Brake pads tapered wear???

M

Miniblob

Member
Hi there,

I've got the brake pads warning light up on the dash now and a quick look through the wheel sees the pads badly tapered and only worn on the front edge!
I'm assuming tapered wear is not a thing on these cars and they've either been badly fitted or something has failed?
(It had new discs and pads not long before I bought it 2/3 months ago and I've done about 5k miles)

I've read there are pins that keep the pads in place, will I need to order replacements or is it just a case of making sure they're fitted correctly?

Hoping/assuming obviously that the calipers are ok!

Also had the warning combo of exclamation mark/abs/esp lights a few times prior to this (randomly, once a week maybe) - is this likely a bad wheel sensor that'll want replacing, or related to the pad issue - or likely something else?

Cheers,
Rob
 
Miniblob said:
Hi there,

I've got the brake pads warning light up on the dash now and a quick look through the wheel sees the pads badly tapered and only worn on the front edge!
I'm assuming tapered wear is not a thing on these cars and they've either been badly fitted or something has failed?
(It had new discs and pads not long before I bought it 2/3 months ago and I've done about 5k miles)

I've read there are pins that keep the pads in place, will I need to order replacements or is it just a case of making sure they're fitted correctly?

Hoping/assuming obviously that the calipers are ok!

Also had the warning combo of exclamation mark/abs/esp lights a few times prior to this (randomly, once a week maybe) - is this likely a bad wheel sensor that'll want replacing, or related to the pad issue - or likely something else?

Cheers,
Rob
Click to expand...
If you got a scanner check for fault codes. My A2 got the same, that broken wire was part of the brake wear sensor, it was fragile from factory, so it's broken on most A2s. Mine is taped up as well, but last year something triggered it and gave me same warning light for a week. Then it went away. Still check for fault codes for sure.
 
Will have the fault codes checked in the workshop I use when they do the pads - does the wear sensor come with the pads, or do I need to order one, or is it re-useable unless damaged?
 
Hmmm, interesting - I don't recall seeing chamfered edges on pads before, but not changed them myself for a long while, to be fair.
Though it doesnt seem to be the top thats chamfered, but the front/leading edge.
I did try and get a pic...
 

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That pad, at least the bit we can see does not to me not seem worn enough to trigger a brake pad warning on the dash. It does suggest a fault in the brake pad warning loom, a common fault, various threads to read on here. From memory only the outside pad is part of the warning circuit.

As for the wear as you suggest strip down and inspect. I think the pads are labelled which side they go and the pads held by integral tension sprung clips not pins with potential to fit the wrong way round which may be the cause of the tapering.

The ABS warning may be connected, the two circuits merge into a 4 core cable just above the caliper so may be abraded together, inspect everywhere especially where the cable bends over to head for the grommet high up in the wheel arch. A scan would tell you which ABS sensor is triggering the warning, might be another wheel.

Andy
 
Do the A2 calipers have multiple pistons?
You can see uneven wear on motorcycle break pads if one of the pistons is stuck.
 
It may be that the slide pins are stuck. They allow even application of the brakes, as the single piston pushes onto the inside pad. And what should happen is the calliper slides on the pins (one top one bottom) to apply even pressure on both pads. It is not unknown for one or both to seize in the calliper housing and produce uneven pad wear.
John
 
That pad looks fine and the disc is wearing evenly as well. As others have said, check the wiring for the sensor as it’s likely to be damaged and scan the car for fault codes.
 
Thanks for all the info.... I'm surprised the pads look ok - it looks to me like only the rear half of the pad will be touching the disc!
The brakes do appear to work well though.

As suggested a strip and inspection will be done soon - have a few other bits I want done at the same time.
I just normally try and buy all the parts ahead of time so the guys I use can get it done in as short a time as possible, 'cos im in the thing doing decent mileage every day!!!!
 
As brakes are safety critical not just for you but everyone around you I suggest you stop using the car until the brakes are checked and repaired as needed. The last thing you want is an issue that requires your insurance company. Remember in this day and age insurance companies do search to see if there is any information they can find to prevent them from paying a claim...

My concern is the guide pins may have been cross threaded and that has mounted the caliper at an angle to the disc. These pins may pull if this has happened and you would cause damage as the caliper hits the inside of the wheel possibly locking it solid.
 
Last edited:
Miniblob said:
Thanks for all the info.... I'm surprised the pads look ok - it looks to me like only the rear half of the pad will be touching the disc!
The brakes do appear to work well though.

As suggested a strip and inspection will be done soon - have a few other bits I want done at the same time.
I just normally try and buy all the parts ahead of time so the guys I use can get it done in as short a time as possible, 'cos im in the thing doing decent mileage every day!!!!
Click to expand...

They don’t look ok to me, this happens when the pads aren’t moving freely normally because the callipers haven’t been cleaned and lubed when the pads are done. I’ve made the same mistake…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Miniblob said:
That's more what I was thinking.
Will be going in the workshop later this week and we'll see what they say.
Click to expand...
Hi Miniblob,
I would invest in some new guide pins & rubber bushes lubed with the red rubber grease it transformed mine along with a good wire brush clean up of the callipers & location points.
Hope that helps you
Keith
 
Miniblob said:
Hmmm, interesting - I don't recall seeing chamfered edges on pads before, but not changed them myself for a long while, to be fair.
Though it doesnt seem to be the top thats chamfered, but the front/leading edge.
I did try and get a pic...
Click to expand...

I recently had new front discs and pads fitted at my local independent garage. They are Jurid brand, which I hadn't heard of but having done some googling appear to have a good reputation. The pads are tapered as others have said, which I had never seen before - I initially thought they were incorrectly fitted, but they are fitted properly and work extremely well now they have bedded-in.
brake pads.jpg
 
Where would I get guide pins/bushes - are they going to be Audi only?
Do the bushes fit on the caliper, or with the pins or something?

Looking at the tapered pads online, they seem to be shaped along the short edge, top & bottom, where as the pads on mine seem to be tapered/worn on the long edge of the pad, toward the front of the car.
It's the same both sides, but not sure if that just means it's easy to repeatedly fit them incorrectly!

I might try and get the boys at the workshop to have a quick look tomorrow before I order any parts, see what they think!
 
On second look those jurid pads do look like they are 'shaped' in both directions and could be what I'm seeing!

Never been so confused by brake pads!!!
 
One way to check whether surfaces touch properly is to apply some wet ink and look at the patch it leaves. Not sure if you can put ink on the pad, but otherwise that might be worth a try.
 
See if you can get a few more photos with better lighting and if you can remove the wheel(s) even better.
 
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