2013 Steering Issues VAG COM Fix?

[Silica666]

I'm booked in for Monday morning and will post my findings after a day or so.

[tomaszp72]

I'm booked in for Monday morning and will post my findings after a day or so.

Can you also find out if this is only for the S4 or the other models as well. I have a 2013 Q5 and happy with our fix but curious.

[Franky_d]

Can you also find out if this is only for the S4 or the other models as well. I have a 2013 Q5 and happy with our fix but curious.

I got a call from Audi suggesting steering software update for Q5 3.0tdi 2013!
Will take notes of all settings (both long coding and all channels) in the "steering module" No 44 and "Central Electronics" No 9 before and after the update. Will post here if I notice any changes.

[Seinsmeld13]

Guys I was at my local Audi dealer two days ago to schedule my 25,000 km service. I enquired about the steering issue I reported earlier. The service manager checked and said there were no outstanding updates for my car, therefore no fix on the steering. I told the service about the fix we have. He was in a word uninterested. Anyway, I have had no issues since this fix. I do however find comfort and auto too light and dynamic too hard. I have my steering set at auto and all other settings at dynamic.

[tomaszp72]

I'm booked in for Monday morning and will post my findings after a day or so.

Any updates?

[New_Audi]

We have a new 2013 A4, delivered just a few weeks ago so it’s close to the end of the 2013 production run. The steering has been horrible. On the drive home from the dealer, with 10-mls on the odo, it was tough to hold it in a straight line; it required constant correction. It also over-reacts to crosswinds. 200 mls later, its now acting up a low speeds.

Originally, I though the tire pressure was too high (transportation setting) or the 17-in tires have too flexible a sidewall, and thankfully they’re not runflats. The A4’s we test drove were perfect; that’s why we justified the new car. Its frustrating. I made a dealer service appointment on Saturday and I figure they need to fix it or it will be a future lemon.

Halleluiah; have just come across this forum/thread. I am impressed.
Based on our symptoms, it seems like our 2013 A4 also has the faulty software (DSR), that Audi waited for the 2014 production year to implement the new software.


So…anyone local in Seattle (Magnolia) that has the VAG.com software/cable, so I can check if DSR is enabled ?
Also. Has anyone had the new Audi software flash, and did it fix the steering or introduce new problems ?


Thank you so much

[feplazas]

Hi guys. Any news on how to correct the ABS module error when DSR is off? thx!

[Moose201]

I'm booked in for Monday morning and will post my findings after a day or so.

Okay, time to report back.

[lapisia]

Okay, time to report back.

the cake is a lie.

[Moose201]

the cake is a lie.

Huh?

[Pilfer]

the cake is a lie.

Damn, you beat me to it! Haha I was waiting for a thread to use that on. Haha.

[Moose201]

the cake is a lie.

Okay, got it now.

[coolwater]

I jus had my 5k service and asked dealer if any tsb for me.
They said no, but I did get the creaky mmi surround addressed with insulation.
So 5 mins ago I saw dsr was checked and disabled it in vagcom.

No errors so far with the change.
I am on ads lite without the adjustable suspension.

Will see how the car behaves on the highway.

-cW

[drob23]

I jus had my 5k service and asked dealer if any tsb for me.
They said no, but I did get the creaky mmi surround addressed with insulation.
So 5 mins ago I saw dsr was checked and disabled it in vagcom.

No errors so far with the change.
I am on ads lite without the adjustable suspension.

Will see how the car behaves on the highway.

-cW

So did they clear all your other coding or just the steering ECU? Did you tell them you made changes before dropping off?

[coolwater]

No I made the change after leaving dealership as they didn't have anything for me.
No tsb or fix. So I made the change myself in vagcom and no abs error.

Steering feel is the same but the slipping and tramline feeling is gone.

-cW

[drob23]

No I made the change after leaving dealership as they didn't have anything for me.
No tsb or fix. So I made the change myself in vagcom and no abs error.

Steering feel is the same but the slipping and tramline feeling is gone.

-cW

Did you run a full scan or just no error's in the dash? So far I've only seen one scan that had DSR off but no error. I seem to remember either the dealer or the factory coded it off, maybe after a steering rack replacement...

As a side (not that this thread is really going anywhere) - Anyone drive an Audi with the lane keep assist? I did the BMW comparison thing at the dealership (colossal waste of time FTR) and driving the A7 was downright scary. I didn't even realize what it was doing until I pulled back in. It steers itself to stay in lane-but in a way that superimposes the input with yourself, the sensation is bizarre. I could see if you weren't trying to put in any input, but when you're driving around changing lanes and such and the system sort of takes over...ugh. Also, the 3.0TFSI feels significantly underpowered in that car, either it's the torque converter or the heft but the hookup in the S4 is just more brutal when downshifting on kickdown.

