8Y Driver's side front tire runs consistently hotter?

[GTItoS4]

Anyone else notice that their driver's front tire runs 6-10°F warmer than the passenger side?

Now that weather is warming up it's definitely a clear pattern. It has been the same on both sets of winter and summer wheels/tires/sensors, so not just a bad sensor.

This is apparently a thing on some BMWs as well. Possibly an oil cooler on the driver's side that warms up that tire more than the passenger side? Anyone else seeing this?

[coolwater]

Hmm for me it’s the passenger side, believe the turbo generates more heat on that side. Surprised your driver side would get hotter than turbo side.

-cW


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[sleepy_rs3]

I believe this is due to the cooling veins in within the OEM brake discs being non-directional so one side cools better than the other. That is the case for the 8V and may very well be for the 8Y.

[xeonoex]

Usually if one of my tires is hotter there is a good reason for it. On track, it's the outside tire. On the street, it's the side the sun is on or was on when it was parked. That'll make a few degrees difference.

[GTItoS4]

I've watched it enough that I'm sure it has nothing to do with sun or driving hard on an outside tire. It'll do it going straight on the highway in the shade. You can watch it steadily creep up from a parked condition where there's no delta to the passenger side.

The brake vein theory is interesting, but I would think we'd all see the same.

Are you guys telling me you don't have the TPMS always on in the VC and constantly watch it like a crazy person??

[sleepy_rs3]

The brake vein theory is interesting, but I would think we'd all see the same.

Are you guys telling me you don't have the TPMS always on in the VC and constantly watch it like a crazy person??

It's not a theory about the brake veins...see post #2 from 034 on the thread below. It's real, some people just dont notice. It creeps up as you use your brakes. I'm like you, obsessively watching my TPMS on VC.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...on-replacement

[GTItoS4]

So you also see your driver's side front run hotter? Or did you swap rotors and it resolved it?

I'd love to see some before /after data to backup 034's claim.

[sleepy_rs3]

So you also see your driver's side front run hotter? Or did you swap rotors and it resolved it?

I'd love to see some before /after data to backup 034's claim.

My passenger side is always a bit hotter once I've used the brakes a bit. Swapping rotors between right and left won't resolve it since one will always have veins which are for the wrong direction. I replaced my rotors once and it's visible that the veins are not directional. Since I dont track my car I dont see this as an issue...only an issue for my OCD. I keep the front passenger side tire at a (very) slightly lower pressure so when things heat up I have the same pressure in both front tires

[GTItoS4]

Hmm. Definitely seeming like passenger side running hot is more the norm. No 8Y owners see this too?

Ugh. Might need to start looking into things... Alignment (toe), brake drag, anything else?

[DrMerl]

For me the passenger side tire is always hotter, with or without using brakes, straight cruising. Have 034 rotors. Pressure and temp always displayed.

[xeonoex]

I would definitely get the toe check out, since that can really wear out a tire prematurely. I've had cars from the factory come with bad alignments.

[pzin70]

Known problem related to the brake rotors cooling veins not actually being directional - the passenger side runs hotter than driver's side because the cooling veins aren't doing anything. I have the factory Audi CCBs and it's the same with those. Seems utterly ridiculous, doesn't it?!

There is a cooling duct kit available on ECS or other ( I do not have...)

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...t/8v0407812kt/

Still the most fun car I've owned. Enjoy.

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[kevin#34]

sounds reasonable

I believe this is due to the cooling veins in within the OEM brake discs being non-directional so one side cools better than the other. That is the case for the 8V and may very well be for the 8Y.

[ketchupfreak]

Known problem related to the brake rotors cooling veins not actually being directional - the passenger side runs hotter than driver's side because the cooling veins aren't doing anything. I have the factory Audi CCBs and it's the same with those. Seems utterly ridiculous, doesn't it?!

There is a cooling duct kit available on ECS or other ( I do not have...)

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...t/8v0407812kt/

Still the most fun car I've owned. Enjoy.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

I thought this too but after switching to neuspeed rotors and xp8's, I still see differences in temps.

[DrMerl]

I'm guessing it's corner loading or the previous comment about extra heat from that side. I've got alignment set to factory as far as toe, checked a month ago (I do not prefer extra toe for street). With more camber and caster (034 Camsters and 034 rotors) the temp difference on FR does not change. It's about 5-8 deg F higher, pressure remains the same, odd for a street driven car. Tires wear evenly.

[coolwater]

After a drive thru rain I see the passenger side of the lower air vent steaming and nothing on the drivers side. Big difference in temps between the two sides of the engine bay. It is the norm to have that affect tire temp and pressure. Don’t you see higher temp also?

-cW


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[xeonoex]

I just drove on a cloudy day and my passenger side is definitely higher right now when cruising at like 65 MPH. Temp and pressure. I do think I have an alignment issue. I got on before going to the track 2x ago, but it wasn't dialed in. I think things shifted a bit. I changed tires and added camber to all wheels.

