1999 Audi A4 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

UNDER WET CONDITIONS, BRAKES ARE DANGEROUSLY SLOW TO GRAB. THERE IS A NOTICEABLE AND VERY DISCONCERTING DELAY OF APPX 1-2 SECONDS. THE CONDITION IS WORSENED BY DRIVING WITHOUT BRAKING FOR DISTANCES >10 MILES. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CONTACT AUDI CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND DANGEROUS TO ME AND OTHERS.*AK

IN WET CONDITIONS, MY BRAKES HAVE DELAYED BRAKING POWER. THE WETTER THE CONDITIONS THE MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE. AFTER THE DELAYED LOSS OF BRAKING POWER (APPROX. .5 TO 1 SECOND), THE BRAKING POWER APPEARS TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. SIMILAR TO RIDING A BIKE WITH WET RIMS EXCEPT THAT THE CAR'S BRAKING POWER RECOVERS FASTER. VERY SCARY WHEN YOU'RE CRUISING ALONG ON THE HIGHWAY IN WET CONDITIONS WITH TRAFFIC AND YOU COME UP ON AN UNEXPECTED BOTTLENECK. I MENTIONED IT TO A DEALER IN SANTA CLARA, BUT HE SEEMED CLUELESS. HE THOUGHT IT WAS A FUNCTION OF THE ABS, BUT I KNOW WHAT ABS FEELS LIKE. I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH WET DISC BRAKES. *AK

ABOUT A 1 SECOND DELAY BEFORE THE BRAKES GRAB WHEN BRAKING IN WET WEATHER. *AK

BRAKES TAKE 2-3 SECONDS TO GRAB DURING WET CONDITIONS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES. 2000 MODELS HAVE BRAKE SHIELDS THAT 1999'S DO NOT HAVE. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL AUDI TELLS THEM OFFICIALLY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *AK

CAR BRAKES UNABLE TO STOP CAR DURING WET BRAKING. *AK

WHEN IT RAINS, THE BRAKES SEEM TO TAKE A SECOND OR TWO TO "GRAB." THEY WORK WELL UNDER ALL DRY CONDITIONS, BUT WHEN WET, THEY SURE MAKE YOU PANIC! *AK

WHEN IT IS RAINING THERE IS A HESITATION OF A SECOND OR SO WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *AK

MOMENTARY ABSENCE OF BRAKING DURING WET WEATHER CONDITIONS-. *AK

THE BRAKES ON MY 1999 A4 SUFFER EXTREMELY REDUCED PERFORMANCE (WAY BEYOND WHAT IS NORMAL) IN WET CONSITIONS. I REALIZE THAT SOME REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS IS APPARENT IN ALL CARS IN WET CONDITIONS, BUT TWICE NOW I HAVE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES IN VERY RAINY CONDITIONS AND NOTHING AT ALL HAS HAPPENED FOR OVER A SECOND!!!!!! OTHER A4 OWNERS HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS PROBLEM, AND AUDI RESPONDED BYU ENLARGING THE FRONT BRAKE SHIELDS FOR MY2000 CARS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS DEFECT; IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *AK

IN RAINY CONDITIONS, THE BRAKES EXHIBIT A DANGEROUS 2-3 SECOND DELAY CAUSING GREATLY IMPAIRED BRAKING ABILITY OF THE CAR. ALMOST HIT A CAR IN FRONT IN TWO INSTANCES DESPITE MORE THAN ADEQUATE DISTANCE. BRAKES WORK NORMALLY IN DRY WEATHER HOWEVER. *AK

DELAYED BRAKING RESPONSE IN WET CONDITIONS. IF THE BRAKES ARE NOT USED FOR SOME TIME IN WET CONDITIONS, WATER WILL BUILD UP ON THE FRONT ROTORS AND CAUSE A 1-2 SECOND DELAY IN INITIAL BRAKING RESPONSE. *AK

WET BRAKING PERFORMANCE IS MISERABLE! AND DANGEROUS- MANY SECOND DELAYS. *AK

THIS CAR SEEMS TO HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM DURING WET BRAKING. AFTER NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES, I WAS FORCED TO SPEND $400 TO REPLACE THE STOCK PADS THAT MAY CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. WITH THE NEW BRAKE PADS, NO RE-OCCURRENCE YET. MANUFACTURER SEEMS INATTENTIVE TO THIS. PERHAPS NHTSA CAN CONTACT MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS ISSUE AS I'M NOT THE ONLY OWNER TO EXPERIENCE THIS. *AK

BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY AT 15MPH WHILE APPROACHING STOP SIGN. CAR CONTINUED RIGHT ONTO THE HIGHWAY. ABS DID NOT KICK IN. IT HAD RAINED THAT MORNING. *AK

POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE IN THE RAIN OR SNOWY OR SLUSHY CONDITIONS, AUDI AG HAS ACKNOWLEDGED A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LINING CONTAMINATION, THE FOLLOWING IS OFF OF THEIR WEB PAGE AND IN AUTOMOTIVE NEWS *** HTTP://WWW.AUDI.COM/JAVA/NEWS/INDEX.HTML REDUCED BRAKING PERFORMANCE AS A RESULT OF ROAD SALT AUDI AG HAS RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED BY DRIVERS OF ITS MEDIUM-SIZE MODEL, THE A4, OF SPORADICALLY REDUCED BRAKING PERFORMANCE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED, OR IF THE BRAKES HAVE NOT BEEN OPERATED FOR SOME TIME. UPON EXAMINATION IN THE WORKSHOP, IN EVERY REPORTED INSTANCE NO DEFECTS WERE DETECTED. THE A4'S BRAKES, WHICH HAVE ALWAYS ACHIEVED A PARTICULARLY GOOD RATING IN TESTS BY TRADE PUBLICATIONS, EXHIBITED EFFICIENT DECELERATION. FOLLOWING INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS BY AUDI'S TECHNICAL EXPERTS, WHOSE FINDINGS WERE CONFIRMED BY ADAC EXPERTS, IT IS SUSPECTED THAT NEW TYPES OF ROAD SALT, IN PARTICULAR MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE USED IN A TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS "WET SALTING" AFFECTS THE FRICTION BETWEEN THE BRAKE DISC AND THE BRAKE PAD AUDI'S TECHNICIANS ARE WORKING INTENSIVELY ON FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OUTCOME, AUDI AG AND MOTORING ASSOCIATIONS RECOMMEND DRIVERS TO FOLLOW A WELL-ESTABLISHED PIECE OF ADVICE FOR WINTER DRIVING: TRAFFIC PERMITTING, IT IS ADVISABLE TO APPLY THE BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY, ESPECIALLY BEFORE THE START OF A JOURNEY AND BEFORE PARKING THE CAR. WITH THIS SIMPLE TECHNIQUE, THE DRIVER CAN THUS MAKE SURE THAT THE BRAKES WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY THE NEXT TIME THEY ARE NEEDED PRESS INQUIRIES TO AUDI AG, PRESS: PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY D-85045 INGOLSTADT TELEPHONE: +49 - 841 - 89 32100, +49 - 841 - 89 37947 TELEFAX: +49 - 841 - 89 32817 ***** ADDITIONALLY, THIS PART NUMBER SUPPOSEDLY ADDRESS A PROBLEM WITH BACKING PLATES TO IMPROVE WET BRAKING *KIT # 8D0 698 998 ADDRESSES AN ISSSUE WITH WET, ICY, SLUSHY CONDITIONS AND POOR BRAKING WITH A LARGER BRAKE BACKING PLATE ..*

IN WET WEATHER BRAKES DO NOT STOP VEHICLE UNTIL DEPRESSED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 SECONDS. *AK

WHILE IN ROUTE TO HAVE RECALL REPAIR ON THE BRAKE BOOSTER BY PASS, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE CONSUMER SLID INTO A DITCH, DAMAGING VEHICLE. *NLM

SEVERE DELAYED BRAKING WHEN ROAD CONDITIONS ARE WET, RAINING, ETC.

WET WEATHER BRAKING VERY POOR UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS

THE BRAKES DONT WORK IS WET DRIVING CONDITIONS. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN MANY TIME AT SPEEDS FROM 15 TO 70 MPH. WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN OR ON WET ROADS, I WILL APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DOES NOT STARTING STOPPING FOR A SECOND OR TWO. WHEN THE BRAKES FINALLY DO START WORKING THEY ALMOST ALWAY GO INTO ANTI-LOCK MODE BECAUSE I HAVE HAD TO PUSH SO HARD JUST TO GET THEM TO WORK. THIS IS A SCARY AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING IT ALSO.

THIS MODEL AUDI HAS DANGEROUS WET BRAKING. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IT PRESSED IN THE RAIN, THE BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND FOR AT LEAST 2-3 SECONDS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. MY DEALER (OTHER FROM WHERE I PURCHASE THE AUDI) SAYS THIS IS NORMAL, AND NOTHING CA