Braking
New brake pads
During the firs t 250 miles (400 km), new
brake pads do not possess t heir f ull braking
effect, they have to be "broken in" first. The
distance can be ten times longer in vehicles
with ceramic brakes* . You can compensate f or
this slightly reduced braking power by push-
ing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy
braking loads during the break-in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automob iles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat-
ing conditi ons and dr iving habits
c:> & . On ve-
hicles that are either driven mostly in stop-
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by you r aut hor-
ized Audi dealer more oft en t han specifie d in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Fail ure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On st eep slopes, you shou ld use the braking
effect of t he engine. This way, you prevent un-
necessary wear on the brake system . If yo u
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inte r-
vals.
Moisture or road salt
At speeds above 70 mph (110 km/h) and wit h
the windshield wipe rs swit ched
on (at least in-
terval stage 4), the brake pads are briefly ap-
plied against the brake discs. This occurs at
regular intervals witho ut the driver noticing
and provides fo r better brake response time
under wet condit ions.
Under certain conditions, for examp le, w hen
driving thr ough water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the brak ing
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on t he brake pads. A
few caut ious brake applicat ions should dry off
t he brake pads or remove any ice coat ings.
The effective ness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
Intelligent technology 153
road and the brakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coatin g from
brake discs and pads with a f ew cautio us ap-
plications of t he brake
c:> & .
Corrosion
There may be a t endency for di rt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion t o form on
the discs if t he car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
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 braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> & .
Faults in the brake system
If you should not ice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, t hen one of the two brake
circuits may have fa iled. Drive immediately to
the nearest qualified wor kshop to have the
damage repaired . Drive at reduced speed on
the way there and ant icipate longer stopping
dist ances and higher pedal pressure c:> & .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elect ronically.
Brake power assist unit
The brake power assist unit increases the
pressure that you generate w ith the brake
pedal. It works only when the engine is run-
ning.
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in-
spection of t he condition of the brake pads
th rough the openings in the wheel. If neces-
sary, the w heel may be removed fo r t his in-
spect ion
c:> page 216 .
A WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
f or th e purpos e of cleaning t he brake
system only if road condit ions permit.
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