RS5 Brakes

[Delasangre4231]

Hello I just picked up my 2013 RS5 today, I took it for some spirited driving after getting a feel for it. I got to about 130MPH and got hard on the brakes and almost nothing happened. When I finally stopped it smelled incredibly hot pads. So I am not sure what the history of the car is but I am wondering if I need to upgrade pads or flush the fluid and add steel brake lines.

Any recommendations for pads, some brands available for the S5 aren't available for the RS5. I do plan to autocross and track the car and its my daily driver so I want a pad that can do both.

[superswiss]

The Achilles heel of the RS5 brakes is lack of cooling ducts. The ones that are there are not sufficient. They don't blow air directly at the rotors like in the R8. They can get hot quickly and then start fading. I've had aftermarket tru float rotors, Hawk HPS pads, SS lines and race fluid for a couple of years now. I still managed to fade the Hawks on hot summer days in the canyons, but they cooled down quickly and pretty much grabbed again in the next corner. I now have HPS 5.0 on the front, but I'm waiting for some hot days to hit up the canyons and see how they do. So far in normal driving they stop noticeably better and I have been to the canyons with them, but it hasn't been very hot, but they didn't fade. Today would have been a good test day, but I took the R8 out instead. Maybe next weekend. Overall I'm happy with my setup as the car is my daily driver. Street performance pads are always a compromise and overall I find the Hawks work quite well for me. Race pads would hold up much better under heat, but they are terrible on the street. You may wanna consider swapping pads when doing autocross and then put the street pads back on afterwards. Also, being a 2013 if the car still has the original pads, then they probably don't have a lot of material left on them anymore, which will also affect how much heat they can take. Best to probably do a brake job and get new pads and rotors at least.

[Delasangre4231]

Thank you for your input, I have been reading that the HPS 5.0 is neck and neck with the Akebono Euro Ceramic as a fan favorite. I am definitely a fan of steel brake lines as I've done them on multiple cars before. I will upgrade the brake fluid while doing the lines and probably go with the 5.0 pads and possibly new rotors if mine are bad.

The pads on my car are fairly thick but the rotors are not so I have no idea what was put on the car. It has cheap Nexen tires so I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't performance.

[PEM]

They had Nexen tires on your RS5? Lol where did you get it from?

[Delasangre4231]

Don't flame me for this lol, but I got it from Carmax, they had one with just the right configuration and the price was in line with most of the others for sale. I don't think they did the tires though, they aren't brand new so I am guessing the PO did it.

[PEM]

Not flaming at all haha. If you got it for the price you were looking for in the config you wanted, thumbs up. Was just curious

[Delasangre4231]

Window Sticker

It just seems to me that the previous owner was cheap.

[PEM]

If he had cheap tires, maybe he had cheap brakes too?

[Ape Factory]

I tell ya, I test drove about six different RS5's before finally settling on one (ironically sight unseen) and most of them needed brakes. I think I drove two that were solid in the braking dept. One was even at a dealer and I pointed out the excessive wear, lack of bite, etc...and their service dept. even wrote down the rotors specs which indicated they needed replacing. They wouldn't fix the brakes so I walked. A month later, car is still there but now with new brakes, LOL. I had one that almost wouldn't stop at all but I purposely test drove it as it looked rough and wanted to drive one that probably had issues.

Anyway, yeah I'd follow superswiss' advice on sourcing new pads and possibly rotors if necessary. Also take a look at the Carbotech stuff as you can use their street pad, which is really good, and swap to their race XP line and you won't have to bed the new race pads in and vice versa. They're compatible with each other.

[altobeast]

Don't flame me for this lol, but I got it from Carmax, they had one with just the right configuration and the price was in line with most of the others for sale. I don't think they did the tires though, they aren't brand new so I am guessing the PO did it.

Hey I got my rs5 from Carmax yesterday too!!!

I think I know exactly which one you transferred over as well, was it from Texas? Did you go for MaxCare or not?

[Delasangre4231]

I tell ya, I test drove about six different RS5's before finally settling on one (ironically sight unseen) and most of them needed brakes. I think I drove two that were solid in the braking dept. One was even at a dealer and I pointed out the excessive wear, lack of bite, etc...and their service dept. even wrote down the rotors specs which indicated they needed replacing. They wouldn't fix the brakes so I walked. A month later, car is still there but now with new brakes, LOL. I had one that almost wouldn't stop at all but I purposely test drove it as it looked rough and wanted to drive one that probably had issues.

Anyway, yeah I'd follow superswiss' advice on sourcing new pads and possibly rotors if necessary. Also take a look at the Carbotech stuff as you can use their street pad, which is really good, and swap to their race XP line and you won't have to bed the new race pads in and vice versa. They're compatible with each other.

My local shop says the brake fluid is supposed to be changed every 2 years and I have a feeling most people don't for some reason.

