S8 Ceramic brakes
 

Hi guys

Just wondering how much set of good used front/rear ceramic brakes all bits inc callipers worth ? Thanks

All the value is in the discs really. 10K new.

If they are recent, and you can prove it, and they have no damage to the edges, and the callipers are all sound, you could get good money if you're patient. 2, 3, 4K maybe if you're willing to ship abroad.

Otherwise, folks have to assume the discs are on their way out (usual reason for sale is too expensive to replace, so swapping out for steels) and its anyone's guess what that makes them worth. A grand tops maybe ?

I have seen a few sets over the years, most as IT said are past their sell by date and some have chips etc but the sellers think they are still worth silly money. If the calipers are Brembo 6 pots and are worth decent money. Discs in good condition with all calipers and backing shields are worth around £2-3k in my opinion.

Does your car have ceramics or are looking for a set up to install?

Ooouch. What is the lifespan of discs that are 10K a go? Do they naturally perish / oxidise if not used regularly or is it based on mileage? I mean, 10K is not far off the price of an entire D3 S8 now.

Very usage dependant, as I understand it. Although the discs resist heat much better than steel discs, so you won't warp them, they are much easier to damage through contamination, physical damage (stone chips), dropping the wheel onto the disc when taking it off etc.

In theory, if you avoid physical damage, they should last over 100k miles.

Manufacturers have a specific process for assessing used discs in terms of their fitness for further use. A mix of physical inspection for cracks/chips and a minimum weight limit, which clearly involves removal of the disc to assess.

The don't perish like steel discs - but - the layers can lift and separate if the handbrake for example is left on for extended periods of time whilst its sat. I have one hanging up in my garage as a momento of this expensive error.

As Adrian has said, 100K miles is quite do-able, and to be honest should be achieved on the S8 which arguably has no need for them.

The only car that Audi made that //needed// them, and got them, was the 6.0 V12 Q7. The 4.2 Tdi Q7 i have is borderline unstoppable after some swift B road action, so I can see why the V12 got them as standard.

They're terrible in the wet when cold. The RS6 used to creep forward and you had to absolutely stand on the brakes to stop it at cold start with the auto choke running. Right nightmare.

As also stated, the only way to check them properly, is to remove them entirely, and weigh them - which in itself is a delicate operation as they can chip easily. I tried to get a local Audi garage to remove them to weigh them and they basically refused. Its not worth the risk of them damaging them. There are wear markers, small round circles that start to show when the disks wear also. Unlike normal disks that lose surface area, and ultimately thickness, ceramics lose density and mass, so they weaken. Its all very specialist. There's a whole Audi self study guided dedicated to it.

They have dedicated callipers also, not just for the size, but for the higher operating temperatures that you can get when riding the brakes really hard.

And the ABS module is coded differently - It will periodically apply brake pressure to wipe the disks clean of rain water when the wipers are active. Some Audi models do this for steel discs also.

On the plus side, they create very little brake dust, so your wheels look cleaner for longer. That, and the fact they look pretty, and fill the alloys nicely, is the only useful reason to have them on the D3 as the standard steels are more than capable in my experience.

I think Audi originally quoted 'up to 200k miles'. My car has just hit 100k and today is back from a service at my local dealership. Discs were fine, although I know they didn't weigh them, even though it is the proper way to assess them. I don't have any wear circles that I am aware of either so all good. The pads are around 70% worn but they didn't advise they required changing yet either. The pads are still original as far as I can tell - there are no invoices to say they were ever changed (I have every receipt from the 1st service). So, yes they are expensive to buy, although they need replacing very rarely.

I would imagine an S8 with steel brakes would have gone through perhaps 2 sets of discs and 3 sets of pads by now?

I just checked ETKA and the price seems to have increased on Ceramic discs. They could be quoting a pair but are £4700!

Reason I asked was someone offered to buy mine in exchange for his steel brakes. Plus cash my way, but to be honest I rather keep them as they look good & it’s one of the reasons I bought mine due to decent spec, I only use car for bit of fun no wear mark on discs yet so should last me awhile.

Keep them, especially as they are in good condition. +++