I am going to install girodiscs and finish up the alignment soon, so I'll see if either of those make a difference.

Looking back at my track vids, it seems like my front tires are actually closer in temp on the track, at least when the left was the outside tire.

[okswerve16]

I am another 8Y RS3 with slightly higher temps on front passenger tire. All other 3 are pretty identical, but the front passenger is consistently gets several degree higher and maybe an additional PSI. Another poster mentioned the cooling vanes on the brakes may not be bidirectional, but for what it is worth I have the CC brakes and still the same observation.

[NelsDMAX]

I am another 8Y RS3 with slightly higher temps on front passenger tire. All other 3 are pretty identical, but the front passenger is consistently gets several degree higher and maybe an additional PSI. Another poster mentioned the cooling vanes on the brakes may not be bidirectional, but for what it is worth I have the CC brakes and still the same observation.

Possibly more heat is being released into that wheel well from the pass side radiator, which is an aux radiator to the main radiator.

The driver side aux radiator is for the transmission cooling, which I assume does not need to expel as much heat as the pass side one.

I would assume that transmission temps are lower than motor coolant temps.

[Mooseman]

I find that the side facing towards the sun gets higher.

[DrMerl]

I'm thinking this is going to be "normal". Burned some corn today and the deg difference on the passenger side is always about 6 deg F higher, been that way since stock and with 034 rotors. The tire pressure doesn't go higher on that side with PS4S tires. This is with freeway cruising and a bit of goosing it. Have no idea about track temps.

Anyone get corner weights for the TTRS? Maybe it's that or just the aux radiator.

[GTItoS4]

Passenger side running a little warmer is the norm on the RS3 apparently.

I have the opposite issue (driver's side), so something is off. Going to try to get to the dealer soon and will report if they find anything. An alignment only hurts the wallet.

[KevinLo822]

I did a bit of research, and apparently, this is a known issue on some BMWs too. The theory is that there's an oil cooler on the driver's side that's heating up that tire more than the passenger side. I didn't figure out yet how to deal with this issue, but I have an idea.

For starters, make sure that the tire pressure is the same on both sides. If one tire is overinflated, it can cause it to run hotter than the other. Also, check for any visible signs of wear and tear on the tire. If there's any uneven wear, it can cause the tire to heat up more than the other one.

[348SStb]

2023 RS3 6k miles —

Prior to my knowing about this “known” issue this week, on Dec 30th I observed l my passenger front corner go up in smoke after a spirited mountain drive. I didn’t abuse the car or hammer it but I was driving with high spirit: nearly full acceleration into corners, hard braking nearly full acceleration out, hard braking, etc. Brakes were perfect and I wasn’t even close to a situation where I’d anticipate fade.

And the outside temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit! Not to worry — I am running Conti DWS all-season tires and they gripped the road superbly… they are far and away superior to the crap Pirelli summer tires that came with the car which screech and moan like a brat under the slightest stress.

I brought the car in to the Audi dealer under warranty to investigate a possible sticking brake pad. They investigated the issue and compared the temperature increase with that of another RS3 (used) in inventory, and they confirmed the car is operating normally.

This is ridiculous. What is going to happen in July — the car will ignite? (That’s a rhetorical question.) There’s no way Audi doesn’t know about this. Yet Audi chose to do nothing about it and instead equipped the car with a goddamn rotor on the passenger side which has cooling veins whose direction literally blocks air flow into the rotor.

Does anyone have a source for an aftermarket brake discs that suit this particular car that are directional for left and right sides?

Thank you!

[TToysRuS]

2023 RS3 6k miles —

Prior to my knowing about this “known” issue this week, on Dec 30th I observed l my passenger front corner go up in smoke after a spirited mountain drive. I didn’t abuse the car or hammer it but I was driving with high spirit: nearly full acceleration into corners, hard braking nearly full acceleration out, hard braking, etc. Brakes were perfect and I wasn’t even close to a situation where I’d anticipate fade.

And the outside temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit! Not to worry — I am running Conti DWS all-season tires and they gripped the road superbly… they are far and away superior to the crap Pirelli summer tires that came with the car which screech and moan like a brat under the slightest stress.

I brought the car in to the Audi dealer under warranty to investigate a possible sticking brake pad. They investigated the issue and compared the temperature increase with that of another RS3 (used) in inventory, and they confirmed the car is operating normally.

This is ridiculous. What is going to happen in July — the car will ignite? (That’s a rhetorical question.) There’s no way Audi doesn’t know about this. Yet Audi chose to do nothing about it and instead equipped the car with a goddamn rotor on the passenger side which has cooling veins whose direction literally blocks air flow into the rotor.

Does anyone have a source for an aftermarket brake discs that suit this particular car that are directional for left and right sides?

Thank you!

GiroDisc: https://girodisc.com/audi-8y-rs3-front-rotors/

[348SStb]

GiroDisc: https://girodisc.com/audi-8y-rs3-front-rotors/

Cool, thanks!

