ABS and Caution light on ???? What does this mean ????

[DieselRoxie_B6]

Last night, out of nowhere my Caution light with a triangle came on and the ABS light. Just those two lights are on. No CEL light. Anybody know what this means??

Please advise if this is anything to be concerned about??

I have a photo of the lights on, but don't know how to post it up on here???

Thanks!

[hbodo08]

post it using photobucket.. and i think had this problem if i can see the pic to be sure

[Tgr_Clw]

Thermostat.
Scan the car for errors.

[dirtybrd]

Thermostat.
Scan the car for errors.

WHAT?

[hbodo08]

hey dirtybrd dosent this sound like my problem when i went through the car wash

[DieselRoxie_B6]

Let's see if I did this right. [IMG][/IMG]

[DieselRoxie_B6]

I don't have the VAG machine. Damn : (

[dirtybrd]

hey dirtybrd dosent this sound like my problem when i went through the car wash

I don't recall.

[hbodo08]

I don't recall.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285597

this was my problem and the same lights were on

[hbodo08]

I don't recall.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285597

[schmally]

its ur brake light switch

[JMRQuattro]

its ur brake light switch

x2 on that one. I had my ESP light stay on because of my maf but when i was reading about it a brake sensor was a common cause for this. Don't recall the ABS light being part of this though. But scanning will do you no good since you don't have a CEL....

[DieselRoxie_B6]

its ur brake light switch

So what do I do? How do I fix this?

[Tgr_Clw]

WHAT?

Sorry. Meant to type that it was most likely the brake switch.
Don't know wtf I was thinking.

[msharifi]

Let's see if I did this right. [IMG][/IMG]

Do you have a cold air intake? Does it happen when the car is started at cold start? meaning in the mornings? Do you hear your jet section pump kick in? Does the lights go away?

other thing can be your breake light switch..

[JMRQuattro]

Do you have a cold air intake? Does it happen when the car is started at cold start? meaning in the mornings? Do you hear your jet section pump kick in? Does the lights go away?

other thing can be your breake light switch..

Why would a CAI do this? Unless it was the MAF sensor, in which case he would have a CEL saying his MAF sensor was reading too low or "incorrect flow" or what not. And that wouldn't cause the ABS light to come on as well.

If it's his brake light switch the light should only come on when there is a signal applied to the brakes from what i remember. I think someone initially figured this out because they tried starting their car in park (on a tip of course) without the use of the e-brake and the light wasn't there, but as soon as they applied the brakes the light came on. Just one thing to try out. And if you're a manual you could try this on flat ground, just take off the e-brake and start it without using the brake pedal. See what happens.

[skeeball]

But scanning will do you no good since you don't have a CEL....

There are hundreds of codes that can be stored without tripping a CEL. Have you used vag-com before?

[spelunking]

Um, I'm absolutely positive it's because THEY ARE ACTUALLY USING THE TAPE PLAYER!! I mean seriously?

[JMRQuattro]

There are hundreds of codes that can be stored without tripping a CEL. Have you used vag-com before?

I don't own a VAG-COM, as i'm sure the OP doesn't. Unless he has access to one, or someone local from here can hook one up for him, he would have to use the same thing everyone else without one does, and that's a simple OBDII scanner from somewhere like autozone which would only read his codes. But yes i've used a VAG-COM before, it's just a very expensive piece that i wouldn't expect most people to own. But yes, with a VAG-COM you could find issues without having a CEL.

[skeeball]

There is a standard OBDII PID, or p-code, for the brake light switch (P0571). So it may show up on a standard OBDII scan. Dollars to donuts that is the culprit here since it's the most commonly found issue that fits the symptoms. But it's not the only one and scanning would take the guesswork out of it.

Here is DIY on replacing the switch. It's an inexpensive part with a high failure rate that is easy to replace. So doing so wouldn't be a bad troubleshooting step. You can also save a few bucks by picking one up from a VW dealer as opposed to an Audi dealer.

[JMRQuattro]

There is a standard OBDII PID, or p-code, for the brake light switch (P0571). So it may show up on a standard OBDII scan. Dollars to donuts that is the culprit here since it's the most commonly found issue that fits the symptoms. But it's not the only one and scanning would take the guesswork out of it.

Here is DIY on replacing the switch. It's an inexpensive part with a high failure rate that is easy to replace. So doing so wouldn't be a bad troubleshooting step. You can also save a few bucks by picking one up from a VW dealer as opposed to an Audi dealer.

yeah the problem is that the symptoms fit the problem, he just doesn't have a CEL. But if the issue hasn't triggered a CEL wouldn't a standard OBDII not read it like a VAG-COM could?

[skeeball]

If the code is stored, the OBDII scanner should be able to pull it. I use a vag-com though.

[JMRQuattro]

If the code is stored, the OBDII scanner should be able to pull it. I use a vag-com though.

oh, well it seems like from my experience with using an OBDII scanner and then using John's VAG-COM is that the VAG-COM pulls up all the codes including past codes and intermittent codes and the OBDII only pulls up the current codes that are triggering a CEL. Although i've never come across any codes that come up that don't trigger a CEL unless they are a past code or intermittent in the first place.

[schmally]

replace ur brake light switch they are cheap get one from ur dealer

[DieselRoxie_B6]

Um, I'm absolutely positive it's because THEY ARE ACTUALLY USING THE TAPE PLAYER!! I mean seriously?

