Ok so I only have 600 miles on my 09 A4 Sedan and was curious to know if the brake dust will ever let up. A lot of my friends are thinking I have gun metal colored wheels but it's just the break dust. I end up having to wipe them off everyday which is starting to get annoying.

5000+ miles and it's still happening to my car.

I wonder if there's some product I can spray on the wheels, such as Armor All or Pam cooking spray, or similar, to make the dust less sticky so at least it's easier to wipe down?

I have 82k miles on my 2006 A3 and the brake dust has not changed since new. My 2009 A4 with 3K is acting the same.

Unfortunately, it will never stop and never improve. It's a fact of life with OEM pads.

Welcome to the world of german break pads. They will never let up but i've found that you can use any regular car wax on the wheels and it helps keep them looking clean for a little longer, not to mention they look really nice with the shine it will give them.

What is it about German brake pads that make them more dusty than others?

Not really sure had an 02 A4 and my dad has an 05 allroad and they are equally as bad. The 09's don't seem to be worse than either of those. Although they seem to be better than the BMW's. It must be something in the makeup of the pads. Hell as long as they stop me as good as they do I don't mind.

I just try to put a positive spin on the problem. Right after I wash my car, I have silver colored wheels; a few hours later, platinum; a few days later, graphite. Three colors for the price of one!

coming from the A4B7 forum, here is my advice.

i use regular car wax on my wheels. i use my pressure washer weekly on my wheels without any soap and brushes and the brake dust goes away. if i waited longer than a week, i would probably need my boar's hair brush and some car soap but the wax does help. there are citrus based wheel cleaners out there but they aren't cheap. i'd say buy it in bulk containers. they work great and you have to order them online. the my next investment will be one of the products listed on the link below. i am a member of detailersdomain.com and phil is very helpful.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/sealants_1.aspx

http://www.detailersdomain.com/swissvaxautobahnwheelwax.aspx


i should note, that these brake pads have great pad life. i asked the dealer to check my pads at 55,000 miles and he called me back and said i had 50% of pad life left. i mentioned this to the b7 forum and others are having similar pad wear. other aren't but i suspect very aggressive driving.



cheers.

I just try to put a positive spin on the problem. Right after I wash my car, I have silver colored wheels; a few hours later, platinum; a few days later, graphite. Three colors for the price of one!

:cool: That's the spirit! Enjoy driving the car instead of worrying about dirty wheels. The way I see it, the dirtier they get the harder you drive it.

Something like this?

http://www.corrosionx.com/rejex.html


RainX use to have a product, but no more..

This is what a service tech told me. VW was having trouble with brake noise so they reformulated the brake pads to be quiet. When they did it the new pads produced dust. So its dust vs noise. There are some aftermarket pads that are quiet and produce less dust. Don't get Mintex if you go aftermarket as they are noisy.

The nature of the beast. I find it is a good excuse to wash my A4 weekly. I also find it help a great deal to keep a coat of wax on the wheels and to use only mild car wash soap to clean your wheels. If you do this weekly it is easy to keep her looking new. After 11 years of getting rid of brake dust I just accept it as that's the way it is.

I also use one of the "foam" cup cleaners. It is like a sponge on a stick. I find if you keep the inside of the rims clean then all the black stuff doesn't run out on the first drive in the rain. It is all part of the fun.

Don't get Mintex if you go aftermarket as they are noisy.
Perhaps Mintex has made some changes to their pads, but I used Mintex Red Box on my previous A4 and they never made a peep. They also greatly improved the brake dust situation. I imagine there was likely a trade-off in stopping ability, but it wasn't noticeable to me in real-world situations.

Great stuff guys thanks!

Uh, "what is never, Alex?"

My wife put "Kleen Wheels" on hers -- and before you object, we have never had any brake overheating issues (no smells) and never had any loss of capability (on her 2005 or 2008 BMW).

If I could find Audi sized Kleen Wheels, I'd buy 'em.

off topic... Are B8s 4 pot in the front? The rears looked like 1 pot.

Michelin has a product I use sometimes.

From the Michelin wheel care site:

MICHELIN® Brake Dust Repellent Brake dust, the soot generated by brake pads as they wear, isn't just ugly-it can cause permanent damage if left on wheels too long. MICHELIN® Brake Dust Repellent features patented technology that works at the molecular level to form a protective polymer barrier that prevents brake dust, dirt, and grime from adhering to wheels and tires. When applied regularly, MICHELIN® Brake Dust Repellent helps keep wheels cleaner longer and cuts future cleaning time. With their unique cleaning technology, MICHELIN® tire and wheel care products are a safe alternative to harsh cleaners. Look for them at auto parts retailers near you

My A6 has dust shields.. look factory.