Hi, I have a mkiii Superb 272 4x4 just over two years old and just over 20K miles, the rear pads are quite worn and look as though they'll need replacing soon, the question I have concerns the cruise control. If I set the cruise control to limit my speed when going downhill will it drag just the rear brakes to regulate the speed or does it apply front and rear at the same time, I ask this as it seems strange to me that the rears appear to be wearing faster than the fronts when with weight transference under braking the fronts should be taking more of of the load and wearing faster.

I live in a fairly hilly area and am wondering if I would be better off putting the gearbox into manual and selecting a low gear to take advantage of engine braking.

 

Cheers,

Jim.

IMO you are best to just enjoying your car and replacing brake pads when required.  Use Cruise Control when it is safe doing so.

It is only at 60 mph when you need it to slow you is it not on hilly not dual carriageways or motorways.

 

You seem to be lucky because more often people need new brake discs more often than pads where because they corrode badly and that is the only reason the pads need replacing.

ACC uses both front and rear brakes in the same way as you would using the footbrake.

 

Rear brake wear problems are mainly down to very poor quality discs and pads. I also suspect the rear brakes (in my case the nearside) dont always release completely, possibly due to over eager self adjustment or not very good at sliding caliper.

 

A search on this forum will find much posted on the rubbish discs with many having to change at very low mileage. If changing discs and pads its highly recommended you avoid using skoda oe or their  four plus parts which is what they will fit.

 

As ACC is unaffected by what gear you are in, there is nothing to stop you changing down gear if you want some extra engine braking. Not much engine braking available on my 1.4tsi regardless of gear/engine speed especially when it goes into eco/ 2 cylinder mode on the overrun.

 

 

Edited 2 August, 20214 yr by xman

Mine just turned 17k today and the rears are not in great shape. I suspect the use of poor quality pads and discs don’t help, as others have already said. The rears are possibly used more than you think as well, by stability control for cornering and anti dive when braking to stop the nose dipping and pushing. I’ve been meaning to get mine ordered for the last few weeks and keep forgetting when something else comes up. EBC BSD and yellow stuff pads were something like £215 less the 10% forum code, when I last checked. I’ve also a set of HEL hoses to fit at the same time just for overkill. I wouldn’t worry about the use of cruise control either, as the better discs and pads should off set the wear issue when in use. 

Edited 2 August, 20214 yr by UndertheRadar

You should give 'em a regular 'scrub' - clear road, 60 mph, pull the parking brake switch and keep it up until almost at a stop, rinse and repeat a few times. 

 

I must say, considering it's only the back brakes the vehicle slows very quickly..........

 

It won't rescue already buggered discs but it will keep the new ones clean.

Cruise control uses engine braking and normal hydraulic braking. It won’t just brake the rears.

 

Thanks to all that replied and clarified the issue, does anyone have any recommendations for a worthwhile upgrade for the brakes, pads and discs?

21 minutes ago, Ubatfastard2 said:

Thanks to all that replied and clarified the issue, does anyone have any recommendations for a worthwhile upgrade for the brakes, pads and discs?

Just fit a set of pagid brakes, good quality.

don’t go for the budget crap like eicher  or brembo

Hmmmm… So who makes the Brembo discs if they’re “crap”; I presume it won’t be Brembo?

Edited 3 August, 20214 yr by numskull
Speling

I wonder if it was just crap batches ? Mine did seem to go through a bit of a rusty stage but car is 6 years old in October with 34k on the clock and original pads and disks are fine.

13 hours ago, Berisford said:

I must say, considering it's only the back brakes the vehicle slows very quickly..........

That's because the park brake switch applies the front and rear brakes if pulled while the car is moving, similar to ACC braking but much harder.

25 minutes ago, D402 said:

That's because the park brake switch applies the front and rear brakes if pulled while the car is moving, similar to ACC braking but much harder.

Hmmm………I’m not convinced - if that was true it’d stop much quicker.

The e-brake / parking brake only applies the rear brakes.  When stopped 'autohold' applies the brakes. 

2 hours ago, numskull said:

Hmmmm… So who makes the Brembo discs if they’re “crap”; I presume it won’t be Brembo?

Correct, brembo oem is made by brembo, aftermarket brembo is just a brand name which in my opinion the quality is awful and they get lots of complaints of noise 

24 minutes ago, Berisford said:

Hmmm………I’m not convinced - if that was true it’d stop much quicker.

Next time you clean your discs this way, check the front brake temperature afterwards!