[coolwater]

I stopped the scan half way right after change since the dash didn't alert.
Anyway with the full scan it did pop up.
Frequency was 5 after about an hour of driving.
So I guess this is a harmless error?

1 Fault Found:
01044 - Control Module Incorrectly Coded
000 - -
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01100000
Fault Priority: 3
Fault Frequency: 5
Reset counter: 226
Mileage: 7947 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2013.07.12
Time: 12:13:45

Freeze Frame:
Hex Value: 0x0000
Hex Value: 0x00A2
Hex Value: 0x0015
Hex Value: 0x109A
Hex Value: 0x0000

-cW

[coolwater]

I can confirm like others that the highspeed slip issues are gone.
There is no more fighting the car to get it to where I want.
I am now 100x more confident to get in and around other cars on the highway.

I highly recommend this temp fix and to TDD for the initial leg work.

-cW

[drob23]

I stopped the scan half way right after change since the dash didn't alert.
Anyway with the full scan it did pop up.
Frequency was 5 after about an hour of driving.
So I guess this is a harmless error?

1 Fault Found:
01044 - Control Module Incorrectly Coded
000 - -
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01100000
Fault Priority: 3
Fault Frequency: 5
Reset counter: 226
Mileage: 7947 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2013.07.12
Time: 12:13:45

Freeze Frame:
Hex Value: 0x0000
Hex Value: 0x00A2
Hex Value: 0x0015
Hex Value: 0x109A
Hex Value: 0x0000

-cW

For all intents and purposes, I think we've established that this abs error is nothing more than an annoyance. Coding the steering module correctly gives some error.

Was helping the GF code her new GTI and noticed DSR...didn't even mention it since there's no way she'd dream of disabling this.

[Seinsmeld13]

I did the fix and have no ans error. Is that because I have the stock suspension? My is loaded otherwise.

[coolwater]

No idea, but it only showed up for me during a full scan.
And after you clear it, it will return almost immediately on a rescan.
So maybe you just lucked out then.

-cW

[Seinsmeld13]

Cool water does this abs fault show up each time you start your car and remain lit?

[drob23]

I did the fix and have no ans error. Is that because I have the stock suspension? My is loaded otherwise.

Would you mind reporting your coding for the steering module (44-electric steering assist module)? Look to my post #217 for examples of how the module can be coded and what appears to be the correct coding. User laakness is the only one who has the correct coding to my knowledge, I don't remember if his came that way from the factory, or if it was post rack replacement. TIA

[coolwater]

Cool water does this abs fault show up each time you start your car and remain lit?

Nothing shows on the dash.
It only shows up on a vag com full scan.
I am carrying my vagcom around for a bit just in case I need to clear something.

-cW

[drob23]

I stopped the scan half way right after change since the dash didn't alert.
Anyway with the full scan it did pop up.
Frequency was 5 after about an hour of driving.
So I guess this is a harmless error?

1 Fault Found:
01044 - Control Module Incorrectly Coded
000 - -
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01100000
Fault Priority: 3
Fault Frequency: 5
Reset counter: 226
Mileage: 7947 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2013.07.12
Time: 12:13:45

Freeze Frame:
Hex Value: 0x0000
Hex Value: 0x00A2
Hex Value: 0x0015
Hex Value: 0x109A
Hex Value: 0x0000

-cW

Also, there's a key on Ross-Tech's site for "fault priority"- in this case 3 - corresponding to

"The fault doesn't require an immediate service appointment, but it should be corrected with the next service appointment."

Source - http://www.ross-tech.com/vcds/tour/dtc_screen.html

[coolwater]

Thanks for the info drob.

After driving the car with dsr off for the weekend...
There is no reason for anyone reading this to wait any longer.

My steering response is now immediate.
In the past it would be a split second of the car thinking if you are sure you want to go a certain way before doing it. Kinda like turbo lag for your steering...

And ofcourse the whole adjusting the steering constantly when cruising on highway.

I can now cut thru traffic with precision that I would expect from a car like this.

-cW

[millerrh]

Do any of you guys have any idea if Audi addressed this on the 2014 cars? I've got one on order and was hopeful it would have been fixed by now, but if you guys are still going to the dealer with no TSBs, I'm thinking that's probably not likely.

[visualguy]

What I don't get is how come only some cars have the slip issue. If it's truly the case that the DSR software doesn't work right, then wouldn't you expect all cars which have DSR enabled to exhibit this problem? My car, for example, doesn't have any steering issues - it's a 2013 S5 made in 08/2012, and it has 3,600 miles on it.

One possible explanation is that there is some connection to hardware that goes bad, such as sensors used by DSR. Once these sensors go bad, DSR starts causing the slip problem, and you need to disable it.

Not sure what else could explain this...

