1999 Audi A4

WHILE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER VEHICLE WOULD BE JERKING & BUCKING LIKE A STICK. TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING INTO ANOTHER GEAR AFTER SLOWING DOWN & THEN SPEEDING UP. VEHICLE BEEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. NOTHING FOUND AFTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND TEST DRIVE. VEHICLE WAS LEASED. ARBITRATION NOT WORKING. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. REQUEST FOR REPLACEMENT DENIED, DESPITE PHYSICAL TEST THAT SHOWS THE ERROR. *AK *ML

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 ..*

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.

THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT ACTIVATE UPON LIGHT BRAKING. THE DEALER INSISTS THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS ADJUSTED TO ITS MAXIMUM RANGE. A CONSCIOUS EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO INSURE SUFFICIENT BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL TO ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LIGHTS. MY CONCERN IS THE POTENTIAL FOR REAR-END COLLISIONS RESULTING FROM THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT BEING ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER HAS HAD TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT SAYS NO FURTHER ADJUSTMENT IS POSSIBLE.