The horrible pedals

[FPSUsername]

Does anybody else notice how bad the pedals are on the 8P?

The clutch "engage" window is HUGE, and I often struggle to get a smooth start. I'm used to a short window like in the Toyota Yaris MK3 and the Mazda MX5 NA/NB.

The brake feels spongy, with the first half doing nearly nothing (this does bring the pedal down far enough to make you able to do a heel-toe downshift), but it doesn't feel direct. Yes, the car has had a couple of flushes due to a bad ABS controller and unfortunately, it still feels like this.

Is there a way to make this better? I vaguely remember something about brake assist in VCDS, but I'm not sure if that's what I'm looking for. About the clutch, I have no idea. The car has ~90k km and the clutch isn't slipping yet, so there's no need to swap it yet (would be good to put a performance clutch in it, as those tend to make the window smaller).

I believe that the car is in need of some new brake pads as I'm hearing screeching noises when applying the brake. Does anybody have a recommendation on brake pads that will actually give the pedal a more hardened feel?

 

[e9_mustii]

Pads wont affect your feel in term of brand etc mine screech like a mother fker butbthats because i hve race pads on so they take longer to heat up but on heavy braking there silent and deadly on the stop. Day 2 day driving it can get loud and annoying so stick with stock oem pads. Now for pedal feel gets some braided lines and tyrol sport stiffing kit for your front brake caliper makes a big diffence i barely have to push pedal to brake the weight of my foot is good enough lol

I think yiu can get braided line for your clutch too although not 100% and you pedal or clutch line may need adjusting assuming your clutch isnt on its way out

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk

 

[FPSUsername]

Will keep that in mind for the next time when it needs good service.

I assume that the brake pads won't affect much since the car has brake assist.

 

[ch1z64]

I run 310bhp on my S3 8p and i uze Textar pads which bite quickly , there is a bypass harness you can get for the clutch so when starting you dont need to push clutch in . Plus it just takes a bit off time to get used to the S3 Clutch imo, plus the harness is goid for a performance Clutch.
Link for bypass ( https://go.skimresources.com/?id=19...485855de340&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu [0] )

 

[SteveMcB]

If you're pads are worn very low, which it sounds like they are, this will cause more travel in the pedal.

 

[maxpayne]

If anything I found brakes on both our Audi A3 (8P and now 8V) to be spot on, maybe too much. A little touch and whoa! Sounds like there’s something wrong with your brake setup. Could be leaking hose, bad brake lines or even worn out pads.

 

[maxpayne]

If anything I found brakes on both our Audi A3 (8P and now 8V) to be spot on, maybe too much. A little touch and whoa! Sounds like there’s something wrong with your brake setup. Could be leaking hose, bad brake lines or even worn out pads.

I should also mention that genuine Audi discs and pads are miles better than the off the shelf stuff (and yes that includes Brembo too) found in ECP or elsewhere. Really is a case of getting what you pay for.

 

[samisnake]

imo, the clutch and brake pedals are fine, and not just saying it cos ive got one.
recently gone from 288mm front discs to 312mm, and immediately noticed the same thing with the brake. to me, its better as it allows for a progressive brake feel. the old 288mm were more like an on/off switch in comparison, and made for much more jerky stops and slowing down.

my last car, a brera (same as the alfa 159) had a similar longer travel brake pedal. its been the same in mercs ive driven.
my old mg tf had huge (in relation to the car) 4 pots up front and those instantly grabbed, nearly went through the windscreen first time i drove it.

the clutch pedal again is fine imo, as i cant even remember it to comment! contrast that to the 17/18/19 plate polos i drive with zipcar, where the clutch pedal is springy and like a switch, im happy with it on the a3.

i suppose it comes down to what youre used to, and what you prefer. but to me, theres no issue.

 

[Daveyonthemove]

Clutch and Brakes are good on mine too.
Have you changed the brake fluid on it or bled the system correctly? Very few people bother to change the brake fluid every 2 years.

 

[FPSUsername]

Yes, the brake fluid has been changed recently as there were issues with the ABS module. Eventually, after two attempted repairs a new ABS module has been installed.
I'm pretty sure that it's not leaking, otherwise, I'd have noticed that the car wouldn't have brakes anymore after so many driven kilometers.