2000 Audi S4

ABS FAILURE ON 2000 S4 WITH ONLY 60,000 MILES. THE ABS FAILURE LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. I HAD THIS PROBLEM CHECKED OUT WITH A CERTIFIED AUDI MECHANIC. HE STATES THE ACTUAL PUMP IS NOT THE PROBLEM, BUT THE CIRCUITRY THAT CONTROLS THE PUMP IS DEFECTIVE, AND ALSO STATES THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON IN MY MODEL VEHICLE. ABS FAILURES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS DANGEROUS AS A BROKEN SEAT BELT, AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT THE COST OF THE MANUFACTURER (AUDI)

MANY AUDI AND VW MODELS MANUFACTURED STARTING IN THE LATER '90S AND CONTINUING TO PRESENT, USE THE BOSCH 5.3 ABS CONTROLLER, WHICH IS PRONE TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, OSTENSIBLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN. THIS MODULE CONTROLS MULTIPLE BRAKE-RELATED FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE ABS WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR WINTER DRIVING, BUT THE MOST CRITICAL FUNCTION OF THIS MODULE IS PROBABLY THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION, OR EBD. THESE VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED SUCH THAT IF THE EBD IS INOPERATIVE, THE PROPORTION OF HYDRAULIC FORCE APPLIED TO THE REAR BRAKES DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING IS AS GREAT AS IT IS DURING MODERATE BRAKING EFFORT WHEN THERE IS MINIMAL TRANSFER OF VEHICLE WEIGHT TO THE FRONT WHEELS. THE EBD IS SUPPOSED TO ADJUST THE FRONT/REAR BRAKING DISTRIBUTION DYNAMICALLY ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF THE DECELERATION, SO THAT THE REAR WHEELS WILL NOT LOCK UP DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING. IF THIS MODULE SHOULD FAIL DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING ON DRY PAVEMENT, THE REAR WHEELS COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHICH COULD EASILY INCLUDE FATALITIES. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR OWNERS, COSTING ROUGHLY $2000, AND MANY OWNERS HAVE PROBABLY PUT OFF THE REPAIR INDEFINITELY. EVIDENCE WHICH CAN BE FOUND THROUGH A SIMPLE WEB SEARCH, SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD, AND THAT IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY LED TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, IT IS ONLY A QUESTION OF TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS GENUINE, AND VW/AUDI SHOULD BE COMPELLED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

POSTED COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT BATTERY ACID LEAKING ONTO CLUTCH LINE AND BRAKE LINE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO BOTH LINES... SPOKE WITH AUDI AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REMOVED FOR THE BRAKE LINE TO BE FIXED... THE MOST LIKELY CULPRIT OF THIS LEAK IS DUE AN OVERCHARGED BATTERY DUE TO A JUMP OR MANUAL RE-CHARGE (NOTE: ACCORDING TO AUDI, NEVER REPLACE THE S4 BATTERY WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN WITH AN AUDI BATTERY... OF COURSE THEY WOULD SAY THIS, BUT HE WAS PRETTY CONVINCING... 2ND NOTE: I DO HAVE AN AUDI BATTERY IN MY S4, AND I'M STILL HAVING THE ISSUE... AUDI MAY HELP PAY FOR THIS B/C OF THAT FACT, BUT THEY HAVEN'T COMMITTED TO IT UNTIL FURTHER INVESTIGATION). THE TOTAL, ACCORDING TO OVER-THE-PHONE DIAGNOSING, WAS GOING TO BE B/N 1 AND 2 THOUSAND BUCKS AT THE DEALER.*AK

LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN AN AUDI S4 WITH 50,000 MILES, I AM HAVING BRAKE LIGHT ISSUES. ONLY MINE ARE MUCH MORE SEVERE THAT WHAT I HAVE READ THUS FAR. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR IT'S 60000, AND HAD THE MECHANIC CHECK THE BRAKE LIGHT. LEADING UP TO THE REPAIR, I HAD BEEN *LOSING BRAKE FLUID* ALMOST MONTHLY. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN, FOR ANY REASON. BUT, MY MECHANIC TOOK THREE HOURS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY WAS LEAKING SULFURIC ACID ONTO MY BRAKE LINE, MY POWER STEERING LINE, AND MY CLUTCH LINE. HE STATED, "ONLY A MECHANICAL MORON WOULD HOUSE THE METAL AND STEAL CABLES UNDERNEATH SULFURIC ACID." CONSEQUENTLY, I CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR ANY MORE AND THE REPAIRS INLCUDE THE TAKING OUT OF THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO GET TO THE SOURCE, WHICH MAY/MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE FIXED. MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE, AND THAT THE SAFETY ISSUE ON THIS TYPE OF DESIGN-FLAW IS OBVIOUS AND CERTAIN. I EXPECT AUDI WILL NOT COVER THIS DEFECT, CAUSING ME TO SHELL OUT, ARE YOU READY FOR THIS, 2-3,000 BUCKS TO GET IT REPLACED. [XXX] THE MAN. I'LL POST MORE WHEN I KNOW MORE.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2000 AUDI S4 ABS COMPUTER MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. CODE 01203. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT FLASH AND BEEP ALL OF THE TIME FOR NO REASON. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE ABS UNITS. AOA HAS NOT FILLED A SAFETY RECALL FOR HTIS ITEM YET. WE NEED TO HAVE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE ABS COMPUTER/MODULE DUE TO POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS WHEN WHEELS LOCK UP AND CAR SKIDS OUT OF CONTROL. NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT ABS PROBLEMS AND ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED DUE TO ABS FAILURE. IT IS A SIMPLE FIX BUT PART COSTS $1K ALONE NOT INCLUDING LABOR. LOOKED ON FORUMS, IT SEEMS TO BE A SIMPLE WIRING FIX INSIDE OF MODULE (APPARENTLY THERE IS A POOR STANDARD OF CRAFTSMANSHIP IN THE SOLDERING). *AK

ABS FAILURE: BOSCH 5.3 ABS MODULE FOUND IN VW, AUDI & PORSCHE FAIL WITHIN THE FIRST 60K MILES. ABS MODULES TYPICALLY LAST FOR WELL OVER 100K & GENERALLY FOR THE LIFE OF A CAR. AUDI CHARGES ~$1300 TO REPLACE. 3RD PARTY REPAIR IS ~$300. ABS BECOMES DISABLED & CAN CREATE UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS ESPECIALLY DURING INCLIMATE WEATHER. REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR OF THE MODULE RESOLVES THE ISSUE & ABS FUNCTIONS AS EXPECTED.*AK

MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON IRRACTLY WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE CHECKED THE AND FILLED THE BRAKE FLUID RESIVOR LIKE THE MANUAL STATES. BUT STILL GET THE LIGHTS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FROM AUDI. *AK THE SAFTEY OF MANY PEOPLE ARE AT STAKE HERE. I WILL NOT AND HAVE NOT DRIVEN MY CAR SINCE THE LIGHTS CAME ON, AND MY LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP WANT $1,400. TO REPLACE! THAS RIDICULOUS FOR A CAR THAT HAS BARELY 54K MILES. YOU WOULD THINK SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AND LIFE SAVING AS THE BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE A BETTER DESIGN AND LOWER FAILURE RATE. IM POSITIVE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY AUDI OWNER THAT HAS FILED A COMPLAINT AND POSTIVE I WILL NOT BE THE LAST. THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME LUIS CASTELLANOS

PURCHASED MY 2000 AUDI S4 FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER- THE CAR HAD 10K MILES ON IT AND YES, IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. AT ABOUT 13.5K MILES I NOTICED THAT I HAD TROUBLE STOPPING ONE EVENING- ALMOST REAR ENDING SOMEONE IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. PARKED THE CAR THAT NIGHT-AND THEN ABOUT 4 HOURS LATER, ON MY WAY HOME...SAME SYMPTOMS AS MENTIONED BEFORE, EXCEPT NOW MY ABS LIGHT WAS ON. EXT MOURNING...MOVED CAR OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND NOTICED A OIL PUDDLE FROM THE LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE ENGINE AREA. I BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR THE LEAK WITH THE HELP FROM A LOCAL FRIEND AND HE SUGGESTED-LAST RESORT-TO CHECK THE ABS CONTROL UNIT...I DID, AND SURE ENOUGH, MY WHOLE HAND WAS COVERED IN OIL WHEN I REACHED UNDERNEATH THE ABS UNIT. CALLED LOCAL AUDI DEALER...AND ALSO CALLED AUDI OF AMERICA...DROPPED CAR OFF AT DEALER...THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE UNIT (ABS) HAD INDEED FAILED. AUDI OF AMERICA DENIED ANY HELP AT ALL WITH A UNIT THAT FAILED AT 13.5K MILES!!!!!!! I ENDED UP PAYING $1,500.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. *AK