Smart Technolog y
Operating c ondit ion s and drivin g hab it s
The brakes on today 's automobi les are st ill sub
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con ditions and driving habits¢.&. . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authori zed Audi dealer more of
ten than specified in the
Wa rra nty & Mainte
n an ce boo kle t .
Fa ilure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef
fect of the eng ine . Th is way, you prevent unnec
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not ho ld the brakes down contin
uously. Pump the brakes at inte rva ls.
Operat ing no ise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, brak ing force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humid ity .
Effect of w ate r an d r oad sal t
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overn ight con
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by mo isture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
d ried first with a few carefu l brake applications.
At h igher speeds and with the w indshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of t ime . This occurs at
regular intervals without the d river noticing and
p rov ides for better brake response t ime unde r
wet conditions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
a nd the brakes are not used . L ikew ise, you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the brake ¢.&. .
Corros ion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up on
the brake pads and corros ion to fo rm on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or on ly for short
trips with litt le use of the brakes.
194
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderate ly high speed¢.&. .
Fault s in the brak e system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in bra ke
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed
¢ .&. .
Lo w b rake fluid l evel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake flu id leve l is too low. The brake fl uid level is
monitored electronica lly.
Brake boos ter
The brake booster increases the pressure that you
generate w ith the brake pedal. It on ly operates
whi le the engine is runn ing o r with the ig nit ion
switched on (hybrid drive*)
¢ ,& .
Brake lining we ar status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If necessary ,
the wheel may be removed for this inspec tion
¢ page 260, Replacing wheels .
& WARNING -
- New brake pads don't have the best stop
ping power and m ust be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can com
pensate for this by pressing the brake pedal
more f irm ly. This also applies later when
new pads are installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at r isk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range. Do not ride the
bra kes or ho ld the peda l down too long or
too often . This could cause the bra kes to get
hot and diminish braking efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
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