Can anyone tell me the cost to have the abs module repaired? My 2005 A4 has a blinking brake light along with the abs light on solid and the engine light also. The car jumps when I step on the gas. It still runs and stops but it feels very shaky. Oh and the speedometer works intermittently. Am I damaging it to drive it? All the foreign car shops say they cant fix it cuz they dont have the software to code the new replacement parts and I have to take it to the dealer. Any idea the cost for this repair? Is it worth it on a 2005 A4 with 90k miles given these problems or should I look into getting a new car? If so whats my best bet for something reliable without constant repairs under 20k? Would it be an A3 or an A4 or is there no such thing as an Audi that isnt going to need constant repairs? lol.

 

I would first "unplug" the large connector on the ABS and then see if the car improves. Bad ABS modules are known to foul up data communication with the various modules.

There are ABS repair shops, I have not used one in many years, but perhaps ask about this in a new thread; maybe some leads will show up. The actual module repair *used to be* $100 and up, however by this time you might look for a used one on Ebay, for instance. As to your last question, 90K miles does not seem like much compared to my 2005 (252K miles) but I don't know how your car has been maintained over the last 15-16 years. My 3.0 V6 is very reliable and not too demanding maintenance-wise; I commute 90 miles round trip per weekday with it, but then I fix things when it needs them. Among Audis, there are far more A4's available then A3's. Later model A4s have decent reliability from what I've seen. However you could, of course, get a KIA, not that I would.

 

Thanks for your response. I have actually added up all my receipts this past week for repairs and maintenance which I spent on this car the last 16 years and its both shocking and embarrassing. Obviously I am not a mechanic and don't do any of the work myself so mostly I took it to the dealer until the warranty expired and then independent repair shops. I can not believe that I spent over 16k on this car given how little I drive, have garaged it the last 10 years, and always get it repaired as soon as anything goes wrong. I was trying to determine why my car needed so much work and if this was normal to decide if buying another Audi will just lead to the same situation should I keep the car another 16 years. Without listing everything I've repaired and replaced and comparing it to what most Audi owners on here have experienced themselves as well as the estimated cost of each repair had you not been able to do the work yourselves, I have no way to compare if my overall investment in this 16 year old car was extreme or perhaps similar to others who owned an A4 which was approximately built and driven during the same time frame. I feel like I replaced and rebuilt this entire car yet it never ends, the parts keep braking and so does my wallet. Looking back I feel stupid, thinking that I should have replaced this car much sooner. But it always seemed easier to put in $1000 here and $500 there instead of having to make car payments again or save 20k to even consider buying a decent used Audi. So the story goes, more time, more money. At this point, the Audi dealer who did a diagnostic on the car said that it will cost close to $4,000 to replace the abs module and that Germany doesn't even have the part available due to lack of production during the pandemic. The other options to get it repaired will be difficult in that no local shops are willing to rebuild the abs module and I just feel its too risky to invest any more money in this car because I am not confident about what I am getting and it wont even have a warranty. I can try to find a local shop willing to unplug the abs module as you suggested but I dont live in a major city and there are only a handful of European auto mechanics nearby besides the dealer, who would even consider doing this for me. The car isnt safe enough to drive 60 miles each way to San Diego or Orange County. So I'm kinda stuck and my options are limited. l feel like the smarter option is to get a 2016-2017 model with somewhat low mileage because the cars are made much better now then they were in 2005. What bothers me as much as all the money I put into this car is the fact that I wont even be able to get any of it back. Why is it when you upgrade, remodel, or repair a house, it increases the value, yet when you do the same to a car, the value just continues to drop as if you never did the work? I dont get it. Tires replaced 2 years ago and a new a/c system just to name a few components among many which were expensive and are in great condition, yet the most anyone has offered me for the car as a trade in is $1000. That hurts. To them its a piece of junk to be sent to the auction. But if I do try to sell it privately, can I legally do so, as long as I disclose that the check engine light, brake light, and abs light are on? Not like its even possible to hide this information.

 

First, you can legally sell the car in whatever condition it is, although an honest explanation of what is wrong is your best bet. I can sympathize about the car's value, as my '05 runs really well, but with those miles is not worth much either. And yes, a house tends to increase in value with maintenance or improvements, but not so with cars.

That $4K quote is absolutely outrageous in my opinion. And ABS is not really necessary in some cases, such as where I live in San Diego county. No snow, little rain. The ABS connector is actually very accessible, and not hard to disconnect. It's worth a try, and if you are interested, I can take a picture of where it is. The ABS light will stay on, but the secondary symptoms may be gone.

You might be wise to cut your losses and plan on a newer car. I frequently see stuck Hondas and Nissans off the shoulder, so lots of 16 year old cars become unreliable.

 

Sorry I missed your reply. I am also just north of San Diego,having lived there for 17 yrs before buying a house near Temecula. If the car wasnt jumping and hesitating I wouldnt care if the light stayed on but it is and so I feel really unsafe. Now the oil pressure light just came on as well and is beeping and flashing at me and I feel like the car is going to either break down or blow up.lol Not really funny. So is it worth it at this point to put even 2,000 bux into fixing the module and oil pressure etc since the car is pretty old at age 2005? Am I wasting more money since the most it has been appraised at for a trade in is $1,000 ? Will I get a few more years of life out of it or should I just say goodbye to these headaches but then jump into someone elses problems by buying another Audi or maybe BMW with 50,000 miles on it? Because all I can afford if 22k including tax which puts me in a 2015-2016 BMW or A4. Its really hard to get myself to like a Honda again after loving my Audi for 16 yrs despite hating the bills to maintain it. I spoke to a local mechanic today and he did say he can get a rebuilt one for me a lot less then 4,000 bux. But at what point do you just weight the bad options and opt out of your car? Is now the time even though what I will buy isnt ideal either? I looked up my info on this site but honestly IDK what it all means and will have to trust a good German shop mechanic to do the work at a fair price .https://modulemaster.com/pages/produ...~mk_audi~md_a4. Prices look inexpensive as I am sure its the labor that accounts for most of the cost. Do you want to do the work? lol Thanks