ESP warning/fault

[remslie20]

Hey guys looking for a few opinions. Bought A3 140 tdi SB 6 months ago. At the time of buying tthe ESP fault sign was on the dash but i was told not to worry as it would be investigated/fixed during the 200 point pre sale inspection blah blah blah. Anywhos to cut a long story short in 6 months the same fault has appeared on the dash more than a dozen times intermittently. Cars been into Audi Aberdeen and they say they can't find anything when they plug in diagnostics as in it is not recording the fault and sods law it never came in whilst in the garage. They said if it happend again to bring it in which it has so car is booked in for the 10th along with service. The ESP feels as though it is working fine when the fault code appears. Any advice??

 

[Khufu]

It is odd there is no error code. I dont suppose it could be a faulty switch on the centre console? That way the system wouldnt realise there's a fault because it appears to be working correctly ie switching off and on.

 

[remslie20]

Could be i guess although aberdeen audi said they looked at a few things and couldnt find anything?! Maybe they didnt think it would be as simple as that but one things for sure, i'm not taking the car back until they find something this time!

 

[smudge_don]

Wouldn't be that you have the ESP button switched off would it?

 

[edition]

Brake sensor?

If you have a look on some Vw forums alot of them have had this issue and solved it with the brake sensor (found near the pedal box).

I think this also effects the brake lights?

 

[NHN]

Could be a number of things, faulty esp button, faulty cluster, abs controller fault, sensor, but tbh they should be changing these things already, I mean not being funny but sometimes if you cant find anything diagnostically then audi should swap parts given they have the ability to do this without any serious financial implications, of course independents are different but not an audi dealership, I find that appalling tbh, 6 damn months.

 

[smudge_don]

Could be a number of things, faulty esp button, faulty cluster, abs controller fault, sensor, but tbh they should be changing these things already, I mean not being funny but sometimes if you cant find anything diagnostically then audi should swap parts given they have the ability to do this without any serious financial implications, of course independents are different but not an audi dealership, I find that appalling tbh, 6 damn months.

When you say swap parts, it reminds me of the time we did my steering wheel and change the module over

Had faults on my car, used your module and had no faults, then used my module on your car and had no faults, put it back on mine and had no faults but your module then had faults on your car

 

[NHN]

Nah wasnt quite like that me old china, you know what it was in the end?

 

[smudge_don]

Nah wasnt quite like that me old china, you know what it was in the end?

Enlighten me oh great one

 

[NHN]

lol, great one, well its been faultless on my car since I had a look, it seems, unbeknown to me it had some airbag dust in the connections mate, reckon it came of blown car, but anyway you have my new module so who cares, works a treat & I have no issues so we're all good huh.

 

[smudge_don]

Oh yeah, i forgot i had yours!

Are you back in the UK now? (sorry to hi-jack the thread btw)

 

[remslie20]

OK need to vent some steam. After the last visit to Aberdeen Audi they called back saying that they found a fault with the ESP module itself so the car would need to be booked back in to get this changed. Car was booked in and dropped off first thing in the morning a couple of weeks later. Mid afternoon that day i got a call asking exactly what was happening when the fault came in as there was no error codes coming up so they could'nt find anything wrong WTF? Cut a long story short after a few polite conversations with the service manager the ESP module was changed and the car returned to me. Three weeks later same fault and car back into Audi Monday past for 3 days fault finding. I came back offshore to work today, phoned the missus tonight and she had had a phone call from Aberdeen Audi this afternoon with the guy asking her to describe exactly what was happening when the fault came in as they couldnt find anything wrong ARRRGH! Where does Audi train these guys?!! They then asked her what she expected them to do since they could,nt find a fault (eh maybe try fixing it?!) and then asked if it would be ok if they took the car for a drive to see if they could get the fault to come in ( how else they going to get it to come in!!). I am furious at this. I could honestly say that both the car and Aberdeen Audi have put me off the brand for life and don't think i will ever be buying another audi! To cap it all off the missus told him how bad the car was in the snow the other day as we got stuck in slush and was getting passed by laughing passengers in everything from old corsas and clios to vans and even a rear wheel drive jaguar to which he replied yeah all hatchback are notorious for being bad in the snow, er not quite true!

Any advice where to go with this issue as i have a feeling the car will be returned with fault "fixed" by some sort of mirracle only for it to return in a fortnights time!

 

[remslie20]

Ok need some help if possible guys.

Has anyone had similar problems with their ESP coming into fault intermittently? Audi today basically told me that after three days of fault finding they can't find a fault with it. This also include their lead technician taking the car home for the night to see if the fault came in whilst he was driving it which added 160miles onto the clock! They were basically going to give me back the car today with the idea that when the fault came in again i head straight up to them so they can do a diagnostic check. Trouble is, even though the fault has probbably came in around 20 times in total now they seem to be mostly on longer journeys when i'm out of town! They have been onto Audi HQ who have told them that they need to physicaly see the fault and that they should'nt start changing out parts willy nilly. They also said that it is not a common fault.

Any help appreciated as right now some technician is clocking up the mileage in my car with the hope that the fault will come in whilst he's driving it!

 

[dl.mills]

Hi,

Did you ever solve the ESP fault?

I have a similar intermitant fault. It does not flag up the yellow ESP warning light so does not register as a fault on the computer.

When I turn the key, every few days I get a message show up in the centre of the display for a split second. It says " ESP Fault! See owners manual".

It has been in to Audi 3 times but they cannot find the fault even though I have given them a photo of the display.

I have asked for a letter confirming that all safety features are working but all they have said is that they wouldn't give it back if it wasn't safe!

I'm not satisfied at all as I've had the car less than 2 months.

Any ideas??

many thanks

 

[Jonay]

I had the same problem just last week/week before.

though its stopped now. I think i know the problem (dodgy rear caliper that probably isnt doing what the ESP is telling it to do)

but i think my case is unique.. I'll let you know if it happens after i get it swapped over...