Weekend driverCedar Park, TX12 posts, joined Sep 2025
#1
2019 Q7 55 TFSI Prestige, 4M, 48,200 miles, the brake pad wear light came on last week. the dealer in Austin looked at it during the oil change and quoted 2,380 for pads and rotors all around with wear sensors, plus a 190 brake fluid flush on top. the fronts are the big brakes that come with the 20 inch wheels.
i have done brakes on a Honda. the part that worries me on the Audi is the rear electronic parking brake, i know you have to put it in a service mode to retract the pistons or you wreck the motor. i have an OBDeleven, so the tool is not the problem, it is whether something else bites you.
questions for the board. what did people pay at an indy around Austin or San Antonio for the same job. which rotor and pad brands, i keep reading Zimmermann and Textar. and for the DIY people, what does the EPB service mode involve on the 4M and what did you do about the caliper bolts.
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pdk_indy_tech
Independent techSan Antonio, TX33 posts, joined Sep 2025
#2
i do Cayennes and the 4M Q7 is the same platform, the brakes are close cousins. the dealer quote is high but not insane, the front rotors on the 55 are big and they are not cheap. parts from a real brand (Zimmermann coated rotors, Textar or Pagid pads, which is what comes in the audi box anyway, new sensors on both axles) run 650 to 800 for the whole car. my labor on a 4M all around is about 4 hours. so 1,300 to 1,500 at an indy in San Antonio.
EPB on the 4M: with the OBDeleven you go into the parking brake module and pick the service position, it backs the motors off, then you retract the pistons like any other caliper. put it back in the normal position and run the basic setting before you drive it. the thing that bites people is doing the rears with the key in and the door open, the module wakes up and re-applies mid job. key out of the car, door closed while you work. the front caliper carrier bolts are stretch bolts, one time use, torque plus an angle, the number is in the workshop manual for your VIN. buy new ones with the parts.
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x5_in_the_heat
Weekend driverBoerne, TX19 posts, joined Sep 2025
#3
i paid 1,420 at the Boerne indy for the X5 all around last year with Zimmermann and Textar, and the dealer in Boerne had quoted 2,150. the fluid flush every two years is a real item on these, do not skip it because the quote looked padded. brake fluid in this humidity pulls in water faster than the book assumes.
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stone_oak_amg
Daily driverSan Antonio, TX24 posts, joined Sep 2025
#4
did the rears on the E63 myself with the Mercedes equivalent of your tool. one thing nobody says: the rear pads on these heavy cars are usually only half worn when the fronts are done. check the rears with a flashlight before you buy the whole kit, you may get away with fronts only this time. and if the rear rotors measure over the minimum thickness stamped on the hat you can do pads only back there.
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lease_return_hunter
TradeHouston, TX8 posts, joined Oct 2025
#5
for what it is worth, a Q7 with a dealer brake invoice and a Q7 with an indy brake invoice bring the same money at auction. nobody pays extra for the dealer stamp on brakes. on a timing chain or a transmission, different story.
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q7_family_haulerOP
Weekend driverCedar Park, TX12 posts, joined Sep 2025
#6
did it myself, fronts and rears, 710 in parts (Zimmermann coated rotors, Textar pads, both sensors, new front carrier bolts, a liter of fluid) and a saturday. the EPB service mode in OBDeleven worked as described, key out of the car while retracting the rears. the only surprise was the front rotor retaining screws, mine were seized and i drilled one out. bled the fluid with a hand pump afterwards. so about 1,670 saved against the dealer, and the pedal is better than it was.
the maintenance schedule pdf on audiusa.com shows the brake fluid interval really is every two years, in case anybody's advisor argues.
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