2002 Audi A6 2.7T Quattro

Reader Question: I have a 2002 Audi A6 2.7T Quattro. It has 56,000 miles on it. I purchased it about 8 months ago. I love the car but in the end of October, I was driving and the ABS/ESP lights came on, after I had turned the car off and back on they went out.

A month or so later my husband took the car after a cold night, the emergency brake had been on, and he said it felt like the brakes were on and holding him back. Over the next few month it happened some more until one day, I was driving and the lights came back on and it felt like the brakes were being applied and the pedal went hard as a brick.

I brought to my mechanic and of course, when he got in it everything was fine again. I took it home and a few days later I went to leave my driveway and the pedal was hard as a brick so I had it towed, they could not find any codes in the computer so the kept the car and drove it and since then it has happened several more times.

They have bled the brakes and replace a valve next to the booster and the brake switch and it still happened and now we are moving on to replace the brake booster and master cylinder and a very large bill, I just would like your opinion on this if you think this could be the problem.

I am worried that it could be the ABS system or a hydraulic
Issue, the mechanic did tell me that they discounted the ABS system and it still happened. Any help!

Thanks,

Gretchen

Hi Gretchen,

I am not very familiar with these ABS systems, and that could be the problem with your mechanic. They are not familiar with them either. I would suspect you do have a problem with the ABS pump, which supplies hydraulic fluid pressure to the system. However, that is an expensive GUESS!

The problem will probably be trying to get a diagnosis when the ABS light is ON. Each time you turn the key off, the on board computer system will reset itself and try to clear out any trouble codes that might have been stored in memory. Therefore, when your mechanic plugs his test equipment in he sees nothing.

If you can get the ABS light to come on and stay on, go directly to your mechanic OR the dealership and do not turn the engine off until they have hooked up and read your computer codes.

Your dealer has probably seen other similar problems, since the dealership gets all the new car warranty problems and is usually more experienced in problems like this than an independent repair shop that seldom works on ABS issues, let alone one on an Audi and an intermittent one at that.

This could be a dangerous condition, so I would recommend you visit your local Audi dealership, talk to the service adviser there about this issue, and get their opinion on what to do next. I would hate to see you continue to drive this vehicle as it is.

Keep me posted will you, your reply could help the next person with the same or a similar issue.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Updates:

Thank you for your response. They are replacing the Brake booster and Master Cylinder today, the mechanic did tell me when they disconnected the ABS system that it still had the problem so they and the Audi dealer service manager seems to think that the booster and cylinder are the problem.

I will let you know the outcome of this.

Thanks Again!

Gretchen

Gretchen,

That could be a good guess. I would HIGHLY recommend you hold on to your old parts AND the boxes to the new parts for a month or so until you are convinced that the problem is corrected.

Make sure that you can return the new items and get your money back if the problem is still there. You will need the original clean boxes!

Blessings,
Austin Davis