I have searched alot and cant find anything. My wifes car (2000 A4 Q 2.8 5M) has a bad rear wheel sensor, we have no idea which one it is though. The mechanic at the dealership said we need to replace both, they are both froze in with rust and it will take several hours and the parts are almost 400.00. There has to be an easier way to find out which one is bad, and also can I do this job myself?

On top of all those problems I still cant figure out if I need to buy the one for self leveling headlights or not. She does have factory xenon lights so I assume they are also self leveling which drives up the cost of the sensor.

 

I fail to understand why whether or not you have self-leveling headlights or not have an affect on what wheel sensor to buy. I assume you are looking for a wheel speed sensor? You can find them at ECS Tuning for I believe around $90.

I can believe that the sensor is rusted in, but I can't buy that it will take several hours to pull. You can find which one is shot it you or someone you know has VAGCOM.

 

I couldnt figure out why it mattered either but the guy at the dealership showed me the screen and the way it read is that they use the same sensor no matter what for one side, cant remember if it was left or right and a different one for the other side if it has self adjusting headlights. If it has regular headlights then its the same part number on both sides. Another interesting thing is that the dealer is telling me they dont know which one is bad and to replace both cause they both are originals and rusted in. I would replace both except the car is currently for sale and the less I spend on it the better.

Anyone else ran into these problems? Anyone else replaced a wheel sensor thats rusted in? The mechanic told me if I tried to do it myself that I would break it off in the hole and then it becomes a BIG fix.

 

i changed mine in 5 minutes, after removing the wheel. Let it soak with seafoam deepcreep if you have trouble removing it.

 

O.K....you can't always take what the dealer says as written in stone. I took my car to Audi because of a control arm problem and they told me they were fine. I replaced them myself and the car is a lot better because of it. They should be able to tell you which one is shot.

PB Blaster will work wonders on the sensor. Spray a ton on an let it sit. They'll pull out. As far as replacing one or both, you should do both. Since you said the car was on sale it would cause less of a problem in case the next owner brings it up.

 

I searched online and I am running into the same problem. Here is a bosch unit I found, much cheaper than oem, and it also has the same note on it.

2000 Audi A4 Quattro - Bosch Rear ABS Speed Sensor - Direct Fit OE Replacement Part Number: W0133-1809376Manufacturer Number: W0133-1809376 Fit Note: w/o Automatic Headlight Range Control
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List Price: $195.00
Our Price: $90.95
You Save: $104.05

 

Mine were a sumbitch to pull - they flat-out would not pull out. I had to pluck the axle out of the hub to expose the sensor face. I put a 12" extension on it from inside the housing and tapped it out with a hammer and it came out that way. I used PB, Kroil, And everything else. No dice - I had to hit it from inside the hub.

 

there's a list in the history of threads on this site that if you search for factory option codes it'll come up. it'll list all the option codes audi has offered for the B5 A4 and then you match it to every one of the codes listed on a sticker in the spare tire well. if one of them matches the headlight leveler code, it means you have that option on the car.

without leveler speed sensor:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_A4-...nsor/ES262914/

with leveler speed sensor:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_A4-...Sensor/ES5601/

you can get a used without leveler sensor from somebody parting out a car for like 25 bux though. taking the old one out is easy, just rip it the hell out and then rip the aluminum sleeve out of the hub, try to clean the hole a little bit and then stick the new one in. the harness is under the rear seat bottom

 

I call BS on what the dealer says, please tell me another story. They have really expensive diagnostic equipment they can use to find out which one is bad. If worst comes to worst, there is a little piece of hardware called a voltage meter which will prove which sensor is bad. You should run away from that dealer fast!

 

Well if they're auto adjusting headlights then they probably adjust their height based on how fast you're going... information which the ECS would get from the wheel speed sensor. so it's not that crazy of an idea. I'm about to go replace one on my car right now, I hope it's not super rusted on like some people are saying.