2001 Allroad....gearbox ecu location.

[Tommer9]

Evening all. Following on from a thread back in 2010, I am wondering where the ECU for my allroad gearbox is. It has an AKE engine, and in the service schedule booklet it lists in the gearbox code FCE and also EYJ. Any ideas? Although the car is driving ok, it has the ESP light on, the Suspension light on and the ABS light on. I can select gears without putting my foot on the brake now too, and THAT little warning light by the gear lever never illuminates. It also tells me i have brake lights out when i haven't. I can take the fuse out of the brake lights and they flash sometimes, quite quickly when in park without my foot on the brake Also cruise control is not working, I suspect the ABS too, but I also have needle lift sensor intermittent fault being thrown up, G80, and the heater coil light on the dashboard flashes all the time, (which along with the loss of power and increased fuel consumption leads me to assume limp mode?). I have replaced the commencement injector/ needle lift sensor and that hasnt solved the problem unfortunately. I wonder if the gearbox faults are related?
Sorry for the essay, but I have to decide whether to soldier on with this car which is excellent otherwise, or to break it.

[ceilidhalfie]

When you start the engine are the ESP, Susp ands ABS lights on or do they come on later when you apply the brakes? If it is when you apply the brakes, you have a faulty brake light SWITCH (nothing to do with faulty brake lights!). There is a switch beneath the brake pedal which often fails and shows these symptoms. A VCDS scan for fault codes would show if this is the case. If you can't do a scan, it is not a big ticket item to replace. I believe the gearbox ECU is beneath the carpet in the driver's footwell just in front of the seat - but I really think you should not go near this just yet! The intermittent needle lift sensor fault is likely to be a fault in the wiring (as you have already replaced injector 3). Engine Management will use default settings if it gets no reading from the needle lift sensor.

[Tommer9]

Well that is what i initially had changed, with a genuine part BTW. The scan states it is in the B circuit if my memory serves me correctly.....but sometimes it comes on as soon as i start the car, sometimes not at all, and sometimes only after i first apply the brakes and always as soon as i turn the lights on!

[ceilidhalfie]

Did you fit the new brake light switch yourself? I have a 2002 AKE Allroad and solved this problem a couple of years aga with new brake light switch BUT... The original part had been superceded. As you probably know, these switches are one-time fit only and the originals had problems with seating and PRIMING by pushing in switch and turning 45degrees. So they changed the switch - the new ones get pushed in and turned 45 degrees to seat AND THEN TURNED A FURTHER 45 DEGREES TO PRIME. The workshop manual still advises only 45 degree turn! Might be worth checking if you can turn a further 45 degrres. Please see my earlier post on this as there is also a second form of switch for which this does not apply. Nothing with Audi is simple!