2009 Gti Possible ABS Pump Failure

[Gtichick93]

One day while driving to work my ABS, traction control and brake light came on. Its gradually been getting worse. It now says engine fault, epc light comes on, speedo needle stops working, fuel numbers jump around, steering wheel light, green circle etc. When its just the first three lights i mentioned, the car drives fine. When the rest turn on it wont go past 4k rpms, ps feels strange etc. I was told the car had a code for a bad wheel speed sensor and abs module. Does it sound like an electrical problem or is the abs module really causing all these issues?

 

[Fred930]

Those are classic symptoms of a faulty ABS control module / pump. Last I remember, VW had finally listed it as a warranty safety recall. Doubt that has expired, but you should call your VW dealer and provide them with the VIN number. Many of us dealt with the problem before VW acknowledged it. It's not a repair you want to pay for - probably about $2000 - nor something you will want to do yourself, although I did. The module is difficult to remove (between engine and passenger side firewall), with 6 brake lines that can be cross threaded it you are not careful. Then the replacement module must be coded (Ross Tech VCDS) and 4 sensors recalibrated. And before removing the old module you MUST copy and save it's long coding - assuming you can still communicate with it.

If you search the forums for something like "ABS Control Module Failure" you should find my old posting describing the details - probably 4 or 5 years ago.

 

[Gtichick93]

Those are classic symptoms of a faulty ABS control module / pump. Last I remember, VW had finally listed it as a warranty safety recall. Doubt that has expired, but you should call your VW dealer and provide them with the VIN number. Many of us dealt with the problem before VW acknowledged it. It's not a repair you want to pay for - probably about $2000 - nor something you will want to do yourself, although I did. The module is difficult to remove (between engine and passenger side firewall), with 6 brake lines that can be cross threaded it you are not careful. Then the replacement module must be coded (Ross Tech VCDS) and 4 sensors recalibrated. And before removing the old module you MUST copy and save it's long coding - assuming you can still communicate with it.

If you search the forums for something like "ABS Control Module Failure" you should find my old posting describing the details - probably 4 or 5 years ago.

Thank you for the help. I took it to a VW dealer. All the did was upgrade the software, nothing more unfortunately. I wish they had replaced it. All they said was the pump was bad

 

[GTI's]

Thank you for the help. I took it to a VW dealer. All the did was upgrade the software, nothing more unfortunately. I wish they had replaced it. All they said was the pump was bad

So you already had the safety recall done and they updated the software and now you are getting ABS issues correct? Have you done a scan to see what the codes are exactly? If you have one or both of these codes do not erase them but take the car to VW so they can take care of the module under the recall. The codes that they are looking for are 01130: ABS Operation – Implausible Signal with 125 shown in the 4th line of the expanded ambient conditions or freeze frame data and/or 16352: Control Module Faulty with 96 shown in the 4th line of the expanded ambient conditions or freeze frame data are stored in the ABS Control Module (address word 0003)

 

[Gtichick93]

So you already had the safety recall done and they updated the software and now you are getting ABS issues correct? Have you done a scan to see what the codes are exactly? If you have one or both of these codes do not erase them but take the car to VW so they can take care of the module under the recall. The codes that they are looking for are 01130: ABS Operation – Implausible Signal with 125 shown in the 4th line of the expanded ambient conditions or freeze frame data and/or 16352: Control Module Faulty with 96 shown in the 4th line of the expanded ambient conditions or freeze frame data are stored in the ABS Control Module (address word 0003)

I was having issues before going to the dealer. I went there to see if it was a recall. They said its just an upgrade and if it was faulty there was nothing they could do. These are the codes I was given

 

[Jremey]

So this unfortunately will probably turn into a big headache, I know it did for me. I fought with VW for over a year to try to get them to take care of the recall but to no avail. The NHTSA recall states that your VW dealer is supposed to attempt a software update first. If that doesn't work then they are to inspect and repair any faulty grounds that caused the module to fail. If those don't work, then the module is supposed to be replaced under manufacturers warranty. My VW dealers (yes multuple) said that my "module has failed outside of the parameters of the recall" and they refused to cover it and wanted to charge me $2200 for parts, not including labor. I even filed a complaint against them with the NHTSA and the National Consumer's Bureau but unfortunately got no help. Decided to do some research and found out that an abs module from a new VW is also compatible and they already have the software update. I work at a parts retailer so I called in some connections and got an abs module from a 2012 jetta and it was plug and play. Abs light gone, epc light gone, I could go over 4k rpm and the odometer was tracking mileage again. You can also get a new abs module with pump from sites like ecstuning and urotuning and others for around half of what the dealer might charge. Now I know it was stated before that you'll have to reflash the module, maybe I got lucky but I did not have to do any reprogramming. I just had a shop bleed the system after I installed the new pump assembly. Hopefully you'll get better results than I did from VW, if it's a safety recall they are required by law the complete the repairs under the manufacturers warranty. Good luck!