Hey I got my rs5 from Carmax yesterday too!!!

I think I know exactly which one you transferred over as well, was it from Texas? Did you go for MaxCare or not?

Which one did you get? When I first looked there were ten and then I transferred mine and it dropped to seven and I have been watching the RS5 inventory change ever since so it seems people are buying them. Yep I get the Black one from Austin TX. I did not get the Maxcare, my local German car shop which I trust advised me that these cars are incredibly reliable and as long as I maintain it I should have any problems.

[superswiss]

My local shop says the brake fluid is supposed to be changed every 2 years and I have a feeling most people don't for some reason.

That is correct. Brake fluid is hygroscopic (water absorbing) and the water/moisture collects at the lowest point in the system which is by the calipers where it's also the hottest, so the water boils quickly, turns into steam and gone is the ability to stop properly if too much moisture is in the system or at a minimum result in spongy brake feel. Race fluid is even more hygroscopic and should be changed every year. The 2-year brake flush is included in Audi Care, so somebody who services the car at a dealership should get reminded by their SA to do the brake flush. Even indy shops if you go to them regularly will remind you of this.

[altobeast]

Which one did you get? When I first looked there were ten and then I transferred mine and it dropped to seven and I have been watching the RS5 inventory change ever since so it seems people are buying them. Yep I get the Black one from Austin TX. I did not get the Maxcare, my local German car shop which I trust advised me that these cars are incredibly reliable and as long as I maintain it I should have any problems.

I got the Daytona Gray out of Reno. Was about to pull the trigger on the black one, but decided Daytona was better for me. I didn't get Maxcare either, there are lots of German techs here in Seattle as well. I'll be going down to Portland soon as well.

[Delasangre4231]

I got the Daytona Gray out of Reno. Was about to pull the trigger on the black one, but decided Daytona was better for me. I didn't get Maxcare either, there are lots of German techs here in Seattle as well. I'll be going down to Portland soon as well.

Hmm, I wasn't looking at any grey ones, there was a Suzuka grey at Chuck Olsen Chevy up in Shoreline WA but it didn't have sport exhaust or titanium package and the dealer was trying to screw me. I needed Black, White or the Blue for my tastes. Although my backup was the silver one from Costa Mesa CA, or an S6 Prestige from CO.

Shoot me a PM when you head this way, we can meet up, id love to see your car. We do Cars and Coffee Saturday morning, not sure when you will be here or for what but...

[altobeast]

Hmm, I wasn't looking at any grey ones, there was a Suzuka grey at Chuck Olsen Chevy up in Shoreline WA but it didn't have sport exhaust or titanium package and the dealer was trying to screw me. I needed Black, White or the Blue for my tastes. Although my backup was the silver one from Costa Mesa CA, or an S6 Prestige from CO.

Shoot me a PM when you head this way, we can meet up, id love to see your car. We do Cars and Coffee Saturday morning, not sure when you will be here or for what but...

I live a few blocks from Chuck Olsen Kia/Chevy. The Suzuka grey was pretty sweet ,but yeah they offered a different price (39.8) then they did in person (42 something boo), plus that thing was stanced AF and I'd rather do it myself. Funny Story, I was at Oreilly's in Shoreline, and saw someone buying the generic seat covers and don't ya know it but the RS5 is sitting outside with the dealer right there waiting to put the covers on. Pretty odd. But I think it's sold now? 19" wheels and none of the options, yeah I paid about the same at Carmax for more + better financing. (No hate on them , it's just a Kia dealership ya know)

I've heard there's something over in Wilsonville that I'm definitely going to go see some day. I probably got the Gray one off the website before you saw it, was a couple of months ago, had it on hold for a longg time. I'm actually planning on moving down that way so I'll be a regular...eventually.

[Delasangre4231]

I live a few blocks from Chuck Olsen Kia/Chevy. The Suzuka grey was pretty sweet ,but yeah they offered a different price (39.8) then they did in person (42 something boo), plus that thing was stanced AF and I'd rather do it myself. Funny Story, I was at Oreilly's in Shoreline, and saw someone buying the generic seat covers and don't ya know it but the RS5 is sitting outside with the dealer right there waiting to put the covers on. Pretty odd. But I think it's sold now? 19" wheels and none of the options, yeah I paid about the same at Carmax for more + better financing. (No hate on them , it's just a Kia dealership ya know)

I've heard there's something over in Wilsonville that I'm definitely going to go see some day. I probably got the Gray one off the website before you saw it, was a couple of months ago, had it on hold for a longg time. I'm actually planning on moving down that way so I'll be a regular...eventually.

Interesting, I am glad I didn't get that one then, it seemed they were hiding stuff. Told me it was a one owner but the carfax said otherwise. I also didn't like that it was lowered, they couldn't tell me how either. Kinda a big deal if its springs, coilovers, or bags.