kh904

I'm surprised that so many of the flap motors are showing mechanical faults!!! The mechanic should clear all the faults and then drive the car for a bit, try all the air-con/climate control settings and see if the errors reappear! If the faults do reappear, then maybe another specialist maybe able to assist

Officially going by the book, the dash has to come out, but it can be done without it!!! There is a youtube video of someone replacing the flap motor by removing just the lower part of the dash and the side of the side console. It's a bit awkward to bend down and get access but it can be done. I think there is another flap motor that needs to be removed before you can get access to the other flap motor. I showed my Audi specialist the video and he managed to do it. I think it cost around £450 all in. The genuine Audi part was around £100, but i'm sure you can get a cheaper copy part. I don't think you can recalibrate the part via a panel button sequence. You need an OBD2 scanner that has the 'Basic Reset' function to do this.

Cool. Maybe the warning will clear after enough cycles. If the ABS system is bricked, don't be too alarmed. Although it's not ideal, you can send off the ABS unit to a company that resets it for a fraction of the cost of a new unit (around £3-400). I posted the link to the company in an earlier post in this thread (go back a few pages). You'll need a mechanic to remove the part though, so you'll be without use of the car until it's put back on....

Does the brakes feel any different?

It sounds like the warning that the 'brake pads' are wearing thin is a separate issue. If you at least get the pads checked and replaced if necessary first, then see if that light goes out and go from there

£300!!!!! That is an absolute rip-off!!!! I paid approximately £90 for the OEM part from Audi and swapped it myself in 2 minutes! From my memory, I can remember if the warning message on the dash cleared straightaway without clearing the code with my scanner. Is there still a warning message on the dash? I don't recall the brake light staying on as being a symptom

Not sure on the A3 im afraid. Maybe someone else can be of more help....

Good to hear! :)

Ignore the message that says it's 'OK to drive'!!!!! The message is incorrect!!! DO NOT DRIVE ANY FURTHER (try not to brake too hard and park up as as soon as possible where safe to do so). Buy the required sensor and replace it asap.

I agree, it could be a dodgy sensor. If you do get the red warning light, the ABS unit will be bricked!!! It will cost thousands of £'s to replace! HOWEVER, the good news is that there are companies that can rese tthe unit at a fraction of the cost (still hundreds of £'s and you need a mechanic to remove the part so you can send it off). Please see one of my posts earlier in the thread for one such company that offers this service (I have no affiliation)

I also bought mine from a main dealer, as I wasn't sure if I could trust a chinese copy (can save save £80 if it works, but could potentially lose £3k+ if it failed). By the sounds of most people's experiences, the generic parts seem to be ok

Glad to hear you got it sorted Flatspell. To be fair, unless the garage specialise in Audi's, they may not know about this specific issue. They'll just replace the part that's likely to be the issue after a diagnosis scan.

Ouch, that's made your wallet lighter. At least the ABS module wasn't bricked! Any idea how the wiring loom got fried?

Regarding the Brake Servo restricted warning light - if you haven't replaced the sensor, DO NOT DRIVE IT!!! The braking may feel normal, but you run the risk of triggering the ABS cycles enough times that it will brick the ABS, leaving you with a VERY BIG bill! Just buy the replacement sensor (OEM or an aftermarket) asap and fit it yourself - it's dead easy to do (1/2 minute job)!

To be fair, i've not had any significant issues so far other than that replacement part and the brake servo sensor (a very common sensor that fails). Audi really need to do more long term testing of their parts before they go into production. It really isn't good enough for money to buy such a car!

Just seen this topic! I don't think they replaced the fans (I think there is only one fan), but they replaced the servo/flap motors. I had mine fail when I purchased my car second hand (it went just after the 3 year warranty period expired- typical)!!! The bad news was that it was a driver side servo motor that failed so it's not as easy to get to. The independent specialist did manage to replace it without removing the whole dash after showing them a youtuber video who replaced the same part by removing the bottom part of the dash and some tight manouvering. The final bill was around £450 iirc. £110 of that was for a new servo motor! It could have been worse of the whole dash had to come out! I agree that it's extremely disappointing quality for a German brand!!!

I'm sure you will be okay since you've called Audi Assist as soon as you got the message (assuming you haven't done many miles and hard braking since).

Unfortunately the unit will need to be replaced. You maybe able to get a specialist to recondition it but I would guess that it won't be much cheaper than buying a replacement cluster. It's dead simple to replace (youtube is helpful), but be careful as the are many variations/different part numbers and there are different styles over the years. There is also the standard colour and there's a darker tinted colour, so make sure you get one that matches your current cluster

Ouch! You've had particular bad luck with your A4! Mine hasn't been too bad in terms of non-wear and tear repairs, but then again i don't do many miles (around 3k a year)!

I hear you! I'm also annoyed with Audi, because they are well aware of the issue with the part, yet make no effort sending out comms to the owners!

I concur with the other responses! That is horrendous service from Audi! What a rip-off! I purchased a genuine OEM part from Audi for around £90 and it took me less than 5 minutes to replace (no exaggeration)!

It's unlikely that it's something the garage did. It's a very common issue so the timing is just a coincidence. Please do not drive it until the the sensor is replaced (it's so easy to do).

I wouldn't have thought the engine management warning light is related to the brake sensor. Probably a coincidence. Definitely get a scan done

Just seen this thread! I had a similar issue on my A5 sportback. It's a motor/servo arm motor (can't remember the proper name). I believe there are 3 motors on the drivers side and the one that needs changing is the most difficult to get access to. You don't need to remove the whole dash as the Audi instructions say, you can remove the dash panel under the steering and the side below the centre console and get access. You need to remove one of the other motors to get access tot he one to be replaced. It's a tight fit but possible. There's a guide on youtube somewhere.