Brake servo restricted

[kh904]

29 minutes ago, Falka said:

Hi all, just to add my own experience with this - i got the same warnings this morning (brake servo restricted + start/stop fault). At first i decided to ignore as it wasn't in yellow or red. But then i got on the internet spent couple of hours reading other peoples' experiences and i got scared (didn't want to pay £3k for new ABS system). I called my local workshop, who said they didn't do such things. Then i called Audi to book an appointment with them, but they don't work saturdays. I tried to book online, the first available slot was next saturday. Then i decided i'm going to replace it myself, looked quite easy on youtube, part available on ebay...

And then (after reading the last posts here) i remembered i have audi roadside assistance cover🤦‍♀️ I called them straight away, they came in about 1h, the guy was an audi guy and he was amazing. He knew about this fault of course, he said a lot of cars have it and he was really glad i called them straight away on the first day the message appeared. He said he wouldn't recommend driving the car with this fault as it only take certain amount of presses on the brake till the ABS system breaks. Luckily he had exactly the same part with him (apparently there are two types - A and B but he had one of each with him) , he replaced it in no time and diagnostics came out clear, message disappeared...sorted. All covered i didn't pay anything extra. 

He also said that even if he had not had the part with him, he would be back here on Monday with it. So if you do have roadside assistance from Audi, just call them. Don't wait, it sounds like it can get really pricey. Also, if you call audi assistance, you're actually calling the yellow AA and they can dispatch any car - it can be the regular AA or Audi guys. Just insist that you want the Audi guys, even if you have to wait a bit longer. The regular AA won't have the parts and probably won't even know about this issue.

Excellent to hear that the Audi assistance were excellent and sorted the issue!

It's just terrible of Audi not to send out a notice to owners of all cars that seem to be effected, as they are aware of the problem!

I would advise people to replace the sensor themselves instead of paying silly money for a garage to replace it. It's so easy and only takes a couple of minutes!

I highly recommend people buy an OBD11 reader and run a diagnosis at least once a year to see if it picks up any faults, or run it when a warning light/message pops up.

It's only because I ran a diagnosis on the day i had the message, got the fault code and researched on the internet that I found this forum and advice! I sorted the issue within a couple of days (didn't drive  it until I replaced the part).

 

 

Edited May 28, 2022 by kh904

[Crazycarlo]

2 hours ago, Falka said:

Hi all, just to add my own experience with this - i got the same warnings this morning (brake servo restricted + start/stop fault). At first i decided to ignore as it wasn't in yellow or red. But then i got on the internet spent couple of hours reading other peoples' experiences and i got scared (didn't want to pay £3k for new ABS system). I called my local workshop, who said they didn't do such things. Then i called Audi to book an appointment with them, but they don't work saturdays. I tried to book online, the first available slot was next saturday. Then i decided i'm going to replace it myself, looked quite easy on youtube, part available on ebay...

And then (after reading the last posts here) i remembered i have audi roadside assistance cover🤦‍♀️ I called them straight away, they came in about 1h, the guy was an audi guy and he was amazing. He knew about this fault of course, he said a lot of cars have it and he was really glad i called them straight away on the first day the message appeared. He said he wouldn't recommend driving the car with this fault as it only take certain amount of presses on the brake till the ABS system breaks. Luckily he had exactly the same part with him (apparently there are two types - A and B but he had one of each with him) , he replaced it in no time and diagnostics came out clear, message disappeared...sorted. All covered i didn't pay anything extra. 

He also said that even if he had not had the part with him, he would be back here on Monday with it. So if you do have roadside assistance from Audi, just call them. Don't wait, it sounds like it can get really pricey. Also, if you call audi assistance, you're actually calling the yellow AA and they can dispatch any car - it can be the regular AA or Audi guys. Just insist that you want the Audi guys, even if you have to wait a bit longer. The regular AA won't have the parts and probably won't even know about this issue.

Incredible ! I am going to do this first thing Monday. It’s a £99 joining fee and then I have to pay a call out charge of another £89 or something but totally worth trying rather than waiting a whole week to go direct to Audi. I am going to ring the car company I bought it from first just to confirm this is ok. Can I ask Falka… did they know about the issue prior to coming over because you explained over the phone or did they just discover it when they arrived? Did you also request an Audi technician or was that who just happened to arrive. 
 

thanks. 

[Falka]

@CrazycarloThe technician did know about the issue, because i told them over the phone what the error was. I did not request audi guy specifically, because i didn't know about that at that point. But the technician said that when he saw what the message was (i guess when the job was offered to him by the central office), he knew what the problem was and therefore picked up the job and came straight over. He said he knew it was an easy fix. 

I bought this car last summer (used of course) and decided to pay for All-in from Audi. Today it's already paid off for me, i'm really glad i have the cover now. 

Good luck with yours!

 

[Crazycarlo]

On 5/28/2022 at 10:57 PM, Falka said:

@CrazycarloThe technician did know about the issue, because i told them over the phone what the error was. I did not request audi guy specifically, because i didn't know about that at that point. But the technician said that when he saw what the message was (i guess when the job was offered to him by the central office), he knew what the problem was and therefore picked up the job and came straight over. He said he knew it was an easy fix. 

