ABS, ESP lights and Brakeel fault when standing still
12-31-2016, 07:12 AM
#1
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ABS, ESP lights and Brakeel fault when standing still
Hi there.
Happy new year to all!
My 2004 A8 ruined my new years eve.
Situation is as follows;
Gear lever in mode D and standing still, brake pedal pushed down;
ABS and ESP lights turn on.
After a short while (still standing still with the gear lever in D) the mid display flashes the "BRAKEL" fault.
These faults disappear if I turn off the car and then start it up again, until the above situation happens again.
Today it happened at the McDrive queue.
I donīt have access to my VCDS for a couple of days, so I wonder if anyone here knows of similar cases, so I could have a bit peace of mind.
Once again, happy new year!
Thanks
Happy new year to all!
My 2004 A8 ruined my new years eve.
Situation is as follows;
Gear lever in mode D and standing still, brake pedal pushed down;
ABS and ESP lights turn on.
After a short while (still standing still with the gear lever in D) the mid display flashes the "BRAKEL" fault.
These faults disappear if I turn off the car and then start it up again, until the above situation happens again.
Today it happened at the McDrive queue.
I donīt have access to my VCDS for a couple of days, so I wonder if anyone here knows of similar cases, so I could have a bit peace of mind.
Once again, happy new year!
Thanks
12-31-2016, 07:32 AM
#2
AudiWorld Member
I had something similar a few months ago. My mechanic, who specializes in Audi, immediately told me it was corrosion in the area of the connections to the emergency brake. He cleaned it up while I had my car in for annual inspection and that fixed the problem. He didn't even charge me for it. I hope your problem is as simple as that. Mike
12-31-2016, 01:39 PM
#3
AudiWorld Senior Member
I have been wrestling with this same problem for most of the year. I did find some corroded wires in the harness, but bottom line, I've come to the conclusion that the problem is the ABS control module.
On my car, is started out intermittent, then constant every time I start up and drive for about 5 miles. Now that it's cold (under 25 degrees), it doesn't fail as soon. The commonality is the left front speed sensor signal gets lost. The module needs this to control the ABS and the ESP. The good news is the car is drivable. You won't have ABS or ESP. Your speedometer won't work and several other speed related things won't work like MPG computer in the constant mode. Also, electronic parking brakes needs the signal because it's not supposed to apply brakes at over 5MPH. Variable speed power steering is affected too. At highway speeds it's too sensitive so you have to be aware of it.
In addition to the ABS, EPS and BRAKE, you will get a console warning about the electronic parking brake. All of this is annoying "flashing lights, beeping". Parking brake is the worst because it will beep everytime you start up. To fix the "beep", I pulled both 30A parking brake motor fuses. This is no big deal for me as I've never used the parking brake anyhow.
A new ABS module is expensive, but you can take your existing one out and send it to one of several ABS repair places. Yours is the same as mine and will cost $150 although being in Sweden might impact shipping.
You can take the module out, wrap the connecting part of the ABS with plastic and drive the car with the above mentioned things innoperable but driveable. I'm going to do mine soon but it's so dam cold in my garage, I may put it off till spring and suffer the flashing lights.
On my car, is started out intermittent, then constant every time I start up and drive for about 5 miles. Now that it's cold (under 25 degrees), it doesn't fail as soon. The commonality is the left front speed sensor signal gets lost. The module needs this to control the ABS and the ESP. The good news is the car is drivable. You won't have ABS or ESP. Your speedometer won't work and several other speed related things won't work like MPG computer in the constant mode. Also, electronic parking brakes needs the signal because it's not supposed to apply brakes at over 5MPH. Variable speed power steering is affected too. At highway speeds it's too sensitive so you have to be aware of it.
In addition to the ABS, EPS and BRAKE, you will get a console warning about the electronic parking brake. All of this is annoying "flashing lights, beeping". Parking brake is the worst because it will beep everytime you start up. To fix the "beep", I pulled both 30A parking brake motor fuses. This is no big deal for me as I've never used the parking brake anyhow.
A new ABS module is expensive, but you can take your existing one out and send it to one of several ABS repair places. Yours is the same as mine and will cost $150 although being in Sweden might impact shipping.
You can take the module out, wrap the connecting part of the ABS with plastic and drive the car with the above mentioned things innoperable but driveable. I'm going to do mine soon but it's so dam cold in my garage, I may put it off till spring and suffer the flashing lights.
01-01-2017, 12:49 AM
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Thank you for time gents.
Started checking battery voltage after a nights stand still. I read 11.9 volts with only the boot lamp turned on. Battery has to be changed, thereīs no doubt about it.
Interestingly i changed both parking brake motors last summer, and the seals (o-/square rings) were a a bit dry/stiff. If a new battery wonīt solve this, Iīll take a look into theese.
Lastly I hope itīs not the ABS module.
audijim113, did you scan for faults, and if so, what faults where there?
Started checking battery voltage after a nights stand still. I read 11.9 volts with only the boot lamp turned on. Battery has to be changed, thereīs no doubt about it.
Interestingly i changed both parking brake motors last summer, and the seals (o-/square rings) were a a bit dry/stiff. If a new battery wonīt solve this, Iīll take a look into theese.
Lastly I hope itīs not the ABS module.
audijim113, did you scan for faults, and if so, what faults where there?
01-01-2017, 10:15 PM
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I have been wrestling with this same problem for most of the year. I did find some corroded wires in the harness, but bottom line, I've come to the conclusion that the problem is the ABS control module.
