mike9186

I've had a 2018 Macan S for about a year and I am really not happy with the brake feel. It's been discussed here on a few threads and on the Macanforum but I've yet to find a resolution to the poor progressiveness/grabbiness of the brakes. It doesn't seem like fluid flush or pad replacement does anything. The adjustment thread behind the pedal is a risky proposition and still doesn't seem to completely resolve the issue.

1. A quick jab of the brake pedal at almost any speed results in a jarring shudder of the car
2. Slow rolling stops (like pulling into a garage) are amazingly inelegant and harsh
3. Pumping the brake pedal twice results is a firmer pedal but that goes away almost instantly

Has anyone found a reliable solution? I frankly do not enjoy driving the car in a casual way because of the way I need to carefully modulate the brake pedal similar to a clutch pedal.

Thanks

Mike B

Noah Fect

Wait, they've always been this way? I thought that was just the PSCBs in my 2020 model.

You're saying you have have the standard calipers and iron brake rotors, and they're grabby?

Faust T.

can confirm, yes, they're like that,
switching from a Mercedes my girlfriend can feels the harsh braking from day one.

mike9186

We switched from a Mercedes E350 convertible and bought the Macan based on our positive experience with the Cayenne over the past 4 years (I plan on keeping it forever).

Petza914

The friction coefficient of your pad material is too high - probably super dusty too. See if Hawk makes the yellow box ceramic pads for your application and stitch to those.whem you do, you need to thoroughly clean both surfaces of every rotor with red can brake cleaner (not green can) and if you have a drill with a roloc scrubber pad even better.

That shuddering your also feeling is pad material deposited unevenly into the surface of the rotor. What makes brakes have good initial bite is the pad material on the pad mating to the same pad material deposited into the surface of the rotor. The material in your rotor has been deposited unevenly because the brakes were not bedded in properly initially when they were new or when pads were changed if you tried different pads, so as the rotor rotates through the pads that are squeezing it, it grabs and releases and grabs and releases on those pad deposits and it makes it feel like the rotors are warped or shuddering - they're not.

BradB

For reference, I have a 2017 GTS (purchased new) and have never experienced grabby or shuddering brakes. The scenario you are experiencing is not normal at all, assuming you have OEM parts and they are not worn beyond service levels.

The very first thing I would do is drive another Macan. If that drives/brakes the same then you are a very sensitive fellow and we probably can't help you.

I agree with Petza914's diagnosis. I've had this happen to other cars and have solved it by either cleaning the pads and rotors as described or going through a proper bedding-in (or (re)bedding-in) procedure with your brakes. I do a bedding-in procedure for all new brake pads, street and track.

A (re)bedding-in procedure can often clean transferred compound deposits so that would be my first approach at helping the situation. Safety first, find an isolated stretch of straight road or highway where you can implement repeated hard braking cycles to bring the pads and rotors up to near maximum temperatures. Not to the point of inducing fade. Google "brake pad bedding" for more detailed explanations of theory and technique. It's easy and takes all of 10 minutes. In a nutshell my method is to find a straight highway, drive 60-70 mph apply brakes HARD until car slows to 20-30 mph. Accelerate immediately and repeat 7-10 times. Then reduce max speed by half and repeat procedure 4-5 more times. I then drive home letting the brakes cool. It's important not to do this and not just immediately park the car. This bedding-in procedure will easily double the heat you would normally generate during day to day driving. The heat-sync is high so gradual cooling is necessary. When you get home you will "smell" your work. That's a good sign! Again, Google the bedding procedure and be safe. This has worked for me many, many times. And it's free.

If this bedding procedure doesn't help then clean the pads and rotors as described. If that doesn't help then clean the rotors and replace the pads. It's worth noting that in my experience 90% of the time the issue is with the front pads.

mike9186

I understand what you are saying, and I've replaced brakes and rotors on my previous Porsches myself and I'm familiar with everything you are talking about, but I don't think this is the issue. The shuddering I'm referring to feels as if there is a switch that is actuated at the initial pedal tip in to let the PDK know 'car is braking' and to disengage. Nothing happens for the first inch or so of travel and then it grabs hard and creates the shudder.

Brake feel issues are a common complaint for the Macan. Porsche cheaped out on the braking system for the Macan and admitted as much when it was launched when they were criticized about the undersized floating rear calipers.

I hope I can eventually find a resolution because the car is great in all respects except for the braking.

mike9186

Thanks BradB

From what I understand, the GTS has different sized brakes than the S (and probably a completely different master cylinder and other internal components) and people with GTS's seldom have this issue.

I will try and rebed because it's free but I'm fairly sure this isn't the issue.

BradB

So it definitely sounds like the problem is unique to your car. Then perhaps you should take it to the dealer and have a tech ride with you before you leave it for service. If he/she agrees it's not right from a test drive then you have made headway. Ask them what they would try to do if you were to leave it. (You don't "have" to leave it.) It may get you closer to a DIY strategy or the realization that it's a dealer fix. Sometimes I swallow my pride and let someone fix it that knows more than me.

Don't let this spoil your ownership experience too long. These are great, if not perfect, cars.

ozziegt

At low speeds, are you sure it's the brakes and not the transmission? When I first got the car I did have to struggle with dealing with the grabiness of the brakes + PDK when pulling into the garage, etc. But when I got used to that I haven't had any issues. I just chalk it up to a small drawback of the way PDK works. I haven't had any shuddering or jarring when quickly pressing the brakes in my 2015 Turbo. Brake response when stabbing the pedal is instant and smooth. But those are different brakes than the S. Ehh maybe I'm not being helpful.

NC TRACKRAT

I concur with petza914. In order to do a thorough job, you'll need to scrub both sides of the rotors which is somewhat difficult to do without removing them due to the splash shields being in place. I'd suggest using something like 120 grit emery paper to aggresively scuff them up, then go through the bedding procedure.

MrMarco

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pump the brakes?

???wasn't that yet another car misconception that was busted on "Myth-busters?" It's akin to removing the tailgate on your truck for better gas mileage.

Petza914

That's not why you used to pump the brakes in the old days. It was to give the non-vented rotors or drum brakes some time to cool between pedal applications instead of continuously adding heat. Harder pedal pressure with releases between them kept the brakes cooler for less fade.

jkirkerx

I get the grabbiness but not the shudder. I have a GTS and I hate the grabbiness. It’s silly like just trying to park the car in the garage. that radar beep goes off and we’re just trying to ease in the car.


I think it’s the metallurgy in the rotor iron. The iron is super soft. You may have replaced your brakes with new rotors and pads that don’t match up. Like super soft rotor iron with soft pads. Or your running the OEM setup. I'm not sure what your running.


I’m not a fan of Hawk pads. Yellow, red, green, I wouldn’t buy them personally. They look cool, and sound great.

try a rotor with carbon and moly in the metallurgy. It will smooth out the and reduce grabbiness.

Or try a pad with copper in it. See if you can get a set of Akebono Pro act ceramics for the macan S. They have a high copper content that will smooth out braking on G300 iron rotors. So instead of infusing a
Brake pad with steel, it’s infused with a softer metal of copper.

Noah Fect

Wonder what would happen if those Akebono copper-loaded pads were used on a PSCB-equipped vehicle...