Brake Disc Pads problems of the 1998 Audi A4

Front and rear brake pads and rotors failed. Yh.

The wet braking is horrible on this car. If you are driving in the rain, it takes 2 seconds for the rotors to dry out. I have always had cars with 4 wheel discs and have never seen a car that loses its brakes so easily. The car brakes *great* in the dry and when the roads are wet, but when it is raining enough to wet the rotors, all drivers with the stock pads need to be extrememly careful. I don't know if this is part of the problem, but there is no spash shield behind the rotor. I don't want to be involved in an accident because of this and felt like I should report it. I do know that this is not just happening to me, but that is not what the dealer wants us to think. I have heard that changing the pads to an aftermarket helps, but I feel Audi should do something about this before someone gets hurt.

Traveling at highway speed, weather was raining/snowing, when I attempted to apply the brakes to exit the highway, the brakes did not slow the car as they should. I pumped the brakes several times and was able to slow the car for the exit ramp. This has occurred on several occasions prior and since, all during wet conditions. On the 1/22/00 incident, I was on my way to the dealer to have a scheduled service completed and mentioned the problem to the service writer. He acknowledged that there is a problem with wet braking in my model however Audi has not authorized any repairs. He did have the pads removed and cleaned along with the rotors. This has not solved the problem.

In heavy rain or slush, braking is severely degraded. It appears that the brake rotors and/or pads act like sponges in wet weather, and can't shed water fast enough during initial braking. A scarey 1-2 seconds will elapse before the brakes, under high pedal pressure, will engage. To avoid the problem, you have to drive with 1 foot on the brake, and 1 foot on the gas to dry out the brakes, then repeatedly check for braking effectiveness.

When driving in wet conditions, the brakes respond very differently than when dry, especially when the brakes haven't been applied for a while. The brake pedal requires much greater force to decelerate at the desired rate compared to what the operator expects based on the experience of driving the car previously. The problem seems to be most obvious when driving on the highway in the rain. I'm guessing a layer of water builds up on the discs or pads (or both), and when exiting the highway and applying the brakes for the first time in a while it almost feels like there is no braking at all! the few times my wife has driven the car in the rain on the highway she has complained loudly to me. The problem is not limited to highway driving, however. Even normal driving around town can result in the feeling of significantly reduced braking. If I drag the brakes a little using my left foot to keep the discs heated up and clear of water then when I need the brakes they seem to be fine. The problem never shows up when it's dry outside. This is very disconcerting and makes me afraid of getting into an emergency situation where I need to deccelerate quickly and simply can't do it. As it is now I have to plan way ahead knowing that I may not have the braking power I think I should have. I have never felt this kind of reduced braking power in the rain in any other car I have ever owned or driven.