Brake pads wrecked @ 8k

[MikeB]

I put the car in to get the telephone system replaced for the Alps trip and reported the suspicion that the rotors were warped. 3 days ago they confirmed that the front rotors were slightly warped and they would replace under warranty. Yesterday they said that the front pads were ruined, they had a blue sheen on them from overheating and the surface of them was degraded.

Question is, how the h*ll did this happen under road driving conditions?

My last track day was Oct 09 and I was v careful then to let the rotors cool down. The car had exhibited no problems since then, until recently. I do use the brakes pretty hard when required, but the roads up here are fairly free of traffic so they don't get used that much, and I don't tailgate so I'm not riding the brakes.

Would the warped rotors have contributed to the degraded brake pads?

I'm going up to the dealer to check them out next week.

[gazza1]

MikeB..surely disappointing and quite puzzling after only 8K.

My R8 has done 27k and 7 track days and has just had the rotors replaced under warranty for warping.

However the pads were in good shape but over 60% wear.

Could the extra speed of the V10 exacerbate weak spots in the braking system when under a bit of hard use.

Remember that AutoCar review with the V10 against the GTR and 911 where the brakes were shot.. admittedly the V10 had probably been trashed prior.

[MikeB]

MikeB..surely disappointing and quite puzzling after only 8K.

My R8 has done 27k and 7 track days and has just had the rotors replaced under warranty for warping.

However the pads were in good shape but over 60% wear.

Could the extra speed of the V10 exacerbate weak spots in the braking system when under a bit of hard use.

Remember that AutoCar review with the V10 against the GTR and 911 where the brakes were shot.. admittedly the V10 had probably been trashed prior.

I'll look up the Autocar review again, but you could be right about the extra power/weight thing. I assume pads are the same for both the V8 and V10.

I'll mention your experience, if I may, when we have a frank exchange of views on Monday

[ignomini]

There was another discussion about this. Is it only happening on V10s? I cannot believe 200 lbs is the difference between ok brakes and bad. My pickup truck weighs more, has smaller rotors on the front and drums on the back. I drive it too fast all the time without trouble (and pull trailers too). Also, how much often are people slowing from higher speeds than those driving V8s?

Some rotors are prone to warping, like 911's, but with care the effects should be minimal. Don't pull the hand brake on hot rotors. The same is true coming off the freeway. Don't hold the brakes on hard after stopping from speed. If you can't keep the car moving after heavy braking, at least let the car roll forward a few inches at a time to let all portions of the rotor see some air.

[MikeB]

I picked up the car yesterday, and it was a joy to get it back after oil change, new rear tyres, and rotors replaced under warranty.

What was slightly concerning was the state of the pads after 8k miles. The surface did have a slight hint of blue glaze to it - I'll attribute that to showing my mate how good the brakes were on the outskirts of Inverness - but each and every pad's surface was degraded. The surface had lifted and disappeared in patches, the worst of which is in the photo (sorry not a great one), measuring about 1.5 cm * 1.5cm on the mid-left. The techies had no idea what had caused this and the new ones were fitted f.o.c., and the old ones were to be sent off to Audi for examination.

It was only on the way back that I realised why this was happening. Living close to the sea, my rotors rust up fairly quickly, and if the car is not used for a couple of weeks, I literally have to explode the car out of the garage to free up the brakes. This is hugely worse in winter with the salt on the roads. It also occurs when I don't dry the brakes off after washing.

I have been using, without fail, the suggestion of rolling into the garage without touching the brakes and parking in gear with handbrake off. This helps.

I feel that this is entirely attributable to the material make-up of the rotors and therefore an inherent fault.

Anyone else suffer from this? If so I suggest you get your pads checked.

[gazza1]

I have a car detailer come in once a month and without fail he always leaves the handbrake on after washing.(despite asking him not to)

If I forget to check on the day and hop back in the car a few days later the rotors are rusted and the pads are welded to the Rotor.It takes a bit of force to get them free and makes a HORRIBLE noise when they free.

I am sure it doesn't help in the preservation of the braking system.

[MikeB]

I have a car detailer come in once a month and without fail he always leaves the handbrake on after washing.(despite asking him not to)

If I forget to check on the day and hop back in the car a few days later the rotors are rusted and the pads are welded to the Rotor.It takes a bit of force to get them free and makes a HORRIBLE noise when they free.

I am sure it doesn't help in the preservation of the braking system.

Its that freeing up process which appears to be pitting and degrading the pads.

I would get them checked. Audi techie said mine were pretty dodgy.

[hmp10]

Living close to the sea, my rotors rust up fairly quickly, and if the car is not used for a couple of weeks, I literally have to explode the car out of the garage to free up the brakes. This is hugely worse in winter with the salt on the roads. It also occurs when I don't dry the brakes off after washing.

I feel that this is entirely attributable to the material make-up of the rotors and therefore an inherent fault.

This happens to my Lexus in Chicago (where they ice roads) if I'm out of town for a while, and it happened to the Mercedes I used to leave at my house in Florida (near the sea) during long absences, as well as to all my neighbors down there who leave cars over the summer.

It happens to any car with steel or iron rotors, which is to say almost every car on the road. It's not an inherent fault in the Audi.

[James Knight]

If you've tracked the car, even sensitively, then 8k miles should not be *that* unusual for a set of pads given how comparatively heavy the R8 is. I wouldn't get too upset about it - they are consumables after all!

Might be worth getting a better set put on - Pagids are usually the best compromise (I race with them).

[James Knight]

This happens to my Lexus in Chicago (where they ice roads) if I'm out of town for a while, and it happened to the Mercedes I used to leave at my house in Florida (near the sea) during long absences, as well as to all my neighbors down there who leave cars over the summer.

It happens to any car with steel or iron rotors, which is to say almost every car on the road. It's not an inherent fault in the Audi.

Quite... and grades of discs with better thermodynamic qualities tend to rust faster too. It's all a compromise!