Failed MOT - Rear Shock and Dash lights

[Ian Budge]

Newby here, am after some of your experience. Guidance.

 

My car has failed its MOT, its done 140k so I am not surprised.  It’s has been such a great car, very little issues with it and its been regularly maintained.

 

Some warning lights have come on on the dash (ESC/ABS FAULT, PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION and START-STOP SYSTEM FAULT.  All 3 came on at the same time so must be interrelated.  Any ideas what is the likely cause? I didn’t know if it is a common fault.  I have not had it plugged in yet to diagnose but will.

 

The second reason for the MOT failure is the near side rear shock absorber has a negligible damping effect.  The offside rear is not great but only advisory, they have been flagging up for a while so its time to bite the bullet.

 

Thus my 2nd question, what is the approx. repair cost of both rear shocks?

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

Ian

 

[Steve Q]

Welcome to the forum Ian, you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch ☺️ 

As you've had multiple electrical issues my first port of call would be the battery. How old is it? The life of a battery is usually 5-7 year average. Once they start to fail they can often throw up Various electrical gremlins simultaneously. Garages such as Halfords can do a battery test for free.

This could also explain the failure of the start stop system. As it won't activate if the battery is dieing. As the car doesn't want to turn itself off and not start again. 

regarding your shocks if it were mine I would try and get genuine replacements. On my a6 c5 I had to replace my rear shocks in September with aftermarket parts as Audi no longer supply genuine ones. Ive got kyb shocks which see ok abd were reasonably priced. However long term I might get a full suspension set up from Bilstein or similar. 

 

[Magnet]

Hello Ian,

My first port of call too with regard to the ‘Christmas tree’ dashboard lights would be exactly as Steve advises. In order to give the battery a realistic test, I would suggest you take the car on at least a 10 mile run before subjecting it to a test. If it proves to be suspect, then would I buy a replacement at Halfords? Um! I don’t, but obviously your call Ian. 

I alway buy batteries on-line from specialist suppliers such as Tayna, Battery Megastore, Plymouth Batteries - there are more. Most deliver mail order the following day. Incase it helps, I only buy quality batteries such as Varta/Bosch, and only their 5 year warranty (silver topped) grade. Search eBay for your model and confirm suitability with the supplier.  With batteries, it’s buy once and wisely in my book. Chances are the new battery will need to be coded to your car - search for a local independent. 
 

Re. shock absorbers:- again search eBay for quality aftermarket ones such as Bilstein ( fit as a pair). I’ve used Car Parts in Motion recently ( no connection, and plenty of others) and found their pricing to be reasonable - just input your reg. no. on their website. Personally, I avoid suppliers who list high % discounts off so called retail prices! You can then enquire at your trusted local garage (or independent) for a labour charge. 
Hope some of this helps,

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Ian Budge]

Thankyou both for your replies, i took it to halfords this morning for a battery test and all seems well with the battery.  I have had the car over six years (2012 registration) so when it was suggested that it may be the battery that made sense re the 3 error/fault lights, but seems I’ll have to get it plugged in and see what the error codes are all about.  Any pointers to members or contacts with VAGCOM in Essex?

Thanks again for the feedback regarding the shocks, I will get them done at a garage, beyond my DIY ability.  Halfords quoted me £350 inc vat, going to my local garage Tuesday when they open to see what they say.

Ian

 

 

[Magnet]

Many thanks Ian.

OK, Halfords tests the battery as serviceable, and I’m not sure about their current equipment, but it may not be good enough to test all the parameters of the battery’s serviceability. 
For example - I have known a just over 3 year old Range Rover battery to test serviceable on 2 ‘normal’ battery tests, yet when tested on the proper RR system it was shown to be unacceptably below par on cold cranking current. We renewed the battery, and all has been well. Obviously, the battery condition monitor was picking up that fact, whereas the ‘normal’ test wasn’t. 

Way forward:- might be worth getting an Audi independent to check it out on their sophisticated systems. If they confirm the battery is indeed serviceable, then they will be able to diagnose the fault/s at the same time. 

Re shock absorbers? Guess Halfords reasonable quote was for fitting whatever Brand X shock absorbers are current available from their local motor factors. 
Quality will be as important as overall cost, so worth checking what your local garage intends fitting. If not genuine VAG, then Bilstein could be a suitable aftermarket alternative, but I would be asking what brand will be fitted. Beware of vague descriptions such as OE or OEM! 
Kind regards,

Gareth.