Abs and traction light on after deep puddle

The Colonel

The Colonel

Member
Morning all,

My wife drove her TDI though a puddle at the side of the road. After this, the abs and yellow traction light and the red flashing brake fault symbol came on. It has stayed on since. I’ve disconnected the battery for a while, but this didn’t clear the fault when reconnected.

When the car is turned on, the abs and traction lights stay on, but the 3 beeps and brake light doesn’t come on until it’s going over 5mph or so.

Any advice would be gratefully received. Just spent £600 getting it through the MOT so this is all we need.

Thanks.
 
I suspect that water has just got into the connector to the abs sensor on the wheel concerned. You could try spraying wd40 to dispel any water or try gentle heat from a hair dryer. Just remaking the connection may clear it. If you have VCDS or VAG401 scanner you should be able reset any errors
 
Currently in the garage. The steering g went funny en route then failed as we got close to the garage. Turned steering wheel but the wheels didn’t obey instructions. Currently awaiting diagnosis.
 
The Colonel said:
Turned steering wheel but the wheels didn’t obey instructions.
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I'm wondering, how's that possible due electric fault, isn't the steering to the wheel mechanically connected to the front wheels? Hopefully they'll be able to fix it without much hassle.
 
The mechanics exact words were “ how you are not dead, and how you haven’t killed other people, is a miracle.” All 4 bolts holding the steering rack on are missing and it was just hanging there.
 
I can’t see how it’s just a puddle. Maybe the puddle made the abs sensor fail and luckily enough the steering rack fault was highlighted on the way to the garage.
 
I have had the puddle experience two times, one was water in the abs sensor, dired it all out and ok, the second time a twig in one of the gaps the sensor reads. I expect the puddle temporarily blocked the gaps the sensor reads thats all or some dirt. The steering and ABS are linked and talk to each other.
For example the abs needs to know how much lock your putting on to evaluate skid potentials. I remeber the steering going heavy once with an ABS fault

The bolts is likely just a mistake/laziness when someone refitted the steering, at least you may have had a new rack put on there recently :)
 
CrispyEdd said:
I have had the puddle experience two times, one was water in the abs sensor, dired it all out and ok, the second time a twig in one of the gaps the sensor reads. I expect the puddle temporarily blocked the gaps the sensor reads thats all or some dirt. The steering and ABS are linked and talk to each other.
For example the abs needs to know how much lock your putting on to evaluate skid potentials. I remeber the steering going heavy once with an ABS fault

The bolts is likely just a mistake/laziness when someone refitted the steering, at least you may have had a new rack put on there recently :)
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We’ve had the car 7 years. Never had the rack replaced. It’s recently had 2 top mounts and 2 bottom arms replaced. I’m not aware that the rack would need to be loosened or removed for this to be done.

See how much it costs this time. Overall spend could too £1k. The wife loves the car, otherwise it’d have gone long ago.
 
The Colonel said:
We’ve had the car 7 years. Never had the rack replaced. It’s recently had 2 top mounts and 2 bottom arms replaced. I’m not aware that the rack would need to be loosened or removed for this to be done.

See how much it costs this time. Overall spend could too £1k. The wife loves the car, otherwise it’d have gone long ago.
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Thats so odd isnt it! Must have been one or two hanging on in there and just fell out. Ive not heard of rack coming out for hardly any work on these forums, so yes, very odd.
 
Pretty much my thoughts as well. Driving through that puddle might've saved you guys from an accident, orherwise it wouldn't have been checked, only God knows.
That's why I say, to always double check the car when it's back from the garage. Literally every single time they messed up or broke something on mine, and not once they wanted to tell me about it, I literally had to confront them. Those "mechanics" broke all of my alloy caps, didn't align fan pulley correctly, other garage even damaged the alloys too, etc.
Hopefully you guys can get it fixed. I'd even go back to the garage who did the bits before, and without mentioning about the puddle, tell them what happened, see what they say.
 
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Sylvester said:
Pretty much my thoughts as well. Driving through that puddle might've saved you guys from an accident, orherwise it wouldn't have been checked, only God knows.
That's why I say, to always double check the car when it's back from the garage. Literally every single time they messed up or break something on mine, and not once they wanted to tell me about it, I literally had to confront them. Those "mechanics" broke all of my alloy caps, didn't align fan pulley correctly, other garage even damaged the alloys too, etc.
Hopefully you guys can get it fixed. I'd even go back to the garage who did the bits before, and without mentioning about the puddle, tell them what happened, see what they say.
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I liked it but in fairness I hate it, so few trustworthy mechanics/garages no wonder people travel so far for a quality outfit like WOM, bunch of blooming cowboys!! Hate our industry at times!!
 
50Nm + 90 degrees, they don't just fall out.

A2 rack.jpg
 
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