Handbrake failure after new caliper fitted

Quattrodave · #1 7th March 2016, 01:53 PM

Afternoon all,

I had a leaking OSR caliper on my 2007 4.2 FSI so took it to my local garage with a recon unit to change over, which they did no problem.

The issue arose when they went to re-engage the hand brake - nothing happened to either OS or NS calipers. They plugged in the old caliper and tried to get the handbrake to work but again nothing.

They called me and said they'd booked it into a specialist (ABtech in totton) who today have run a diagnostics on it and not identified anything. I've now just had to give the green light for them to look more into it and identify what's wrong and why.

Two things:
1. Does anyone have an idea what could have happened? Could, as my local garage have suggested, there been an internal fault with the caliper which has fried the parking ECM or could it be that my local garage, who aren't Audi specialists or even particularly high tech, have buggered something? Would I (read Abtech) be able to tell whether they'd done something wrong?

2. If it turns out that the replacement (warranted) caliper is faulty and has caused the ECM to die I will go after the supplier for costs. Aware that they will simply say bugger off and I'll have to go legal on them but it's looking like heading towards £1,000 to diagnose and repair a job that should have only cost £250 including the caliper!

I'm currently on day 5 with no car (and no courtesy car) and won't get it back until Thursday at the earliest so needless to say I'm livid at this moment in tim!

Thoughts & advice most welcome.

Architex_mA8tey · #2 7th March 2016, 02:02 PM

Did they follow the procedures in the guide document below or not?

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...7&d=1420367344

Quattrodave · #3 7th March 2016, 02:29 PM

I'm going to go with, no!

They're a small garage that I've sent 12 or so of my cars to (I get bored quickly) and never really had a problem with them, but as they said themselves they're not really set up for modern complex cars but said they had the software and skills needed to change a caliper (which was an easy two bolt job before EPB's became all the craze!)

paulrstaylor · #4 7th March 2016, 04:04 PM

To be fair to them it isn't unusual for the failing calliper to also necessitate a replacement ECU also, the ECU is in reality a high current driver for the calipers, which over time does suffer degradation. When the motor fails and gets gunked up it draws more current than designed for and that could affect the ECU itself, which might not manifest itself until your replace the caliper motor.

On my old car, I had to swap both motors and the ECU to get rid of the light, and that was following the correct procedure

So maybe not all their fault - if it is any consolation, the ECU wasn't the most expensive of parts from memory

Quattrodave · #5 7th March 2016, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulrstaylor

To be fair to them it isn't unusual for the failing calliper to also necessitate a replacement ECU also, the ECU is in reality a high current driver for the calipers, which over time does suffer degradation. When the motor fails and gets gunked up it draws more current than designed for and that could affect the ECU itself, which might not manifest itself until your replace the caliper motor.

On my old car, I had to swap both motors and the ECU to get rid of the light, and that was following the correct procedure

So maybe not all their fault - if it is any consolation, the ECU wasn't the most expensive of parts from memory

Thanks for the comment and feedback. I genuinely just want to know if it's someones fault then who and if not, then reassurance that it's just one of those things (like you've just alluded to!)

I didn't have a parking brake light, I just knew the seal was leaking (about 125ml every two weeks) but the handbrake worked fine up until the caliper was changed.

I had the forethought to ask what the cost of a replacement part is, £252, presumably plus vat. which on top of the £55 for the original garage to fit, plus £112 for diagnositcs and at least £150 for additional diagnostics makes for a hugely expensive caliper change!!! Especially when quoted only £55!

paulrstaylor · #6 7th March 2016, 04:24 PM

Yeah, £55 was never going to happen I'm afraid, the issue with an A8 is that when something fails it tends to be more expensive, but there are lots of redeeming features too!

From memory, I paid ~£200 per caliper/motor and ~£100 for the ECU and fitted myself, calipers were refurb form ECP and the ECU was a dealer item. Put new pads on also which wasn't really needed but at ~£40 made sense.

It maybe the messed it up, it maybe not their fault - in any case I hope you can get it put right with minimum fuss and expense and get back to enjoying the car

Quattrodave · #7 7th March 2016, 04:32 PM

Cheers. I hope so too. Only good news is I'm back on my bike to cycle to work whilst it's getting worked on!

If it settles at say £250-300 (plus caliper cost) I'll accept it and move on, after all the car was the bargain of the century!

Can't really fault the A8, save for the worlds biggest boot in which nothing fits! But I did come from a C6 RS6 which swallowed up everything (then mushed it all into a blob against the tailgate whenever I even looked at the throttle!)

My dh bike won't fit, most big boxes don't fit, even our old ironing board didn't fit into the boot!

paulrstaylor · #8 7th March 2016, 05:45 PM

I know exactly what you mean about the boot, the compromise of a saloon when you are used to an avant! My only fix was a tow bar and a trailer

Still well worth it

Quattrodave · #9 8th March 2016, 02:57 PM

Brake ECU be frazzled so I've got a replacement one on its way and to be sure that it wasn't the ebay sourced recon caliper that killed the ECU (which is what the specialist is suggesting) I've given the go ahead for the garage to fit a new TRW unit.

So now just to get a refund on the ebay caliper and suck up a bill of £600 for a bloody caliper change :S

Mechcanico Lee · #10 8th March 2016, 09:44 PM

Can i put a whole new take on this , it's not a witch hunt or against you in any way .

So you supplied your local garage with a caliper from eBay ( unknown sources ) they fitted the caliper and all went well , a week later you pressed the brake the pedal hit the floor , you crash into the car infront smashing it to bits injuring the occupants .
Police come ,you say you had brake failure , police impound car for inspection and find caliper has cracked down the bleed nipple threads .with major fluid loss

You say such and such garage just replaced it for me , investigation officer goes to local garage , local garage owners says "yeah customer supplied his own parts so not my problem " Arrr but it is his problem now ,as he was the last 'expert' to have worked on said vehicle .
So garage owner speaks to his liability insurance man ..... liability insurance man says ," yes send in receipts of the part you supplied and your fitting invoice "..... which he does not have .
Liability insurance say null and void claim no pay out you did not supply the part , where does it go from here , two damaged cars and injurys claim from both party's ??

You will find that garages who fit customers own parts will stop doing so sooner or later as liability insurance is stipulating the issue of fiting parts supplied by the owner will not be covered in the event of a claim .