big problem - non starting 2.4 petrol auto - pls advise

[mark-w2017]

evening friends, today, wife went out to her car, and it didn't turn over, let alone start. all the power comes on, everything works, radio/windows etc, but the brake symbol comes up in red with 3 long beeps. foot on the brake, in park as usual, no difference if you wiggle the lever or try it in N. my first thought was maybe it's lost brake fluid, but no. not the brake light switch either [for the start inhibitor with it being an auto.]. the battery has full power, all fuses are ok. mate with a garage quality code reader came round and the car wouldn't talk to it - any ideas folks??

 

[mark-w2017]

..nobody got any ideas? my mechanic is stuggling, the delphi won't talk to the car so he's going over the car looking for a broken wire or something, any advice welcome..

 

[Mike B]

the brake symbol often means battery low.How have you tested it?Can you hear the starter engage or click?You could do with a VAGcom tester.You might find someone near on here who can help you with that

 

[joinerman]

If you have a brake light bulb gone on an auto it will not start, check your bulbs

 

[Mike B]

Thats never happened on my 2.5tdi auto

 

[mark-w2017]

it's never happened to this one either, it was fine the day before! brake lights ok, so brake light switch is working, unless there's an auxiliary feed to the ECU that isn't ok... battery is fine, fully of life. there's no click from the starter solenoid, starter motor will work if you short it so that's ok too. with it being awkward with the Delphi [when it used to communicate with it in the past] i'm leaning towards it being a duff ECU, they're cheap enough used on the bay of E, as long as they plug in and work, tried that with an old vectra and it wouldn't work at all - they have to be tech 2'd out of the donor car to work again...

 

[joinerman]

Common on lots of auto's re brake light failure.
Try turning side lights on & see if it starts.

 

[Mike B]

Still think you need VAG before doing anything.Maybe the immobilser.Have you got a spare key to try?
Joinerman it seems crazy for car to be u/s just cos a bulb fails whats the point of that

 

[joinerman]

Every auto i have had, Merc Beemers Landcruisers, would not start with a failed brake light bulb, to start vehicle foot on brake pedal, if a bulbs out the starting circuit is broken resulting in starting failure.

 

[Mike B]

Glad that doesnt apply to Audi it seems.Wouldnt want to be stuck somewhere just due to a bulb failure.Not a quick easy fix on my Avant even in the garage let alone on the moors on a rainy winter night

 

[mark-w2017]

yes, tried the spare key - no different.

 

[Leo Komninos]

If you have a brake light bulb gone on an auto it will not start, check your bulbs

I have a B6 2003 2.4 cvt and that is not the case for me.
Get a cheap obd2 dongle and search for codes, or disconnect battery and drain current for ecu reset.
p.s. check brake pedal switch, maybe not detecting brake before start.

 

[mark-w2017]

well, it's turning out a bit of a nightmare. my mechanic had an audi specialist he knows have a look. they spent half a day going through everything. they unplugged all the various control units round the car and kept trying to get the car to talk to the delphi. when they disconnected the ecu thing that's inside the gearbox, it started communicating. plug it back in, zilch. so it's looking like that has thrown it's hand in, that's bad enough, but if that checks out ok, then it may be the CVT autobox, and that may write the car off. the ecu thing has gone away to a firm that tests and repairs them. fingers crossed..

 

[Leo Komninos]

Just a thought: Have you changed the battery in the fob recently, as the transponder might have fallen out.
Would account for some of the issues.

 

[Leo Komninos]

I have a spare ecu 8E0 909 552 N, if yours turns out as faulty. Is there any click of the relays, or starter solenoid? Could be actual column switch!

 

[mark-w2017]

no, it's nothing to do with fob/immobiliser. it doesn't click or do anything. a large red brake symbol comes up along with 3 beeps - nothing else. the suspicious item fits in the back of the gearbox and looks a bit like this -

 

[Leo Komninos]

that's the gearbox control module, i think. Known issue, but usually repairable. Strange there is no error bleep list, like with a PC and a BIOS fault.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-Sea...653407?hash=item442098af5f:g:~a8AAOSwDuJW1bcW

 

[mark-w2017]

There is, 3 beeps.

 

[Leo Komninos]

Our wires are crossed. I'm saying it is strange that there isn't a reference list for the beeps, as with PCs and the BIOS beeps. I have the genuine VAG Manual via emanualonline which runs in a virtual enviroment of XP, but no mention of it at all.
Surely someone must have had this before as the cvt module fault is not uncommon.

 

[Leo Komninos]

you have read this I imaging: https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/audi-a3-wont-turn-over-beeps-and-flashing-brake-light.234493/

 

[mark-w2017]

news today is that the gearbox control module has been opened before due to a fault in the past? but has been tested and is scrap, the specialist who tested it doesn't have one...

 

[Leo Komninos]

Got a part number?

Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk

 

[mark-w2017]

no, unfortunately, the part is with an ECU specialist in derby.

 

[mark-w2017]

got it back, it is an 01j927156ht if that means anything?

 

[Leo Komninos]

155 not too bad

Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk

 

[mark-w2017]

that's quite a saving, thank you for that, i'll get one.

 

[Leo Komninos]

Or if you have a Polish friend:
http://allegro.pl/01j927156ht-sterownik-skrzyni-multitronic-audi-i7338666341.html
I am a big fan of looking abroad for parts.

Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk

 

[mark-w2017]

me too - i bought a used bluetooth module for my BMW E90 from poland, plugged it in - works fine, apart from that the voice control only responds to german language!