Do Audi main dealers “repair” wiring?

[Boosted Cerb]

Had my BiTdi C7 Avant a few weeks now and loving it.

It’s got to go back to Audi to sort intermittent brake pad wear light. They said it’s the rear wiring loom from the pad sensor connector into the car body.

I’m a bit concerned they will cut and splice the wring loom in the rear wheel arch? Would this be a exceptable repair from a main agent?

I’ve read of looms being replaced, £70 part but all the posts talk about the front brake pad wear loom not the rear.

Cheers

Rich

[SteBrown91]

A main dealer won’t repair they will replace

[Novexx]

Most looms are modular when it come to sections like this & are multi-plugged somewhere down the line so that sections can be easily replaced - plug-n-play.

[Dr G]

Depending on the nature and severity of the damage they will repair it; this is often the prescribed process directly from the manufacturer and repair parts are supplied directly from Audi. There is an Audi wiring repair kit that comes with connectors, pin tool etc.

Main dealers will generally only follow the repair process as dictated by the manufacturer; in the case of water damage for example they will normally only quote to replace but if you run something over or a wire snags and breaks repair is fine.

[WhatHappenedThere]

My last one went in for this work (common fault is corrosion at the connection)
The dealer then said they had to order it in but ‘helpfully’ also advises of of 7 other bits of work that could be done totalling (to the penny) £1,250.00


I took it to a local VW Audi Indy instead that did it no probs.

It was - at the front - a section of loom they changed from inside the front wing to the pad connector.

[Boosted Cerb]

Thanks Chaps,

I think the repair kit was what they were eluding too. Although this is corrosion from water damage, adding an extra connector in a wheel arch doesn’t feel like the best solution.

This is the rear pad sensor loom so I wonder if it’s a pig of a job to change. This is going to be a free dealer fix rather than warranty just don’t want to get fobbed off with a repair rather than a replace if I was paying.

Anyone had a rear pad sensor loom replaced?

[S1KRR]

It depends on the wiring concerned.

Many moons ago, I replaced wiring from the rear ride height sensor on a B8 A4 and that went into the body of the car (via the wheelarch liner) The new loom didn't come with a multiplug it was literally cut n shut job into the existing wiring loom. Audi have a large wiring box with the various types of wiring and the butt connectors (see pic) Soom of the looms to the ABS unit are similar.



These are mandated under Audi Warranty repairs, so should be fine, but as ever it comes down to WHO is doing the job. As not all Techs are as good as each other...

[rottenegg]

The 'repair kit' is a bunch of pre-terminated yellow wires (plug end) that they cut and splice into the existing harness. That is the official fix, unless it's cheaper to rip the damaged harness out and fit a replacement, which it seldom is.

Reminds me of a local dealer replacing the primary harness in a Q7 costing £1000s in parts and labour because they couldn't trace a fault. The whole thing, front to back. Interior out, the lot. Don't ever buy a Q7 is all I'll say! Absolute nightmares for electrical gremlins.

[Who me ?]

One of these days, all electrical blokes working on a car might consider echo location. As might manufactures. Wouldn't take much time at first build stage to set up a system on a computer program to scan the model from each fitting ,and give a trace. Each joint/ plug will show up as a different blip. Open circuits show up as one reading, S/C as another. In theory, all dealer has to do is plug into car and the location of a S/C or OC will show up. Similar( but simplified principle) idea to throwing a stone across pond. When ripples hit problem they return. Just like radar, but on wires. No high voltages, just pulses.
Telecomms folk have been using this idea for decades.
Thought for some of our car designers on here ?

[rottenegg]

I thought CAN bus aimed to achieve a similar thing, as well as reducing the cable count? Although looking at the Q7's main harness, the girth of it is like a small tree branch at it's thickest point.

Consumers are to blame for this unnecessary wiring complexity due to all the frivolous gadgets people 'need' these days.