[drob23]

What I don't get is how come only some cars have the slip issue. If it's truly the case that the DSR software doesn't work right, then wouldn't you expect all cars which have DSR enabled to exhibit this problem? My car, for example, doesn't have any steering issues - it's a 2013 S5 made in 08/2012, and it has 3,600 miles on it.

One possible explanation is that there is some connection to hardware that goes bad, such as sensors used by DSR. Once these sensors go bad, DSR starts causing the slip problem, and you need to disable it.

Not sure what else could explain this...

The sensor guess is a good one and probably what I'd go with. There's also some sort of adaptation based either on calibration at the factory/port or something the car learns as you drive. Software and hardware "co-depend" on each other...in the case of Audi EPS, think 2 girls 1 cup.

[visualguy]

The sensor guess is a good one and probably what I'd go with. There's also some sort of adaptation based either on calibration at the factory/port or something the car learns as you drive. Software and hardware "co-depend" on each other...in the case of Audi EPS, think 2 girls 1 cup.

I guess it could indeed be some bug in learning that's triggered only under some particular circumstances. I wonder if there's a way to reset the learning, and see if the slip problem goes away until the bug is triggered again.

Learning in cars seems to be a recipe for trouble in general... It tends to be buggy at worst or an imprecise science with unintended consequences at best. Also, what if multiple drivers with different driving styles share the same car? Fortunately, I haven't been impacted by transmissions that learn because I drive manual. Too bad they're doing it with steering too nowadays...

[drob23]

I guess it could indeed be some bug in learning that's triggered only under some particular circumstances. I wonder if there's a way to reset the learning, and see if the slip problem goes away until the bug is triggered again.

Learning in cars seems to be a recipe for trouble in general... It tends to be buggy at worst or an imprecise science with unintended consequences at best. Also, what if multiple drivers with different driving styles share the same car? Fortunately, I haven't been impacted by transmissions that learn because I drive manual. Too bad they're doing it with steering too nowadays...

There are varying degree's of "complexity" within car systems. EPS is still a relatively new technology, at least implemented on a wide scale, and sometimes suppliers try too hard to provide lots of additional features to a system without properly proving the designs out. The control systems in your ECU that control all the engine timing and injection stuff use all kinds of learning algorithms devised by some of the best and brightest we have. It just takes time to get things right, usually why people don't buy first year models of a car, which unfortunately is what we have with the B8.5 steering.

[Silica666]

Sorry for not giving feedback sooner but I only had the car back a few days before I returned to work. Initially the steering was a lot firmer at all speeds and the brakes seemed a lot more responsive.

I was sure I could still feel the slip very slightly but heavily dampened due to the firmer steering but still can't decide if it is happening, however tonight I experienced the notchiness, the steering firmed up and the wheel wanted to turn through about 5 degree indexes, another call to audi customer support and my local dealer I guess :(

[gendry]

Did you have the rack replaced? If not, what is your build date?

Sorry for not giving feedback sooner but I only had the car back a few days before I returned to work. Initially the steering was a lot firmer at all speeds and the brakes seemed a lot more responsive.

I was sure I could still feel the slip very slightly but heavily dampened due to the firmer steering but still can't decide if it is happening, however tonight I experienced the notchiness, the steering firmed up and the wheel wanted to turn through about 5 degree indexes, another call to audi customer support and my local dealer I guess :(

[Silica666]

Did you have the rack replaced? If not, what is your build date?

No, it wasn't being offered in the UK but I will mention it tomorrow.
I'm not sure of the build date but took delivery in August last year so I'm guessing June/July.

[gendry]

From everything on the prior threads, if you have an early build date (as you certainly do), the rack replacement is needed to fix the notichiness for good - the software vagcom change won't address that issue. So it would make sense that the updated firmware wouldn't either.

Later build dates don't have the notch issue, just the slip issue.

[Silica666]

Issue now resolved.




I have just ordered a BMW 335D Msport Xdrive.

[mattchat]

I've got a friend in a new fully loaded 550 xdrive and he sais the new ones are all having the same issues as Audi.....their forums are rampant with it as well.

Issue now resolved.




I have just ordered a BMW 335D Msport Xdrive.

[thedollardoctor]

Issue now resolved.




I have just ordered a BMW 335D Msport Xdrive.

Disable DSR, get rack replaced and keep your S4

[rs4dreams]

Disable DSR, get rack replaced and keep your S4

Do you think the replaced rack gives better steering feel, or does it just get rid of the notchiness? I've had notchiness only a few times and it bothers me much less (because it happens so rarely) than the "slip" which was a constant imprecise feeling on the steering.

I have DSR off, AK, and USS sways/links. I feel that the steering is quite good now, but can definitely use some improvement still.

[visualguy]

Disable DSR, get rack replaced and keep your S4

Wish I had a dealer I could trust with replacing the rack without screwing something up. We shouldn't have to go through this on a new car. Fortunately, the problem hasn't shown up on my car yet.