people to read your post and give you decent replies.

2) I had that issue once, coming off a trackday, had some vibration while braking-hard, but turns out it's just pad material stuck onto the disc. It only wore off after many days of slow driving. I find that if I drive it hard again before the disc looks clean, then the "stain" would get worse and it doesnt really help the situation.
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showth...es-are-vibrating-and-it-s-not-the-good-kind-(

3) Apparently according to this Stoptech article, which is written by the man Caroll Smith, it's highly unlikely to wrap your disc. But who knows? Maybe someone spilled beer on your disc while it was red hot.

faq : http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml#

Double check if it's really warped (i.e. deformed) using a dial gauge, plenty easy, all you need to do is remove your wheel.

guide : http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/manual/brake/BrakeDisk.pdf

4) I was like you previously, thought the stock brakes are more than enough for fast road use and some minor track escapades, oh boy was I wrong. Even a decent 4pot form any of the big players (Ap, brembo, alcon, stoptech)are much better than stock. Dont be fooled by the huge stock caliper with it's "S3" plate, the pad is quite pathetic in size & performance imho. Just spend the money if you can, and I promise you'll be a happy man, at least while braking.

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml#

 

[N8]

S3Ollie's avatar

 

[s3ollie]

i have read that from stop tech and i can tell you that that is rubbish IMO. i have a warped disc from my old s3 sat in my unit and my transit van has a warped disc too. how long will pad meterial last on the surface of the disc for? my van has had them warped for over a year and i dont think pad material would last on the disc that long.
So warped discs are real

 

[Spin140]

There's no way I'd expect the dealer to rectify my brakes after attending track days but then again I wouldn't advertise the fact that I attend just in case of any large issues. I understand where you are coming from as Audi se fit to include a lap timer and use marketing pics with the S3 on track but I doubt the car is ever expected to actually do this for the majority.

The standard S3 system is fine for fast road use but definetly needs upgrading for anything more, I've had a few pedal to the floor moments on track in mine and it has to be worth the spend for peace of mind alone, you'll be much faster too, a good set of brakes can be worth up to 50bhp on a circuit.

 

[boggysv]

how long will pad meterial last on the surface of the disc for? my van has had them warped for over a year and i dont think pad material would last on the disc that long.
So warped discs are real

From your question of "how long would pad material last on the disc", dare I say you did not really finish reading the paper, or did you just not understand? There is always pad material on the brake discs.

Here's a brief rundown. The paper is suggesting that if it's just uneven pad deposits, then it's an easy fix, but he'll have to take it easy to rub them off and not make matters worse by cooking them further, creating hotspots. Hot spots would result in variation in hardness of certain areas on the disc, which leads to uneven wearing. At that stage, it would be best to just junk the disc and properly break the new ones in.

A disc deforming/warping from sudden temperature changes is unlikely, especially on road cars like ours. You can always come into the pits after a hot lap and pour ice-cold water on your discs, pretty sure only then it can be considered warped.

Carroll Smith knows his stuff about fast cars, probably more than all of us here on ASN added together. His "to win" series of books are hard to beat, even when the contents are dumbed-down for the general public to comprehend.
*on another note, his statement of non-liability is truly refreshing

Thread starter could easily check if it's really the disc causing the problem using a gauge and it's much better than us guessing based on his interpretation of the scenario.

 

[s3ollie]

It was a while ago that i read it

well this http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_figure3_padmaterial.html is what i had on my old S3 with r32 discs. however i would class that as warped as its not straight!

 

[t&biskits]

Apologies for the cap`s lock, i have only just moved up to a laptop from a V-TECH. With regards to me attending trackday`s, the dealer informed me that i do trackday`s, i didn`t tell him that i did trackdays( they obviously based this assumption on the fact that i go over to the `ring` .i did mention that i was going over to the `ring` when i had problems with my headlights & had them changed to lhd for the journey over.
i have clocked the disc`s and they run true, regarding the advertising issue of `pictures of an s3 on track, surely this is misrepresnting the product & it`s capabilities?. Perhaps a nice picture of it reversing into a parking space at Sainsburys? .
i still have no answer as to what the lap timer is for then? iwas merely trying to find out if anybody had encountered this scenario & if they had managed to rectify it.
thanks for you feedback so far( this isn`t ment to sound patronisng either.

 

[Spin140]

It didn't sound patronising and its a shame we are penalised for being honest, if the dealer had just said Brakes are classed as wear items so are not covered fin but I guess the bit that P'd you off is the fact that they mentioned the track use.

Still be worth investing in a BBK though especially if a ring regular, I'll be making a return trip next year, just the though tighten the Sphincter muscles LOl

 

[t&biskits]

Do i go for a change of disc`s & pads? don`t know who has what to offer in the brake market? EBC do replacement discs, are they any good?
have also had experience of EBC green stuff pads & Ferodo ds2500 (modified leon cupra r), never felt a big difference between the uprated & the std. The only pads i had any luck with were Galfer fast road , but they absolutely f**ked the discs up big time!!