ABS & ESP Warning - Again!!!

Fiona

Member
United-Kingdom
Hi Chaps,

Had the above mention warning come on yesterday and knowing my previous experience, took it to Camberley Audi and asked the technicians to check the cables that lead to these sensors, and sure enough it had worn thru, again, throwing up the fault.

Today the service centre called and said that Audi will cover some of the costs but not give a warranty!!! I quite clearly told them that Audi would be paying for the repair and be giving me the warranty on the parts, as this it a design fault with the car and I will not be paying for their mistakes. Frankly, they are lucky that I am not charging them for my time and inconvenience as this was the 5th visit for the same thing.

They said that they have no record of anything like this happening to any other A2s, but I am pretty sure that Islandgreen and KAOD had the same thing a while back - so has anyone else had this problem? I can go well armed that it is not just me then!
 
We've once had the ESP light come on while driving on the M25 (in the rain). We parked about 15 minutes later and switched off. When we came back to the car after an hour or so, the light didn't come on again and hasn't since...
 
Fiona said:
Hi Chaps,

Had the above mention warning come on yesterday and knowing my previous experience, took it to Camberley Audi and asked the technicians to check the cables that lead to these sensors, and sure enough it had worn thru, again, throwing up the fault.

Today the service centre called and said that Audi will cover some of the costs but not give a warranty!!! I quite clearly told them that Audi would be paying for the repair and be giving me the warranty on the parts, as this it a design fault with the car and I will not be paying for their mistakes. Frankly, they are lucky that I am not charging them for my time and inconvenience as this was the 5th visit for the same thing.

They said that they have no record of anything like this happening to any other A2s, but I am pretty sure that Islandgreen and KAOD had the same thing a while back - so has anyone else had this problem? I can go well armed that it is not just me then!

"as this it a design fault with the car and I will not be paying for their mistakes."

I didn´t understand what the fault was and what wrong with the car??
I think they treated you very bad any way. Who knows they did something with your car from the first place??
/rickard
 
Hi Fiona

Was the abs sensor wire worn through by the tyre and if so, what size wheels / tyres are fitted ?. I checked the parts book and it lists a different parts for cars with 17" rims, suggesting the wheel or tyre must run very close to the abs cable. If you have changed to 17" wheels then ask if it is possible to fit the different abs cable. If the wheels are standard then the dealer should ensure the cable is routed and clipped correctly and does not rub on lock or full suspension travel.

Cheers Spike
 
Thanks all. Well, I'm still waiting for Camberley Audi to call back! Left a message today and nothing!

orustturbo, what happened is the wire that leads to the abs sensors are worn through by the wheels over a period of time, causing a fault and the car to go into panic mode!

Spike, yes the wheels are standard 17". Maybe the different parts are fairly new? The first fault happened almost 3 years ago, so perhaps this is Audi's solution? The technician who fitted the new cable did say that it would happen again as this he was only replacing parts and not solving the cause. He said that he cable tied the cable slightly shorter, well it has lasted 3 years I suppose, not that this is the point!

I think I have been patient and fair so far but.....tomorrow will be judgement day!
 
SunkissK

Hi Chaps,

Had the above mention warning come on yesterday and knowing my previous experience, took it to Camberley Audi and asked the technicians to check the cables that lead to these sensors, and sure enough it had worn thru, again, throwing up the fault.

Today the service centre called and said that Audi will cover some of the costs but not give a warranty!!! I quite clearly told them that Audi would be paying for the repair and be giving me the warranty on the parts, as this it a design fault with the car and I will not be paying for their mistakes. Frankly, they are lucky that I am not charging them for my time and inconvenience as this was the 5th visit for the same thing.

They said that they have no record of anything like this happening to any other A2s, but I am pretty sure that Islandgreen and KAOD had the same thing a while back - so has anyone else had this problem? I can go well armed that it is not just me then!


I am currently in same situation 2002 reg! Help.:eek:
 
Hi SunkissK, welcome to the A2oc
Fiona's problem with the ABS and ESP warning lamps related specifically to her wide 17" wheels rubbing through the ABS sensor wire. It's a known issue and relatively easy to fix but Audi generally won't do the repairs for free.
There are many other reasons why these warning lights come on and a diagnostic scan is usually needed to pinpoint the problem so if you have the lights but aren't 100% sure its due to a worn ABS sensor wire, you need a scan.
If you'r asking how to get Audi to fix it for free then there is a slim chance for a goodwill contribution if you have a full Audi service history. If thats the case we can supply some more info to help your claim.

Cheers Spike
 
Unless I missed it, what was the eventual solution to the rubbing?
Audi, after me spending £2400 on servicing & repairs (for 2 x Audi's) said nothing they could do with respect to cable problem!
 
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Ref post 5 above, there used to be different ABS wiring looms for cars fitted with 17" rims. As your car is a fairly early model its likely it had the old style loom which rubbed through after the bigger wheels were fitted. Audi have now standardised on the 'less floppy' loom and this could be used on your car to prevent the rubbing. Only thing to check is if the offset on your (possibly aftermarket) rims is making the problem worse.
I'm sure Audi released a service bulletin several years ago regarding the change to the ABS loom and the risk of rubbing with 17" rims.

Cheers Spike

Just found a copy of the bulletin but see the wiring loom part numbers have changed again
 

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