Would I be buying pads also?

[348SStb]

Actually I see the site says OEM pads would work perfectly after disc bolt-on. If you disagree, please advise.

[Brigadoonbc]

Mine smokes too but only when there is a bit of rain/snow. Tire temp on that side always reads higher too. Thinking it’s normal. No weird smell…just steams up when I park in the garage when is rains or snows.


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[DrMerl]

Actually I see the site says OEM pads would work perfectly after disc bolt-on. If you disagree, please advise.

Just from my experience the stock pads on floating rotors are still not enough, even for street, especially with more power. I went that route and if you're over 3 digit speeds and need to slow down a few times, it's puckering. Then tried Carbotech pads, still meh. Using Motul 660 and braided lines, PS4S. Now moving to the Essex kit to be done with it.

[xeonoex]

The Girodiscs are certainly compatible with any pad that fits the rotors, but the heat tolerance will vary a ton. I don't have any nice canyon roads, so my experience is on the track, which is much higher temps. A track pad would be best in terms of fade resistance, but noisier and probably more wear. I would try out a few street pads. I listed pad options here. Personally, I would probably test out the Porterfield R4-S or Carbotech 1521s out first. The rear pads don't really overheat in my experience. My OEM rears outlasted 3 sets of front pads on track.

Can't say I've ever noticed any smoke/steam though, but I am in Texas with very different weather. Might just be vapor from the heat?

[348SStb]

Thank you to all contributors. I have repeated my question ahead on some other related threads so please forgive the redundancy if you encounter it.

Regarding the GiroDiscs… this looks like a really good option. However, I don’t want to go and spend $1,100 for these and hundreds more on labor and then tax on top of it all **if** these are going to result in a MARGINAL difference.

I am looking for a SIGNIFICANT difference in temperature — meaning the front passenger side will be almost as cool as the driver side with minor variation. I do not want to mess around with aftermarket brake pads — I think that’s unnecessary for the street. My hypothesis is since the rotor presently is hardly cooling itself at all due to backward cooling vein orientation, the proper-direction veins on the GiroDisc rotor will introduce air rotor, resulting in cooler rotors than OEM. I am wanting to know what experience others had by switching to GiroDisc.

Thank you for your input!

[xeonoex]

I don't think the temperature difference is going to be as significant as you think just from the backwards veins. I think the real issue at street speeds is that all the hot stuff is on that side of the engine bay. The Girodiscs are certainly better, but there is usually no point in switching them out if you're not tracking the car, other than for looks and not getting brake dust in the drilled holes. My passenger side is still hotter on the street with the girodiscs. On track, the outside tires are always hotter.

I would definitely replace the stock rotors with girodiscs if your driving aggressive enough. Maybe just wait till your stock rotors are more worn.

[AdamSheikh]

Can confirm my front passenger tire is consistently hotter as well - almost definitely due to the aux radiator on that side.

[stummiller]

I was curious about the "smoke" reported as well wondering if it might be steam. I have the Girodiscs on the front and I've done both spirited back roads and some serious tracks that really challenge the brakes (Watkins Glen for e.g.) as well as full brake bedding and never had the brakes smoking. My issue has been pads that can't live up to the heat generated from the high speed track braking resulting in uneven material transfer to the rotors and judder (vibration) to the point my instructor recommended I pull off thinking I had a lose wheel. That was with the iSWEEP IS300 compound. Maybe the IS4000 compound would be better but I'm going to a harder race pad for this coming season (Endless ME20 or maybe some custom cut Pagid RST3s) to hopefully resolve the judder issue.

[Brigadoonbc]

I believe mine is steam and comes right out the front drivers side of the car. Will check next time it happens.


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[AdamSheikh]

Can also confirm the steam that sometimes comes from the passenger side aux radiator - seems more pronounced if it is cooler out or wet/damp. I've noticed it on a cool evening after washing the car and getting that radiator wet. Totally normal.

[GTItoS4]

Anyone else notice that their driver's front tire runs 6-10°F warmer than the passenger side?

Now that weather is warming up it's definitely a clear pattern. It has been the same on both sets of winter and summer wheels/tires/sensors, so not just a bad sensor.

This is apparently a thing on some BMWs as well. Possibly an oil cooler on the driver's side that warms up that tire more than the passenger side? Anyone else seeing this?

Update: since my post nearly a year ago, my issue has been consistent and opposite of nearly everyone else's... (hotter driver's side front tire wtf??).

I asked the dealer about it in May when I was in for 10k service and they chalked it up as "normal". It has annoyed me, but never been much more than a 6-8*F delta, and tire and brake wear has been even.

However, this winter, I've gotten a couple of soft errors for P218100 cooling system performance. After two rounds of troubleshooting at the dealer, they found the transmission cooler thermostat was faulty. Replaced part number 8V0-121-124 and now I'm in the club with the rest of you! Looks like I can get my passenger side warmer with some harder driving now! woohoo lol