I bought this car last summer (used of course) and decided to pay for All-in from Audi. Today it's already paid off for me, i'm really glad i have the cover now. 

Good luck with yours!

 

Hi Falka,

i joined up with Audi Assist for 12 months and a technician came out within 2 hours - hooked up the diagnostics and changed the sensor, fixed ! Just like magic. Thanks so much for this otherwise I’d never have had it fixed when I did. Sometimes visiting forums when other people are in your position can be incredibly rewarding! 
 

-Oh, and I didn’t have to pay a penny as it was all covered with the garage I bought it from 😊

[Falka]

16 hours ago, Crazycarlo said:

Hi Falka,

i joined up with Audi Assist for 12 months and a technician came out within 2 hours - hooked up the diagnostics and changed the sensor, fixed ! Just like magic. Thanks so much for this otherwise I’d never have had it fixed when I did. Sometimes visiting forums when other people are in your position can be incredibly rewarding! 
 

-Oh, and I didn’t have to pay a penny as it was all covered with the garage I bought it from 😊

Hi Crazycarlo,

that's amazing:) I'm happy to hear your car is saved too 😊 And yeah, i'm really glad i came across this forum as well, otherwise i would have continued driving for sure and most likely end up replacing the whole ABS system. 

Anyway, it's a shame that audi is not addressing this more seriously, considering how serious issue this is.

 

[Frankie816]

 Great forum & thread.  Came back to airport last night after 10 days and 30 minutes into journey home, the aforementioned brake servo restricted msg appeared on my 2019 A6 40 Tdi.  Like many here I was ‘comforted’ by the “continue driving” text.  Curious got that I am though, I thought I’d google a little his morning knowing that however minor, a trip to the dealer was going to leave me short a few hundred at best.  Thanks to the good people on here, the car is now parked up, a spurious sensor ordered from eBay at a quarter the cost of Audi and a video tutorial on how to replace.  I’ll post again in due course to update on the quality of the part from eBay.  Thanks all! Frankie

[Magnet]

Many thanks Frankie,

Personally, I wouldn’t fit an aftermarket sensor - although some have- since saving some £s now, may cost dearly over a shorter  period of time. Never scrimp on essential parts. 
For me, it would be a VAG sensor bought at discount every time, but of course it’s your call. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[FADEC]

Personally, I would agree regarding after market parts, but mainly due to my own experience of using a .co.uk online company, which turned out to be overseas. After waiting weeks ithe part didn’t arrive and I end up going to the dealer. If I’d continued to drive I could’ve damaged the ABS unit. 

[Frankie816]

5 hours ago, Magnet said:

Many thanks Frankie,

Personally, I wouldn’t fit an aftermarket sensor - although some have- since saving some £s now, may cost dearly over a shorter  period of time. Never scrimp on essential parts. 
For me, it would be a VAG sensor bought at discount every time, but of course it’s your call. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Thanks Gareth & good advice to be fair in relation to the aftermarket part.  I guess since it was a part in stock in the UK with next day delivery and a 98% rating, I thought it worthwhile to get me on the road again.  I suspect I’ll still purchase a VAG part and retain the other for future ‘emergencies’ if problem re-occurs.  Interested in your comment noting “VAG sensor bought at discount”.  Any idea where I can purchase an OEM part at discount?
 

Cheers,

Frankie

[Magnet]

Hello Frankie,

I’ve used Discount Audi Parts  (or something like that - at Cardiff  ( contact was Phil, I think). Part of Mon Motors which used to be/still is? -Cardiff Audi. 
Also used Aberdeen Audi with a bit of discount. Both do mail orders. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Frankie816]

6 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Hello Frankie,

I’ve used Discount Audi Parts  (or something like that - at Cardiff  ( contact was Phil, I think). Part of Mon Motors which used to be/still is? -Cardiff Audi. 
Also used Aberdeen Audi with a bit of discount. Both do mail orders. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Many thanks Gareth.

Rgds,

Frankie

[Jaime A5 Quattro]

On 5/25/2022 at 6:32 PM, Jaime A5 Quattro said:

Well today my cheap £10 after market part arrived and it took less then 5 minutes to actually fit. I then switched the car on and hey presto the warning has disappeared. I have just took the car for a 20 mile drive and everything seems ok. If anything changes I will post on the this thread. 

Well here’s a quick update I’m pleased to tell you all my cheap part is still working as it should done roughly just over 1200 miles. I will update if anything changes. 

[Steve Q]

1 hour ago, Jaime A5 Quattro said:

Well here’s a quick update I’m pleased to tell you all my cheap part is still working as it should done roughly just over 1200 miles. I will update if anything changes. 

That's great to hear 😊

[Rich867]

14 hours ago, Jaime A5 Quattro said:

Well here’s a quick update I’m pleased to tell you all my cheap part is still working as it should done roughly just over 1200 miles. I will update if anything changes. 

Had my £19.99 part from eBay in for 4 weeks now and so far so good.

