Technical Service Bulletin
46 Brake noise analysis and handling
46 14 67 2034181/5 January 21, 2014. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 46 number 14-64 dated
January 2, 2014 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

R8

2014

All

Without ceramic brakes

A6

2013

051000 - 999999

2.0T

A6

2014

All

2.0T

A6

2012-2014

All

3.0T & 4.0T

A7

2012-2014

All

Not Applicable

A5/S5

2013

902741 – 999999

Not Applicable

A5/S5

2014

All

Not Applicable

A5/S5 Cabrio

2013

900474 – 999999

Not Applicable

A5/S5 Cabrio

2014

All

Not Applicable

A4/S4

2013

A4/S4

2014

All

Not Applicable

Allroad

2013

125000 – 999999

2.0T

Allroad

2014

All

2.0T

Q5 hybrid

2013

010908 - 999999

Hybrid

Q5 hybrid

2014

All

Hybrid

RS 5

2013

902741 - 999999

Without ceramic brakes

RS 5

2014

All

Without ceramic brakes

RS 5 Cabrio

2013

900474 - 999999

Without ceramic brakes

RS 5 Cabrio

2014

All

Without ceramic brakes

TT/TTS

2013 -2014

All

Not Applicable

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

A125000 – A999999
N020500 – N999999

Not Applicable

Page 1 of 6

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

5

-

Revised header data (Restructured model codes)

4

01/02/2014

Revised header data (Added model years)

3

12/5/2013

Revised Warranty (Changed codes)

2

8/16/2013

Revised header data (Corrected applicable model code)

1

08/07/2013

Initial publication

Customer may report hearing brake noise from front or rear brakes. Customers may describe these noises as a
squeal, squeak, grinding, groaning, thumping, or creaking.

Technical Background
Note: Before proceeding with any of the following steps, check for any applicable TSBs for brake noise. Also
refer to the Audi Brake Systems brochure for helpful information.
Brake noise can be attributed to many causes. Seven of the most common causes are:
1. Brake discs or brake pads are close to or below their wear limit.
2. Aftermarket pads or discs have been installed.
3. There is debris (such as small stones, grit, road salt, or sand) between brake disc and brake pad.
4. Discs are covered with rust. Rust can form when
the vehicle has not been driven for a long period of
time (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Disc covered with rust.
© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 2 of 6

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
5. Discs are grooved (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Grooved disc.
6. There is chemical contamination on the braking
surface of the brake disc due to wheel or tire
cleaner being sprayed directly onto the brake disc
(Figure 3 and Figure 4).

Figure 3. Discoloration on the brake disc due to chemical
contamination from cleaner that was sprayed directly
onto the disc.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 3 of 6

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

Figure 4. Small spots and discoloration due to chemical
contamination from cleaner that was sprayed directly
onto the disc.
7. There are “pad marks” on the brake disc as a result
of brake pad material transferring to the discs
(Figure 5). Pad marks can occur when a vehicle
has been parked for long periods of time in a wet or
snowy environment.

Figure 5. Brake pad material has transferred to the discs.

Production Solution
Not applicable.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 4 of 6

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Service
For vehicles within the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Audi of America is requesting your cooperation in supplying
us with technical information regarding brake noise.
1. Check the overall condition of the brakes to determine if the brake noise is caused by one of the causes listed
in the Technical Background section of this bulletin. If the noise is not a result of one of these causes, proceed
with the following steps.
2. Determine the location of the brake noise (e.g., left front, front axle, rear axle, etc.):
• Knowing the location of the noise on the vehicle is critical to properly addressing the concern.
• It may be necessary to have an assistant listening from inside or outside of the vehicle to accurately
determine the location.
3. Obtain a sound or video recording and fill out questionnaire:
• The sound recording can be from a cell phone as long as the noise can be clearly identified.
• Recordings submitted by customers are also acceptable.
• In order to minimize file size, only sound recordings are necessary. Videos should only be sent if it is critical
for understanding the conditions under which the noise occurs.
• Fill out as much information as possible in the questionnaire. Some fields are mandatory.
4. Clean the brake pads and discs:
1. With careful consideration of the traffic situation, perform between 2 and 5 ABS stops from speeds above 50
mph. Between each ABS stop, allow the brake components to cool by driving the vehicle for more than one
minute at speeds greater than 50 mph.
2. Let vehicle sit for two hours to cool down.
3. Test drive again. If the noise was not eliminated after completion of steps 1 and 2 please contact the Audi
Technical Assistance Center (TAC) before replacing any parts. This will assist us in diagnosing any potential
issues with the condition noted above.
5. Provide feedback to Audi of America:
1. Fill out the attached questionnaire with as much detail as possible.
2. Email the questionnaire and sound or video recording to: chassis@audi.com.
3. The subject line of the email should contain the VIN of the vehicle you are working on.
4. Include the following information in the body email:
• Mileage
• TAC access code (if applicable)
• Repair order number

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 5 of 6

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Warranty
Claim Type:

Use applicable claim type. If vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical
Service Bulletin is informational only.

Service Number:

Front - 4617

Damage Code:

0020

Diagnostic Time:

Clean brake pads and discs

4617 8099

70 TU

Includes: Road tests, submission of audio file and
questionnaire
Technical diagnosis at dealer’s discretion
(Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 and Audi Warranty Online for DADP allowance details)
Claim Comment:

As per TSB #2034181/5

All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures
Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.

Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2034181) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 6 of 6

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.