# ESP warning light staying on..???



## bouncer (Aug 25, 2012)

My ESP warning light on my dash is staying on all the time... :x any ideas people..?? Cheers


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

If it's the first time then recycle the ignition a couple of times or wait 5-10 mins before restarting and if it clears forget about it. _Actually says that in the manual somewhere!_

However if it returns it could be for a multitude of reasons, from faulty (or dirty) MAF, to air in Brake Fluid or a faulty sensor. Really needs a scan to diagnose.

Has anything, wheels, suspension tracking, clutch/Brake fluid, or Air Filter etc, been disturbed recently?


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## bouncer (Aug 25, 2012)

Skeee said:


> If it's the first time then recycle the ignition a couple of times or wait 5-10 mins before restarting and if it clears forget about it. _Actually says that in the manual somewhere!_
> 
> However if it returns it could be for a multitude of reasons, from faulty (or dirty) MAF, to air in Brake Fluid or a faulty sensor. Really needs a scan to diagnose.
> 
> Has anything, wheels, suspension tracking, clutch/Brake fluid, or Air Filter etc, been disturbed recently?


Yes mate I fitted a pipercross panel filter to the car last week..!!! :? Would this affect the ESP system...??? What do you suggest to remedy..? Cheers Bouncer


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## marknjayne (Jun 15, 2012)

where are you located.see if someone can plug in and see whats the issue


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## tatoquetevi (Oct 11, 2011)

Normally when the MAF is KO, the ESP Warning turns on.

Try to disconnect and reconnect the MAF, after Pipercross installation, clear the fault code with VAGCOM and I think if it´s all correct, it will disappear


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## MichaelAC (Sep 7, 2009)

Hi,

I have this issue too. The light is normally off at start up but always comes on within a mile or so. I've had it checked and apparently it's a faulty sensor. They told me that the ABS still works but ESP won't. So my guess is that if it's not the MAF it will be the sensor.


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

If you start/run the car with the MAF disconnected it will fail the ESP only, ABS will be fine.
I think it takes 3 or 4 starts after the MAF is reconnected before the failure clears. Either that or perhaps the MAF was damaged (dropping it may crack the fragile wire) during the process.

Or perhaps one of the sensors _has _failed, but bit of a coincidence?


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

MichaelAC said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have this issue too. The light is normally off at start up but always comes on within a mile or so. I've had it checked and apparently it's a faulty sensor. They told me that the ABS still works but ESP won't. So my guess is that if it's not the MAF it will be the sensor.


What sensor specifically was mentioned? It may be dirty or a poor connection, or an air bubble in the brake fluid etc.

The car will run fine, (not in snow etc) without ESP, with ABS unaffected, however unlike last year it is now an MOT failure!


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## bouncer (Aug 25, 2012)

MichaelAC said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have this issue too. The light is normally off at start up but always comes on within a mile or so. I've had it checked and apparently it's a faulty sensor. They told me that the ABS still works but ESP won't. So my guess is that if it's not the MAF it will be the sensor.


This is my girlfriends car and this morning when she set off for work the ESP warning light had cleared again but after about 20 miles the ESP warning light came back on..!! :x I know the car will drive fine without ESP but you try convincing a 'bird' that the world isnt going to end if she carries on driving the car with the warning light on..!!!! Where is the MAF sensor located... in the usual place on the exhaust downpipe...?? Cheers boys


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## bouncer (Aug 25, 2012)

marknjayne said:


> where are you located.see if someone can plug in and see whats the issue


were located in Clay Cross Chesterfield at the moment (just about to move up to yorkshire..!) so onl a couple of junctions down from you..! where do you take your TT any suggestions..? Cheers


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## marknjayne (Jun 15, 2012)

bouncer said:


> marknjayne said:
> 
> 
> > where are you located.see if someone can plug in and see whats the issue
> ...


if you want to pop across i will plug in for you or i will be in mansfield tomorrow (at toybox developments with Bikerz) at 10.30-11.30,or we are having a vag meet at xscape sunday from 1pm


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

bouncer said:


> [Where is the MAF sensor located... in the usual place on the exhaust downpipe...?? Cheers boys


The MAF is located next (just after) the air filter. The usual place for most cars, and you're welcome.

The exhaust downpipe is the Lambda/Oxygen sensor.

The ESP uses the ABS system and five discrete sensors. Any of these, or the MAF or bubbly brake fluid or misaligned tracking can cause a fail.
Further reading here:-
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=285369&p=2339070&hilit=ESP#p2339070


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

bouncer said:


> .............This is my girlfriends car..............


If it's under five years old and low mileage (50-60k miles approx) and has a full Audi history then you should, with some haggling, get a hefty (50% I was offered) discount off the repair if it is an ESP sensor.

Or you could just go to an Indy VAG Specialist and pay about the same, or even less.


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## bouncer (Aug 25, 2012)

marknjayne said:


> bouncer said:
> 
> 
> > marknjayne said:
> ...


