38 All-wheel drive coupling is stuck on or doesn't engage, no faults stored
38 19 17 2049498/4 November 14, 2019. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 38 number 18-13 dated
April 12, 2018 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

TT

2013 - 2016

All

Quattro-All wheel drive

A3, A3
Cabriolet,
S3, and Q3

2015 - 2016

All

Quattro-All wheel drive

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

4

-

Revised Warranty (Added Claim Types)
Revised Required Parts and Tools (Updated Parts Table)

3

04/12/2018 Revised Required Parts and Tools (Updated Parts Table)

2

12/21/2017 Revised Warranty (Updates Labor Operation)

Customer states:
 The vehicle is binding when cornering with a full steering wheel turn.
 The four-wheel drive does not work.
 When driving slowly and turning the steering wheel strongly the vehicle shudders.
 The front wheels break traction with aggressive acceleration from a stop.
Workshop findings:
 One or more of the customer statements can be reproduced.
 No relevant DTC is logged in the all-wheel drive control module, J492 (address word 0022).
 If the fuse for the control module of the four-wheel drive clutch is removed, the concern of “The vehicle is
binding when cornering” or “When driving slowly and turning the steering wheel strongly the vehicle
shudders” disappears.

Page 1 of 5
© 2019 Audi of America, Inc.
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.

 There is a black mass in the strainer of
the pump for the four-wheel drive clutch
(Figure 1).

Figure 1. The strainer of pump for the four-wheel drive clutch.

Technical Background
Until the end of 2014, the oil used for the All-Wheel Drive Clutch led to precipitations of water (condensed water
from the air and surrounding area). Together with particles of the clutch and steel plates, these precipitations form
a black sludge. This sludge combined with the normal wear particles from the clutch clogs the strainer of the
pump.

Production Solution
An improved All-Wheel Drive Clutch oil was introduced in the parts catalog that is less sensitive regarding
precipitations. The improved oil has the same part number as the original oil.

Page 2 of 5
© 2019 Audi of America, Inc.
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.

Service
Replacement of high-performance oil for the four-wheel drive clutch:
1. Drain the high-performance oil for the four-wheel drive clutch according to the Repair Manual.
2. Replace the pump for the four-wheel drive
clutch -V181- (Figure 2, number 1) according to
the Repair Manual.

Figure 2. Pump for the four-wheel drive clutch.
3. Thoroughly clean the strainer of the pump for the four-wheel drive clutch and the pump housing.
4. Fit the pump for the four-wheel drive clutch according to the Repair Manual.
5. Fill the four-wheel drive clutch with high-performance oil according to the Repair Manual /parts catalog.
6. Bring the vehicle/high-performance oil for the four-wheel drive clutch to the operating temperature.
7. Then change the high-performance oil for the four-wheel drive clutch a second time according to the Repair
Manuals/parts catalog.

Page 3 of 5
© 2019 Audi of America, Inc.
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.

Warranty
Claim Type:

 110 up to 48 Months/50,000 Miles.
 G10 for CPO Covered Vehicles – Verify Owner.
 If the vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical Service Bulletin is
informational only.

Service Number:

3994

Damage Code:

0017

Labor Operations:

Remove and install a pump for four-wheel
drive

3994 1900

See SRT

Clean the pump for four-wheel drive

3994 2999

20 TU

Replace oil for four-wheel drive clutch

3994 9999

40 TU

GFF

0150 0000

Time stated on
the diagnostic
protocol (Max 50
TU)

Road test prior to service procedure

0121 0002

10 TU

Road test after service procedure

0121 0004

10 TU

Diagnostic Time:

Claim Comment:

As per TSB #2049498/4

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.

Required Parts and Tools
Always check with your Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and parts bulletins.
Part Number

Part Description

Quantity

0CQ598549

Repair kit for pre-charging pump

01

G060175A2

High-performance oil for 4 wheel coupling

02

Check ETKA

Bolt, hex head with shoulder (Front Differential Mount
Bolt) order to VIN of vehicle

01

Page 4 of 5
© 2019 Audi of America, Inc.
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.

N 90281802

Seal bolt

01

N 91082701

Oil drain plug with seal

01

See ETKA

Fasteners, Bolts, Nuts, and Screws as needed per the
Repair Manual

See ETKA/ELSA

Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2049498) are subject to change and/or removal.
©2019 Audi of America, Inc. All rights reserved. The 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.

Page 5 of 5
© 2019 Audi of America, Inc.
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.