When you are driving at higher speeds wit h
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak
ing on wet surfaces. You, the driver, will not
notice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake ¢ & .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for sho rt trips with little use of the
b rakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by b rak ing
fi rm ly a few times from a mode rately h igh
speed ¢.& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢& .
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low . T he brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake booste r
The brake booster increases the pressure t hat
you generate w ith the bra ke pedal. It on ly op
erates while the eng ine is running¢ &.
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by vis ual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in
spection ¢
page 297, Changing a wheel.
Intellig ent technolog y 22 7
A WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Othe r road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed a nd s hift transmission into a lower
gea r o r l ower dr iving range. Do not ride
the br akes or ho ld t he pedal down too
long o r too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not " ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may ca use the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa
ter , dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle , the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
d iscs a nd drum s. Carefu lly app ly bra ke s
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice co at
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an exten ded period o f time o n
salt -cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
C lean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- I f you damage the front spoiler, o r if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct
ed. Otherw ise the brak e system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impai r
the braking capab ility result ing in an in
creased s topping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle a nd have it towed to the ne ar
est a uthorized Audi dea le r or qu alified
wo rkshop.
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