Cheers Mark I really appreciate your help..!! but we just cant make it across this weekend as we are moving all weekend :x If the problem persists ill be in touch if thats ok with you just to plug it in and see what comes up on the fault code..! Thanks again... Top man..! I'd be interested in coming to one of your next meets tho... keep me posted  which xscape are you meeting at incidentally..??


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## marknjayne (Jun 15, 2012)

bouncer said:


> Cheers Mark I really appreciate your help..!! but we just cant make it across this weekend as we are moving all weekend :x If the problem persists ill be in touch if thats ok with you just to plug it in and see what comes up on the fault code..! Thanks again... Top man..! I'd be interested in coming to one of your next meets tho... keep me posted  which xscape are you meeting at incidentally..??


yeh no problem buddy,,its audi-sport who are having a meet at xscape in casleton at 1 pm,we will be parked up but we are going sledging as we are still big kids at heart haha


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## MichaelAC (Sep 7, 2009)

bouncer said:


> MichaelAC said:
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> ...


Well, luckily my wife doesn't have this problem, not that I let her drive unless I have to, I like my 'kerbed free' wheels too much. In fact, she wouldn't even notice the light if it was a red one flashing with a beeping noise (still love her though). It must be hellish having an observant 'other half' that can get you in all sorts of trouble :lol:

Hope you get it sorted soon......


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## Torque (May 7, 2012)

My "traction control off" light came on earlier and when I put VCDS on (car still running) there was no fault there :/

Even now shows no fault but no light now


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

Park with steering wheel straight and check, ABS, Measuring Blocks, 3,4 & 5.

Should all be a steady zero +/- a small set tolerance. If not then one sensor is on way out.

See this,
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=288063&p=2375909&hilit=ESP+G200#p2375909
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.ph ... ic_Setting

Block 4 is the steering wheel, so should zero as you straighten the wheel.
Also Block 5 is G201 and G214 sensors, respectively, tolerance is +/- 7.
Press the brake pedal and both should go up together and return to zero with pedal released.

Also see
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=153716


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## antcole (Apr 4, 2009)

bouncer said:


> Skeee said:
> 
> 
> > If it's the first time then recycle the ignition a couple of times or wait 5-10 mins before restarting and if it clears forget about it. _Actually says that in the manual somewhere!_
> ...


Does the pipercross filter use a light oil spray like the K&N filter?
Maybe the MAF has been contaminated with this oil and just needs a wash off as described in Waks MAF cleaning guide here - 
http://www.wak-tt.com/mafclean/mafclean.htm

ESP light is also indicative of the condition of wheel speed sensors, brake fluid pressure among other things related to traction control like steering angle, acceleration sensors etc.... all of which a scan with VAGCOM should hopefully identify.

Be sure to post your findings and cure mate


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## bouncer (Aug 25, 2012)

Skeee said:


> bouncer said:
> 
> 
> > [Where is the MAF sensor located... in the usual place on the exhaust downpipe...?? Cheers boys
> ...


Cheers for the help Skeee... really appreciate it..! I will try disconnecting the MAF sensor, shall I start the engine with the MAF disconnected turn it off then reconnect the MAF..? Sorry to be a pain mate... Cheers :?


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

Unfortunately that won't help the diagnosis because as soon as you start/run the engine with the MAF unplugged it will show an ESP fail which will not clear (unless you clear it using VCDS) for a couple of engine starts.

Antcole has a point, if you do oil the air filter, that could dirty the MAF.

If after cleaning the MAF (carefully as the tungsten wire is fragile) it still shows the ESP light with no fails on VCDS then have a look at ABS Measuring Blocks 3,4,5, and 6, as if the information is incorrect (ie the steering wheel/tracking is mismatched to the steering wheel sensor G85) then it may fail the ESP whilst moving but not show a VCDS fail whilst stationary (the light will remain latched on until ignition restart) as the ESP (ABS ECU) is receiving conflicting information.

If may be worth re-zeroing the sensors as per the WAK guide.
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.ph ... ic_Setting

Worth noting if yours is Mk20 (1999-2003) or Mk60 (2003-) system.


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## Johnrawlins (Nov 28, 2014)

I see from the messages that this problem has been around a while. As I have only recently joined the forum and my car had this problem When I bought it, I was interested in all the comments about it. My car has now been cleared of this annoying problem by my local repairers; first the tracking was checked to make sure that the straight ahead position was correct -apparently there is a straight ahead sensor connected to the esp. Next the maff was replaced as it was thought to be faulty (I also had an engine management light come on for this) -this was done as it was thought that it was a fault in the inlet system which caused the engine to run out of sync and causung the electronics to believe that the esp was triggering. Still the problem persisted but further investigation revealed that the vacuum pipe under the inlet manifold had a very small hole/split. A new pipe solved the problem. So far! I have not had a recurrence. Fingers crossed. Hope this may be of help to anyone else with similar annoying problem.

Another problem I had with the car was the low coolant level light coming at start up during cold mornings. A clean of the two wire terminals in the coolant reservoir with a cloth on the end of a screwdriver cured that.


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## longodds (May 8, 2014)

If it's not MAF related I'd suspect either a wheel speed sensor (most likely) or a longitudinal/acceleration sensor, but they should show up with VAG COM.


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