WTF: Car shaking when breaking at high speeds

[Josh]

Audi 2004 A6 3.0 Quattro

When driving on the freeway/highway at anything above 45/50mph and then slowly breaking the car (mainly steering wheel) shakes viciously. What the hell is going on? I have an appointment with my Audi dealer in a few days but I don't want them ripping me off & want to make sure this isn't some sort of emergency?

** Not the tires (put new tires on the car already - ignore old thread. thanks for help there. )

 

[BlackTigers]

Make sure your parking brake is fully disengaged.

I was on the freeway with a partially engaged brake one time, I thought the car was going to blow up, and the wheel was violent.

 

[schizoid77]

Sounds like your rotors/pads are warped. My Rodeo did that for a long time, turns out a full brake job was needed.

 

[akshatp]

Could be a few things:

Warped rotors
Wheels out of balance / tire pressure not correct
Worn tie rod bushings

Its most likely the balancing or tire pressure, so you should have that checked first before taking to a dealer. The otehr thing it could be is if one of your rims hit a pothole or something and is out of shape.

 

[Dman877]

Warped Rotors. It wouldn't be anything else really since it only happens when you brake.

 

[Banzai042]

Warped rotors would be my guess as well, my car and my sisters car had the same symptoms and the rotors had to be redone.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Josh
When driving on the freeway/highway at anything above 45/50mph and then slowly breaking the car (mainly steering wheel)

Stop breaking your steering wheel. That costs a lot of money to fix.

 

[SonicIce]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Josh
When driving on the freeway/highway at anything above 45/50mph and then slowly breaking the car (mainly steering wheel)

Stop breaking your steering wheel. That costs a lot of money to fix.

:laugh:

 

[Chapbass]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Josh
When driving on the freeway/highway at anything above 45/50mph and then slowly breaking the car (mainly steering wheel)

Stop breaking your steering wheel. That costs a lot of money to fix.

i admit, this had me loling pretty hard. everyone else in the room is reading...thanks for breaking the silence

 

[Colt45]

I'd say rotors too, but you can usually feel them at slow speed too. And tire balance should be felt braking or not.

 

[Muadib]

I just had the same thing on my TL, and it was my back rotors. $350 dollars later, (I needed new pads too) problem fixed!

You got new tires but didn't update your thread??? Don't spider me man!!!

 

[KentState]

I would doubt it's a warped rotor, but more likely an uneven build up of friction material causing a high spot on the rotor. If the rotors are thick enough, they can be turned cheaply, otherwise you will have to replace them.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: schizoid77
Sounds like your rotors/pads are warped. My Rodeo did that for a long time, turns out a full brake job was needed.

Yup, same on the Rodeo. Rotors replaced and problem went away.

 

[Josh]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: schizoid77
Sounds like your rotors/pads are warped. My Rodeo did that for a long time, turns out a full brake job was needed.

Yup, same on the Rodeo. Rotors replaced and problem went away.

how much this gonna run me you think?

 

[nwfsnake]

Front rotors are about $70 each plus installation. Rears are only about $20.

 

[Tarrant64]

Rotors are cheap I think. It's the install that's a kick in the jaw.

 

[Shawn]

Warped rotors

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Tarrant64
Rotors are cheap I think. It's the install that's a kick in the jaw.

Which is a crime, considering how easy they are to install.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: Josh

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: schizoid77
Sounds like your rotors/pads are warped. My Rodeo did that for a long time, turns out a full brake job was needed.

Yup, same on the Rodeo. Rotors replaced and problem went away.

how much this gonna run me you think?

It cost me $350 for rotors & pads on my backs. I got them done at Midas due to their lifetime warranty. My dealer wanted over $200, just to do the pads, and they only had a year warranty.

 

[njmodi]

Originally posted by: Muadib
It cost me $350 for rotors & pads on my backs. I got them done at Midas due to their lifetime warranty. My dealer wanted over $200, just to do the pads, and they only had a year warranty.

Midas puts on totally crappy pads that will squeal and chew up your rotors - so ya, it's a lifetime warranty, but only on the pads - they'll make their money up on the rotors they keep selling you...and meanwhile you'll have squealing brakes that don't bite well...

 

[njmodi]

Definitely warped rotors... the front brakes tend to cause these symptoms the most.. you need to put on new rotors, you can get cheapo blank rotors for 30 bucks a piece from Pep Boys/Autozone/etc. and a set of front pads for 40-50 (for a good quality pad)... swap them out and you'll be good to go...

Since the OP has an A6 - I would suggest getting some quality pads - buying an A6 and then going cheap on the brakes or any other maintenance for that matter, makes no sense. don't cripple a beautiful car with crappy parts.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: njmodi

Originally posted by: Muadib
It cost me $350 for rotors & pads on my backs. I got them done at Midas due to their lifetime warranty. My dealer wanted over $200, just to do the pads, and they only had a year warranty.

Midas puts on totally crappy pads that will squeal and chew up your rotors - so ya, it's a lifetime warranty, but only on the pads - they'll make their money up on the rotors they keep selling you...and meanwhile you'll have squealing brakes that don't bite well...

Midas did my front pads over a year ago, and I've had no noise from them, and they work just as well as the oem pads did. I got to see both the front & the rear after the tech took off the wheels. The front rotors were still good, and the pads still looked new, even after a year. The rear was a different story. The pads were shot, which I figured, because they had also just started making noise, which I thought was just the wear indicator. However, the rotors also were also shot, which I didn't expect.

I'll have to check the receipt to see if you are right on the rotor warranty. I did just assume that they had the lifetime coverage too. We all know what happens when you assume...

 

[njmodi]

Muadib - I hear ya... the problem with the Midas pads is that they use a really really cheap hard compound - so instead of the pad wearing, it chews up the rotors. You may have noticed, generally no European vehicles (BMW, Audi, Volvo, Saab, etc.) the rims are always caked in brake dust - that's because they use very very soft pads - to get better bite, at the cost of brake dust.

I've had mixed results with Midas - in fact, on my Honday Odyssey the previous owner did me a favor by having the rear brakes done before I bought the car of him - and he had them done at Midas . In day-to-day driving the fronts do most of the work - so I've left the rears alone (and they don't squeal ) - I did redo the fronts with a set of new Brembo rotors (blanks) and OEM Honda pads.

Cheers.

 

[Josh]

Originally posted by: njmodi
Definitely warped rotors... the front brakes tend to cause these symptoms the most.. you need to put on new rotors, you can get cheapo blank rotors for 30 bucks a piece from Pep Boys/Autozone/etc. and a set of front pads for 40-50 (for a good quality pad)... swap them out and you'll be good to go...

Since the OP has an A6 - I would suggest getting some quality pads - buying an A6 and then going cheap on the brakes or any other maintenance for that matter, makes no sense. don't cripple a beautiful car with crappy parts.

Well I personally have no knowledge of how to install rotors/pads, so would it be beneficial (cost-wise) to purchase them and take them to a mechanic? As opposed to having them do everything?

 

[njmodi]

Some mechanics will let you give them the parts, others don't like that... it's not in their interest to use the parts you supply - some reasons...
1. they usually mark up parts (they have preferred parts dealers from whom they get better pricing)
2. if there is a defective part, they have no control over it and is it up to them to provide free labor the second time around?

If you have a mechanic buddy - they may let you buy some parts and give them to them for installation... you have to work that out with the mechanic.