A451510 2042048-

Technical Service Bulletin
45 Vehicle will not communicate with scan tool
45 15 10 2042048/1 October 5, 2015.
Model(s)
Year
VIN Range
Vehicle-Specific Equipment
A4, A6, A8
1997 - 2001
All
Not Applicable
Condition
• Vehicle will not communicate with diagnostic scan tool or emissions test equipment.
• Customers may have issues with vehicle passing state IM emissions test programs because the scan tool
cannot communicate with the vehicle.
• ABS and/or brake lamp(s) will be illuminated in IP cluster.
Technical Background
Broken ground bond wire within the ABS module (ABS 5.3 system) causes diagnostic communication issues with
the ABS module, ECM, and TCM.
Note:
Brake system and ABS system functionality are not affected by the broken ground circuit.
Note:
This bulletin only addresses the communication issue (broken ground circuit) between the vehicle and the
diagnostic scan tool described above. This bulletin does not address any subsequent vehicle diagnostic system
issues that may exist:
• OBD system works normally; emission or diagnostic critical malfunctions will be indicated by MIL illumination.
• ABS system is not functionally affected by the broken ground circuit.
Production Solution
Not applicable.
© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.
Page 1 of 2
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
Service
Diagnose Open Ground Circuit:
1. Disable ABS module in one of the following ways:
• Remove ABS module connector.
• Pull ABS module fuse.
2. Test for scan tool communication:
• If communication is restored, replace ABS module.
• If communication is not restored, further diagnosis is required following normal GFF protocol.
Note:
Once this communication issue has been repaired and normal diagnostic communication with the vehicle has
been restored, it will be necessary to diagnose further vehicle issues, including possible OBD or ABS issues that
may be still indicated by:
• MIL lamp illuminated
• ABS lamp illuminated
• Brake lamp illuminated
If any of these conditions still exist, follow correct diagnostic procedures in GFF.
Warranty
This TSB is informational only and not applicable to any Audi warranty.
Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2042048) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.
© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.
Page 2 of 2
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.