Brake and ABS lights flashing, beeping.

A couple weeks ago my Brake and ABS lights started flashing and beeping at me. It would just happen once in a while, usually in the first mile of driving. First thing I thought of was low fluid, but it was fine. I did a little searching around and one of the suggestions I found was to clean the ground under the battery box.

I was doing my 40k mile service anyway, so while I had the battery out (access to snow screen, about 10% blocked at most), I pulled out the battery box and cleaned up the ground a bit.

No more problems!

Just wanted to say thanks. This place is great!
-Nick

I would also get low fuel readings with dirty or loose battery cables.

Hi:

Got the same prob with the abs lights and beeps.
Could I ask what ground connections you cleaned under the battery box, coming from the battery?, coming from the abs?

thanks

Frank

Hi:

Got the same prob with the abs lights and beeps.
Could I ask what ground connections you cleaned under the battery box, coming from the battery?, coming from the abs?

thanks

Frank

Click to expand...

After you remove the battery and the box that holds it, you'll see three grounds- one large one, and two small ones. Of the two small grounds, it was the one closest to the center of the car. From what I read, I believe this is for the ABS. I didn't trace them so I'm not sure where exactly they were coming from.

Great!
Thanks so much.
I'll try it and let you know.

Frank

I had the same symptoms on my '01 Golf. The ABS pump was faulty and replaced under a recall. I don't know whether it applies to '02s. Find someone with VAGCOM to plug in. If the computer has a hard to communicating or won't communicate at all with your car, chances are your ABS pump is bad.

i just had this happen to me yesterday
i was going through a small snow drift in the driveway
and the wheels where spinning a bit.
The lights came on Abs and brake (flashing/beeping)
when i stopped the cat and turned it off than turned it back on.the brake light went out.The abs stayed on.
When I took it out on the road at about 25 mph the abs went out. I read somwhere that these warnings will come on
when some wheel spin sensor is activated.And go out
when car is restarted and brought to a speed over 30mph.
Anyone out there confirm this .(other then it happened to me)
Do I need to worry about this. the abs is working
I tested this by hard stop on snowy road..typicle pump and grind sound and feel..
Any ideas??

Hi:

Well I tried it, the ground terminals were all covered with a brownish corrosion. I sanded it off and coated everything in rust-check before putting it back together.
That got rid of the intermittent signals from the wheel sensors, but I still have the 01130 ABS operation 008 Implausible signal error and the abs and brake lights and beeping.

I think if I had done this 6 mo ago when this first started I might not have the permanent fault.

One down one to go.

Frank

I have the same problem. Sometimes, while driving, the e-brake warning light comes on and beeps (as if you were driving with the e-brake on). I took out the battery and cleaned the grounds this weekend; the problem remains. Needless to say this is very annoying. Does anyone know of the location of the wire from the e-brake to the sensor which provides the warning light. I think it may not be in an optimal spot and maybe the wire is kinked or grounding out somewhere.

make sure your abs sensors are not covered full of brake dust, that will usually set them off

Hi:

While I'm getting around to dealing with this abs controller issue I thought I would turn off the abs flashing and beeping. The ABS controller, 3 communicates its errors to the display system through controller 19 so if you tell controller 19 that there is no abs it will ignore any errors coming from it.

First I disconnected the battery, removed the air cleaner and disconnected the plug on the ABS, removing it from the system.

Then put the power back on and with my trusty VAG_COM I recoded controller 19 from 0006 to 0004 essentially telling it that there is no abs controller.

Then I disconnected the battery again, reconnected the plug to the abs controller reinstalled the air cleaner reconnected the battery and now I enjoy peace and quiet from that pesky abs controller, now that the display system ignores it's errors.

It didn't happen quite as simple and straightforward as this but this is the linear story.


Frank

I had the same problem with 2002 Golf TDI as soon as I bought it. The dealer denied it was happening, but I would get the beeping & the flashing brake light occasionally when shifting over 2500 rpms. I lived with it about a year and finally when the beeping occured almost every time I shifted out of first I was able to show the dealer what it was doing. Here is what they came back with: "Removed center console & found hand brake swx was intermitant 24765". They replaced the brake swx & fluid float under warranty. After that the problem was solved.