Technical Service Bulletin
97 ABS warning light on - wire harness damage
97 13 35 2033412/1 March 27, 2013.

Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

A5/S5/RS5
Cabriolet

2010 - 2014

All

Not applicable

A4/S4

2009 - 2014

All

Not applicable

Audi Q5

2009 - 2014

All

Not applicable

A5/S5/RS5

2008 - 2014

All

Not applicable

Condition
The customer may complain of one of the following conditions:
• Steering wheel lock does not work.
• Various warning lights are on.
• Steering feels stiffer than usual.
• The engine cannot be switched off.
• The ignition key cannot be removed.
There are DTC entries present in the system (static or sporadic):
DTC with description “Brake control unit, no signal/communication” is present in several control
units.
• DTC 01316 - Brake Control Module - No signal/communication
• DTC U012200 - ESP no communication
• DTC U012100 - ABS Control Module no communication
DTC entry in ABS Control unit, J104 (03). One or more may be present:
• DTC 00290 (008 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor, LR-G46, Incorrect signal)
• DTC 00290 (012 - ABS Wheel Speed Sensor, LR-G46, Electrical fault in circuit)
• DTC 0283 (008 – Left Front ABS Wheel Speed Sensor-G47, Incorrect signal)
• DTC 0283 (012 - Left Front ABS Wheel Speed Sensor-G47, Electrical fault in circuit)
This condition does not result in any drivability concerns. The steering system is fully
connected.
© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.

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Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Technical Background
The insulation for the ABS
wheel speed sensor is
damaged in production. Over
time, this can lead to
corrosion on the wires and
restricted functions with the
ABS control module. Only
the wires in the left bulkhead
grommet (Figure 1) are
affected.

Figure 1. Left front fender is removed to show the left bulkhead
grommet

Production Solution
Improved installation procedure at the factory.

Service

There are two different types of service actions based on the two types of DTC entries that can
be found in the system.
For vehicles with the DTC description “Brake Control Module - No
signal/communication” present in several control units, proceed as follows:
1. Perform a voltage drop measurement on terminal 30 - supply for ABS control unit - under
load (as described below). For the pin assignment, see ElsaWeb wiring diagram.
Proposed voltage drop measurement (using an A4 as an example):
• Verify the fuse is good.

© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
• Apply a load (1.7 A = 21 W) on pin 7 (T38a) to ground
• Set the digital multi-meter to DC Volts (Direct current voltage)
• Connect the black multi-meter measuring tip to pin 7 (T38a) and connect the red
measuring tip to fuse SC6 while keeping the fuse in the socket.
• If the voltage drops (over
0.3 V), the wiring loom
around the grommet
must be checked (Figure
2)

Figure 2. Affected area of the left front wiring loom behind the
fender
Tip: For better access to all sections of the wiring loom, the wheel arch liner and the
windscreen washing reservoir must be removed.
2. If damage is found, please
contact the Technical
Assistance Center (TAC)
and take a photo of the
damage:
• Measure the distance
from the grommet front
side (Figure 3, point 1)
to the point of damage
point (Figure 3, point 2).
Include this measured
distance in the TACS
contact.

Figure 3. Measuring point of damage in relation to the end of
the grommet

© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
• Take a photo, using
camera flash, of the
grommet and original
harness position from
the passenger
compartment (Figure
4). Please attach the
photo to the TACS
contact.

Figure 4. Grommet position photo, taken from inside the
passenger compartment.
3. Repair the damaged cable in the wiring loom using the VAS1978B wiring harness repair kit.
4. Remove the sections of the individual cable where the copper wires are black or corroded.
5. Pull back the insulation for the complete wiring loom, for a distance of about 40 cm from the
grommet towards the front of the vehicle, and inspect for additional damage or corrosion.
For vehicles with the DTC description, “ABS Wheel Speed Sensor - Incorrect signal or
Electrical fault in circuit”, present in multiple control units, proceed as follows.
1. Perform the same measurements as above using the correct pin/fuse location listed in
ElsaWeb for the affected ABS wheel speed sensor.
2. Take a photo of the grommet position from the inside of the vehicle and attach it to the
TACS contact.
3. Repair any damage found and ensure the black or corroded wires are removed.

© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Warranty
Claim Type:

Use applicable claim type. If vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical Service Bulletin
is informational only.

Service Number:

9715

Damage Code:

0015

Labor Operations:

Check ABS control unit

4545 0199

30 TU

Remove and install front wheel liner

6616 1900

See ElsaWeb

Remove and install windscreen washer reservoir

9260 1951

See ElsaWeb

Remove and install tray under dashboard

6818 1900

See ElsaWeb

Remove and install A pillar trim

7057 1905

See ElsaWeb

Diagnostic Time:

Check front left wiring loom on inside and outside 9715 0199

70 TU

Repair wiring loom (note number of cables)

9709 41xx

See ElsaWeb

GFF

0150 0000

Time stated on
diagnostic
protocol (MAX 80
TU)

Road test prior to service procedure

0121 0002

10 TU

Road test after service procedure

0121 0004

10 TU

Technical diagnosis at dealer’s discretion
(Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 and Audi Warranty Online for DADP allowance details)
Claim Comment:

As per TSB # 2033412/1

All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures
Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.

© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Required Parts and Tools
Tool Description

Quantity

VAS 1978B – Wiring Harness Repair Kit

1

Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB are subject to change and/or removal. Always check with
your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.

© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.