[Jaime A5 Quattro]

7 hours ago, Rich867 said:

Had my £19.99 part from ebay in for 4 weeks now and so far so good.

I couldn’t believe have simple it was to fit only took a couple of minutes. 

[Alan K]

Thanks to all those who have contributed to this forum. I have had the message servo restricted several times and message went off, me thinking all ok!! until message appeared again and and ABS was kicking in when driving. Found this forum and it was central to me sorting issue, changed (2 minute job) said sensor having got it sent from Phil at Cardiff Audi parts direct. All appears well now, no warning messages and stop start working and hopefully ABS saved!! Again a big thank you to this forum.

[Magnet]

Thanks Alan,

Phil is very helpful at Audi Parts Direct at Cardiff. This was the discount source I quoted earlier in the week. 
When you say ‘Wales’ - more specifically?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Alex m]

This thread really saved me!! Have a 2017 allroad a4.  Audi didn’t want to know, told me to book a repair which was 5 weeks away. I managed to get the part £90 and with some reassurance from a local Audi specialist that it was an easy fix, decided that I was going to try and fix it. Well it was a 10 minute job, warning lights for brake servo and start stop all went off. It was £150 for Audi to put it through their computer which they HAVE to do funny enough.  Word of advice - as soon as this brake servo warning comes on, find a safe spot and don’t drive it any more, you risk busting your ABS which is pricey. Thanks very much. 

[Steve Q]

20 hours ago, Alex m said:

This thread really saved me!! Have a 2017 allroad a4.  Audi didn’t want to know, told me to book a repair which was 5 weeks away. I managed to get the part £90 and with some reassurance from a local Audi specialist that it was an easy fix, decided that I was going to try and fix it. Well it was a 10 minute job, warning lights for brake servo and start stop all went off. It was £150 for Audi to put it through their computer which they HAVE to do funny enough.  Word of advice - as soon as this brake servo warning comes on, find a safe spot and don’t drive it any more, you risk busting your ABS which is pricey. Thanks very much. 

Glad this thread helped 🙂

[DB22]

I had this issue pop up yesterday afternoon with my 66 plate Audi A4 B9 Avant 2.0 TDI. Called Audi Assist and was given the option of RAC in 30min or wait for Audi. Was towards the end of the day so booked for Audi to come first thing this morning. Turned up before 9am and the guy said straight away he knew what the issue was and replaced the sensor. Was here for 25minutes in total.

Cheers all for the advice in this thread, likely would've been into the garage for £100s (at least) otherwise! Worth getting Audi Assist out first if you can.

[Steve Q]

18 minutes ago, DB22 said:

I had this issue pop up yesterday afternoon with my 66 plate Audi A4 B9 Avant 2.0 TDI. Called Audi Assist and was given the option of RAC in 30min or wait for Audi. Was towards the end of the day so booked for Audi to come first thing this morning. Turned up before 9am and the guy said straight away he knew what the issue was and replaced the sensor. Was here for 25minutes in total.

Cheers all for the advice in this thread, likely would've been into the garage for £100s (at least) otherwise! Worth getting Audi Assist out first if you can.

Glad this thread helped 🙂

[Firkindolloper]

On 6/28/2022 at 12:06 PM, Steve Q said:

Glad this thread helped 🙂

It certainly helped me thanks to you guys on this forum.  I haven't had to fit a sensor yet but I bought one to keep in the car in case the dreaded warning comes up.  

Edited July 4, 2022 by Firkindolloper

[Steve Q]

On 7/4/2022 at 7:27 AM, Firkindolloper said:

It certainly helped me thanks to you guys on this forum.  I haven't had to fit a sensor yet but I bought one to keep in the car in case the dreaded warning comes up.  

Glad you're prepared 😊

[GilesHov]

I had this message pop up on my 2017 B9 Allroad as I set off to work Yesterday. 30 mile round trip thinking it was safe to drive and would sort when I had time. Thankfully googled it last night and found this forum. Found the part on Amazon for £15.99 last night and got a prime delivery which had just arrived. Fitted the part in 2 minutes using the handy video and the warning has gone! Link below:

https://amzn.eu/d/2AkOHTy

Part looks identical to the one removed. May look to get an official one from Audi just to be on the safe side and keep this one as back up but needed to be back on the road ASAP.

Thanks for all the help on here. So glad to have got it sorted rather than face a large bill! 

Edited July 5, 2022 by GilesHov

[Steve Q]

On 7/5/2022 at 1:50 PM, GilesHov said:

I had this message pop up on my 2017 B9 Allroad as I set off to work Yesterday. 30 mile round trip thinking it was safe to drive and would sort when I had time. Thankfully googled it last night and found this forum. Found the part on Amazon for £15.99 last night and got a prime delivery which had just arrived. Fitted the part in 2 minutes using the handy video and the warning has gone! Link below:

https://amzn.eu/d/2AkOHTy

Part looks identical to the one removed. May look to get an official one from Audi just to be on the safe side and keep this one as back up but needed to be back on the road ASAP.

Thanks for all the help on here. So glad to have got it sorted rather than face a large bill! 

You're welcome glad this forum could help 🙂 thanks for adding the fitting guide.