IME, albeit at only 25mph, applying the parking brake only puts the rear brakes on. The car squats sharply backwards, and there is a disconcerting farting noise initially from the back which I think is some kind of ABS or limiter operated on the electric parking brake actuators. I did check the temperatures all round afterwards, the rears were hot and the fronts were cool.

 

I would think the EPB is always separate from the hydraulic brakes because it functions as an emergency brake in case of total hydraulic failure.

 

Last comment is I doubt that doing this very regularly would do the electric actuators much good, so maybe only when absolutely necessary (before the MOT)

pictures OEM vs Zimmermans

-> https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/407627-rear-disc-brake-wear/?do=findComment&comment=5417756

 

56 minutes ago, xman said:

IME, albeit at only 25mph, applying the parking brake only puts the rear brakes on. The car squats sharply backwards, and there is a disconcerting farting noise initially from the back which I think is some kind of ABS or limiter operated on the electric parking brake actuators. I did check the temperatures all round afterwards, the rears were hot and the fronts were cool.

 

I would think the EPB is always separate from the hydraulic brakes because it functions as an emergency brake in case of total hydraulic failure.

 

Last comment is I doubt that doing this very regularly would do the electric actuators much good, so maybe only when absolutely necessary (before the MOT)

Thanks, I stand corrected!

 

@BerisfordDoes your experience at 60mph match @xman's at 35?

My experience of a passenger in my 2016 Alhambra 2.0 TDI DSG pulling on the e-Brake by mistake at about 30 mph in town on a wet road was the arse was pulled along the road 

like a dog wiping its rear end.

 

Then my error when looking for £1 coins in the Airport Drop off point & pulling on the e-Brake at about 15mph on the concrete floor.

One  £1 coin was in the e-Brake bit. I was fishing it out while driving.

Again the wheels locked at the back and lot of people looking to see what the noise was all about.

Edited 3 August, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

1 hour ago, e-Roottoot said:

My experience of a passenger in my 2016 Alhambra 2.0 TDI DSG pulling on the e-Brake by mistake at about 30 mph in town on a wet road was the arse was pulled along the road 

like a dog wiping its rear end.

 

Then my error when looking for £1 coins in the Airport Drop off point & pulling on the e-Brake at about 15mph on the concrete floor.

One  £1 coin was in the e-Brake bit. I was fishing it out while driving.

Again the wheels locked at the back and lot of people looking to see what the noise was all about.

 

Can you please re-take this picture with that bit clean or photoshop the dust out or use the duster on that bit  

3 hours ago, D402 said:

Thanks, I stand corrected!

 

@BerisfordDoes your experience at 60mph match @xman's at 35?

At slower speeds the rears do lock-up and drag - found that out as I plucked up courage to actually pull the switch. 
 

Didn’t try the higher speed routine until after seeing Chris Harris and Rory on Top Gear doing handbrake turns in a Golf with electric parking brake.

 

I suspect the rears do actually momentarily lock at higher speeds but some electronic gizmo backs the pads off…..?

I am reliably informed that since ECP's took over the brand Pagid that the quality is p*** poor.  I am also informed that they have also taken over Brembo which is why ECP are offering them at heavily discounted prices. 

 

BTW, my rear pads have always worn out before my front pads.

ECP used to have exclusive rights to distribute PAGID in the UK. ECP is now part of the much larger LKQ group.

 

Pagid is a TMDfriction brand the same group that make Mintex, Textar and many other famous brands. TMD has a manufacturing plant in Hartlepool making brake pads.

 

 

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/business/hartlepool-firm-praises-workforce-as-it-unveils-ambitious-plans-to-grow-3217476

 

Discs could be made anywhere, TMD is big, worldwide

 

ECP Bosch pads I bought made in Italy, Bosch discs made in China. ATE discs made in Italy, ceramic pads made in Germany, normal pads made in Italy.

 

Don't know much about ECP Brembo but have them put on the Octavia Estate rear, too early to comment about quality, but a recent  close look at the discs (after 8 months/ 4000 miles) still appear shiny new with a much finer grain than my rougher Skoda Superb rear discs.  More importantly no sign of corrosion despite the low mileage and stood outside in inclement weather.

 

My Skoda Superb OE rear discs always rust and stick together but only in the area between pad and disc when parked in my garage even though its perfectly dry and the EPB is off. Could possibly be down to electrolytic corrosion between copper in the pad and the iron disc although I believe there is a move to ban the use of copper in pads.