Hi All,
I bought my A2 privately 6 days ago and all was going well until this morning
when the EPC came on. I have done about 200 miles over 4 days driving.
I replaced a rear brake bulb two days ago. The EPC light came on after a short (1 mile)
trip to the supermarket this morning. I noticed it when leaving the supermarket.
Have done a further 10 miles later this morning and it is still on. I have scanned this site for
tips and checked that the brake lights are functioning normally. They seem to work ok.
The car seems to be running fine and normally as far as I can tell. We did try to use the spare
key this morning to remotely unlock it but it appears that key has a flat battery. Can't see how that
could have any affect on the EPC though.
I see there are members with diagnostic kits and I may try and organise a check. My question is can I
continue to drive the car? Most other owners seem to report intermittent EPC lights wheras mine has
come on and stayed on.
Any advice appreciated
Hi the most common cause is infact tbe brake light switch but its wirth checking thevrear bulbs are fitted correctly and that they have a good tight fit-- some have been damaged by not fitting the bulbs the correct way so straning the fitting. Does your car hsve cruise control ? Is this functioning ok? As this can also not work properly when either the brake switch or clutch switch is failing.
If you decide to fit a new brake switch be carefull as its easy to remove the wrong one when your head is upside down in the foot well.
Hope this helps mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for reponse.
My A2 is a 1.4 SE without cruise control. I have just checked the back brake bulbs and all seems ok there.
Brake lights work when tested with ignition on but engine off. I suppose if the brake switch was failing my brake
lights wouldnt work. Clutch seems to work ok though occasionally i struggle to find fifth gear. still getting used to it.
Do you think its alright to keep on driving?
As with any fault it needs to be confirmed but i would say its ok to drive but keep in mind you may not have brake lights. See if you can find a good independent garage that will scan your car for a wallet safe amount. cheers mike
Another common side effect of a faulty brake light switch is that the FM radio suffers from interference.
If the radio goes crackly when the brake switch is pressed this can show a problem with the switch.
Thanks Mike. Will try and organise a diagnostic asap.
In the meantime I will put the FM radio on and check for interference.
Shame this cropped up because both me and wife are enjoying driving the car.
Appreciate the advice
Tried the FM radio test yesterday and it passed (no interference).
EPC light still on. Couldnt see any Vagcom member near me so
have booked the car in with JKM Motor Services of Portsmouth
for a diagnostic check on Wednesday.
Fingers crossed
Took the car into JKM on wednesday and guess what? It was the brake light switch. Apologies to Mike and John who said as much.
In my defence I will say the brake lights seemed to be working fine. Anyway it was a relief that it was something minor. JKM replaced it with an audi part. Total cost £78. Considering I was expecting to pay £66 for the diagnostic
alone this seemed very reasonable.
Filled the tank today and set the trip so I can calculate mpg.
Epc light back on! Car was fine for two weeks and then EPC light came back on. This was after crawling home in a 25 mile traffic jam. Car seems to be running ok. Have run it for two weeks with light on. I took it in this morning for a scan to a different garage. He reckons it is same brake switch issue but probably the wiring loom. He didnt reckon it was the ECU. He said i should get it sorted because in EPC mode it runs rich and spoils the catyliser. He said a connector on the loom may be at fault. Is it common for the loom to develop a fault? It is a bit odd that after changing the switch it was ok for 2 weeks and then went wrong again.
A good idea would be to check the integrity of the wiring connections. There could vey easily be a dry joint/bad connection that is causing this issue. Is the brake switch that has been fitted a genuine Audi part? You may consider taking the car back to the garage that "fixed" it the first time for a warranty repair?
As has been suggested though, a scan will point you in the right direction.
Thanks. Will contact the garage that changed the switch tomorrow and ask them to check it out. They did fit an audi part.
I didnt think it was going to be the same issue so went to a different garage for a cheaper scan yesterday. He gave me a vebal diagnosis rather than the codes. Is the diagnostic clever enough to know if it is a dry joint rather than a failed switch or does it have one code for this system?