On my car, is started out intermittent, then constant every time I start up and drive for about 5 miles. Now that it's cold (under 25 degrees), it doesn't fail as soon. The commonality is the left front speed sensor signal gets lost. The module needs this to control the ABS and the ESP. The good news is the car is drivable. You won't have ABS or ESP. Your speedometer won't work and several other speed related things won't work like MPG computer in the constant mode. Also, electronic parking brakes needs the signal because it's not supposed to apply brakes at over 5MPH. Variable speed power steering is affected too. At highway speeds it's too sensitive so you have to be aware of it.
In addition to the ABS, EPS and BRAKE, you will get a console warning about the electronic parking brake. All of this is annoying "flashing lights, beeping". Parking brake is the worst because it will beep everytime you start up. To fix the "beep", I pulled both 30A parking brake motor fuses. This is no big deal for me as I've never used the parking brake anyhow.
A new ABS module is expensive, but you can take your existing one out and send it to one of several ABS repair places. Yours is the same as mine and will cost $150 although being in Sweden might impact shipping.
You can take the module out, wrap the connecting part of the ABS with plastic and drive the car with the above mentioned things innoperable but driveable. I'm going to do mine soon but it's so dam cold in my garage, I may put it off till spring and suffer the flashing lights.
On my car, is started out intermittent, then constant every time I start up and drive for about 5 miles. Now that it's cold (under 25 degrees), it doesn't fail as soon. The commonality is the left front speed sensor signal gets lost. The module needs this to control the ABS and the ESP. The good news is the car is drivable. You won't have ABS or ESP. Your speedometer won't work and several other speed related things won't work like MPG computer in the constant mode. Also, electronic parking brakes needs the signal because it's not supposed to apply brakes at over 5MPH. Variable speed power steering is affected too. At highway speeds it's too sensitive so you have to be aware of it.
In addition to the ABS, EPS and BRAKE, you will get a console warning about the electronic parking brake. All of this is annoying "flashing lights, beeping". Parking brake is the worst because it will beep everytime you start up. To fix the "beep", I pulled both 30A parking brake motor fuses. This is no big deal for me as I've never used the parking brake anyhow.
A new ABS module is expensive, but you can take your existing one out and send it to one of several ABS repair places. Yours is the same as mine and will cost $150 although being in Sweden might impact shipping.
You can take the module out, wrap the connecting part of the ABS with plastic and drive the car with the above mentioned things innoperable but driveable. I'm going to do mine soon but it's so dam cold in my garage, I may put it off till spring and suffer the flashing lights.
I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I had ppl telling me what was wrong when I already knew it was the module. So instead of looking through wire looms I sent it out and had it repaired. Haven't had that problem since, and it only cost about $130.
01-02-2017, 07:37 AM
#7
AudiWorld Senior Member
My fault codes
Thank you for time gents.
Started checking battery voltage after a nights stand still. I read 11.9 volts with only the boot lamp turned on. Battery has to be changed, thereīs no doubt about it.
Interestingly i changed both parking brake motors last summer, and the seals (o-/square rings) were a a bit dry/stiff. If a new battery wonīt solve this, Iīll take a look into theese.
Lastly I hope itīs not the ABS module.
audijim113, did you scan for faults, and if so, what faults where there?
Started checking battery voltage after a nights stand still. I read 11.9 volts with only the boot lamp turned on. Battery has to be changed, thereīs no doubt about it.
Interestingly i changed both parking brake motors last summer, and the seals (o-/square rings) were a a bit dry/stiff. If a new battery wonīt solve this, Iīll take a look into theese.
Lastly I hope itīs not the ABS module.
audijim113, did you scan for faults, and if so, what faults where there?
The primary code I get is a P0501 (left front wheel speed sensor) along with ABS input signal pin
Obviously, replacing that sensor did nothing.
I also get some nuisance codes about my parking sensors, random navigation disk read errors and tire pressure sensors. These are not important to me.
Everything that goes bump in the night are consequential to the speed signal which I am positive is due to an open circuit (when warm) in the ABS module. Obviously, the speedometer needs that signal, as does the ABS function, ESP and the elect parking brake. Why the parking brake? (the brake module needs the signal to inhibit application of the parking brake at speeds over 5MPH. It throws a fault of it's own when it doesn't see it) BTW, the elect parking brake fault beeeeeep is a noisy nuisance. Pulling the two 30 amp fuses for the brake motors quiets that annoyance.
Other things are also affected like speed sensitive variable speed power steering, the auto door lock at 5MPH and real time portion of MPG on the mileage display.
All of these things don't impact driving (yeah I have to guess my speed and I'm more careful on ice). Driving at highway speed requires more attention due to over sensitive power steering. The variable part should provide more power steering for parking lots and give more road feedback at highway speeds.
Throughout chasing for chaffed wires, ground contacts, dirty connection over the past six months my problem was compounded by random one again, off again failure. Finally, with the advent of cold weather, the failure corresponded directly to temperature. What ever connection (speed sensor) inside the module, it is definitely related to temperature. For a while there last month with temps in the low teens, Ii could drive for an hour before it failed. Now, it's a heat wave (35 degrees), it's back to only 5 minutes before fail.
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04-26-2017, 05:59 PM
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Mine does same. 05 D3.
code told me front right wheel sensor, but after a clean, still intermittent.
Happens in parking lots or driving on highway.
Speedo still works. Not cruise.
Pulled in garage today after most recent alarms and turn car off. Parking brake motors were going nutz for 10 sec even though I didn't pull the button.
Turn car on and everything is clear.
Pull parking brake and the motors clamp quicker than they have in months. Did they auto calibrate somehow?
code told me front right wheel sensor, but after a clean, still intermittent.
Happens in parking lots or driving on highway.
Speedo still works. Not cruise.
Pulled in garage today after most recent alarms and turn car off. Parking brake motors were going nutz for 10 sec even though I didn't pull the button.
Turn car on and everything is clear.
Pull parking brake and the motors clamp quicker than they have in months. Did they auto calibrate somehow?