Correct a tape player, that is an adapter to hook up my iPhone to play my music. We're in 2009, thought you would know about tape adapters.

Please strictly useful info, from knowledgeable people that can help me on this matter. No talk about non sense, like a tape player.

Thanks!

[DieselRoxie_B6]

Do you have a cold air intake? Does it happen when the car is started at cold start? meaning in the mornings? Do you hear your jet section pump kick in? Does the lights go away?

other thing can be your breake light switch..

No cold air intake. And no it's not when it's cold only. As you see it was 78 degrees last night. So the car was warm.

Weird thing is, that this morning when I turned on my car, the lights were off.

[spelunking]

Correct a tape player, that is an adapter to hook up my iPhone to play my music. We're in 2009, thought you would know about tape adapters.

Please strictly useful info, from knowledgeable people that can help me on this matter. No talk about non sense, like a tape player.

Thanks!

Serious much? Relax guy, it's just a post in a car forum, not every single last post on audizine has to be serious. Tape adapters also aren't anywhere near to being relevant in 2009, but whose counting right?

[DieselRoxie_B6]

Serious much? Relax guy, it's just a post in a car forum, not every single last post on audizine has to be serious. Tape adapters also aren't anywhere near to being relevant in 2009, but whose counting right?

1) I'm a girl.

2) You really must have nothing else to do.

[msharifi]

Why would a CAI do this? Unless it was the MAF sensor, in which case he would have a CEL saying his MAF sensor was reading too low or "incorrect flow" or what not. And that wouldn't cause the ABS light to come on as well.

If it's his brake light switch the light should only come on when there is a signal applied to the brakes from what i remember. I think someone initially figured this out because they tried starting their car in park (on a tip of course) without the use of the e-brake and the light wasn't there, but as soon as they applied the brakes the light came on. Just one thing to try out. And if you're a manual you could try this on flat ground, just take off the e-brake and start it without using the brake pedal. See what happens.

At cold start if the CAI does not work you get that 2 lights on it happen to my self when I had a cold air intake and once I put back the stock the problem was gone.

[Pr0n]

I'm having the exact same issue. Sometimes it comes off after a few restarts. I'm thinking it's my MAF as I've been having MAF issues since last year, but if the Brake Light Switch is only $5, I'd rather it was that.

[msharifi]

No cold air intake. And no it's not when it's cold only. As you see it was 78 degrees last night. So the car was warm.

Weird thing is, that this morning when I turned on my car, the lights were off.

I meant to say is does the lights turn on when you first turn your car in the morning. Say you park your car at night and start it the next day does the light turn on or stays on all the time?

[JMRQuattro]

At cold start if the CAI does not work you get that 2 lights on it happen to my self when I had a cold air intake and once I put back the stock the problem was gone.

Yeah and that would be associated with the MAF. If the CAI doesn't work it's not flowing over the MAF correctly, which is what causes the ESP light to stay on. I have an aftermarket CAI and i reversed it and removed an elbow to fit better without realizing the MAF only reads one direction because of an air inlet channel. So as an affect of that my MAF was reading too low causing my ESP light to stay on. The MAF and the ESP run on the same circuit along with the brake switch, which is why if one is bad or going bad it will trigger the ESP light. But i'm not sure about the ABS since if it's MAF related it most likely won't be on. Mine was MAF related and was just the ESP without the ABS light.

[DieselRoxie_B6]

I'm having the exact same issue. Sometimes it comes off after a few restarts. I'm thinking it's my MAF as I've been having MAF issues since last year, but if the Brake Light Switch is only $5, I'd rather it was that.

What exactly is the MAF? Sorry for the dumb question. And how would I repair/fix this?

[DieselRoxie_B6]

I meant to say is does the lights turn on when you first turn your car in the morning. Say you park your car at night and start it the next day does the light turn on or stays on all the time?

No not at all. They rarely come on. I have owned the car for about 2 yrs. and they have only came on about twice or three times at most. Then they will go away all of a sudden.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Audi_Doody]

What exactly is the MAF? Sorry for the dumb question. And how would I repair/fix this?

Hi there. A MAF is a Mass Air Flow sensor. It comes straight off of your airbox or CAI (Cold Air Intake) if you have that in place of an airbox. Looks like this:



One of the guys who suggested this would know more about what needs to be done. Although, I'd start with the cheapest possible solution (the brake light switch).

Just figured I'd try to help out.

[Audi_Doody]

P.S. Nice B6 by the way. Very Clean. Good luck with the problem. God knows I've had my share of issues with my B6.

[MikeWire]

Seriously, this is like the third thread about the same problem - different users. Did you recently go through a car wash or a hard rain?

[Pr0n]

Seriously, this is like the third thread about the same problem - different users. Did you recently go through a car wash or a hard rain?

rain can cause that too?

[wz3y]

rain can cause that too?

yes

[MikeWire]

In one of the other threads, the OP found that his ECU cover was not sealed and water got into the bottom area of the ECU box and shorted a few things. I think the fix was to dry the area out and seal it up.

The other thread I was referring to was an auto car wash incident - the OP found that an ABS or some other sensor had been disconnected and threw a MIL.

So, maybe check those couple of things and let us know. :)