Eco Mode with DSG causing excessive brake wear

[themanwithnoaim]

Anybody else find this ?

I'm replacing brake pads at 22k

Think I may have to back off using the Eco Mode and screw the Environment

Regards

T

[SC03OTT]

What's the connection? Coasting so you use the brakes more?

[GoneToBeemer]

Are you sure it's Eco mode? Or the fact that autos will generally eat through brakes more than manuals?

[KarlO3V5]

In eco mode it put the car into neutral when you're off the accelerator - this prevents engine braking and will put extra wear only the pads and discs.

 

If you tap the brakes it pulls it back into gear. I tend to only use eco coasting when I have a long clear coast into a junction.

[themanwithnoaim]

What's the connection? Coasting so you use the brakes more?

Coasting is great in the ideal world but, in the real world when the cars in front don't have Coasting you catch them pretty fast which, can only lead to one thing

 

More braking

 

Regards

T

[KjetilRos]

Dont know if its like an Audi. But if you drive with rain sensor active then the pads are touching the discs to clear them for moist. So the brakes will be better.

I have read a lot on the same problems as well on vw here in Norway.

On my A6 allroad I never use the auto function for wipers. Pads lasted 45000km. Changed last week.

[Mckenzie1971]

My brake pads have plenty of meat left on them at 24000 miles have 1.6 with dsg gearbox box and I spend 99% of the time in eco mode

[themanwithnoaim]

Dont know if its like an Audi. But if you drive with rain sensor active then the pads are touching the discs to clear them for moist. So the brakes will be better.

I have read a lot on the same problems as well on vw here in Norway.

On my A6 allroad I never use the auto function for wipers. Pads lasted 45000km. Changed last week.

I've always had the wipers in auto, I'll have to check this out 

 

Thanks for the potential headsup

 

Regards

T

[TDIum]

Everyone's brake wear varies a lot based on their driving style and the type driving they do. As someone pointed out the DSG does re-engage a gear for engine breaking when you touch the break after coasting in ECO mode. 

 

I'm still getting used to it but I find using the tiptronic more often is an effective cure for things like this. 

[decuk]

Always in eco mode but the first thing I do if I need to slow, for example roundabouts junctions etc is pull stick into S mode. It's only in eco because I have it not for environmental reasons. Wouldn't have a tsi Vrs if it was☺

[andyvee]

I can't see how ECO mode wears the pads out faster, if you brake it re-engages the gears? If you feel you are catching a car up a light dab of the brakes and you are in back in gear for some engine braking.

 

Probably more to do with overall driving style, you do have a habit of making comments along the lines of driving swiftly

 

22K is not much though, my first O3 had over 30k on it when I got rid of it, and didn't even get a mention of pads at the 30k service. Most of my mileage is motorway though, and I try to drive sympathetically for economy reasons. My previous employer only paid 11p per mile, it was easy to lose money on business mileage if I drove any other way. At least now fuel costs have dropped my last tank was 8p per mile.

[neiln]

Come on TMWNA, we know you have a tuning box, we know you'italian tune' we know you eat tyres....I suspect it's your driving style at fault mate

[silver1011]

Luckily a set of brake pads is often less than a decent three course meal these days.

[Defenderben]

I spend over 90% of my time in Eco and do not excessively brake, a dab of the brake or flick the downshift paddle sticks it straight into gear and obviously a second dab of the downshift paddle you gets more engine braking, by dropping another gear.

Not sure why you feel it is causing excessive brake wear.

[Igdos]

1.6 TDI with DSG, generally keep it in ECO and that's 52k miles and still on original brake pads.

Also still on the original rear tyres (Michelin Primacy) with 5mm still left - haven't ever had a car that is so easy on the tyres.

[pipsyp]

TMWNA.....be nothing to do with you ragging its ass off would it? ;-)

Lets face it with your fuelly MPG hovering around the 30mpg mark....youre not exactly taking it steady are ya?

[Gerrycan]

I am actually shocked! TMWNA drives Eco mode, with DTUK pedal box!

It's like finding out that your father serves the dark side of the force. That Trump's hair is his own!

Makes your legendary Fuelly figures even more incredible though lol

[themanwithnoaim]

Well I'm kinda glad you guys think it's driving style as by my tests Eco is saving me about 2 mpg's over Normal and more like 5 or 6 over Sport.

Gerrycan, the Pedal box is the only thing that makes Eco Mode tolerable

Anyway new pads are being fitted tomorrow so, I can let her loose again, been protecting those brakes so much it's nearly taken 15 mins to get to work 11 miles away.

Regards

T

[KjetilRos]

Found this coding on obdeleven regarding brake disc drying in Rain. So there is an option giving less wear If you drive a lot in rain/wet conditions. If its like i suspect. Lights in auto, and front wiper in auto.

Break Drying System

Select Control unit 03 (ABS)

Adaptation

Select: Disc Drying

Options: Weak-Normal-Hard

[andyvee]

I think I would rather not play with the Adaptations in the ABS module just to save on brake pads!

 

Especially as it seems to never stop raining here and I don't have an issue with pad wear, lights and wipers are always on Auto.

 

TMWNA drives like he stole it, we all know that

[KjetilRos]

I think I would rather not play with the Adaptations in the ABS module just to save on brake pads!

Especially as it seems to never stop raining here and I don't have an issue with pad wear, lights and wipers are always on Auto.

TMWNA drives like he stole it, we all know that

Agreed. Just proving my point. Pads are not too costly.

[sworrall]

currently on 41,500 miles and original pads.  I tend to use eco whenever I'm on the motorway and not in a rush.

[cherry evo]

Find that 22k incredible! My Altea did 80k on the front pads and that was when it was a company car so took some $hit I can tell you (some mega 'driveres' roads in Wales!)!!! On 112k I bought it off the lease company and now maintain the car myself and it had its second set of front pads on 160k - new discs too. Rear pads did 110k but at 160k the discs were past their best so it had rear discs & pads also.

Edited 23 March, 2016 by cherry evo

[Gerrycan]

I am almost surprised, but encouraged, that it is only the pads that need replacing and not the disks as well.

On my mk2 I was advised that the pads would need replacing at about the same time as the disks (90k km).

 

Regrettably a lot of my driving is in urban back streets with lots of mini-roundabouts and stop/give-way junctions every few hundred metres and as the 1.4tsi has little engine braking effect anyway I definitely use the brakes more than I ever have so it will be interesting to see what the next service reports on their wear.

 

My poverty spec manual 1.4tsi that has no auto anything, so do I still have the disk-drying feature when the windscreen wipers are activated?

No big deal as I live in the driest state of the driest continent so the windscreen wipers are the second least used feature (only used the horn 3 times so far).

[philhoward]

TMWNA.....be nothing to do with you ragging its ass off would it? ;-)

Lets face it with your fuelly MPG hovering around the 30mpg mark....youre not exactly taking it steady are ya?

My thoughts exactly...