Complete failure

Post by **zebede** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 12:07 am

Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Post by **pez81** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 12:14 am

zebede wrote:Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Man that's scary glad you're OK. Did you have anyone in the area with you? I'd sue to be honest. That could have gone an entirely different way. Glad it didn't though

Post by **RSVI** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 1:19 am

That's really scary, REALLY scary!...

I'm as interested, I'm sure as you (and all of us) are to find out what the issue is/was.

Second time!?

I'm assuming it went back to Audi after the first time?
What were their comments?

Post by **zebede** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 7:41 am

They couldn't find anything wrong and cleared the fault codes the first time, it had an update on my driveway for an airbag sensor though, when it went to the garage they couldn't fault it.

Post by **superlightr** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:04 am

zebede wrote:Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Blimey.

Hope you are ok. What happened with the steering when you were driving? Im struggling to comprehend no physical link with the wheels and sterering wheel. Sure for fly by throttle but the steering? Didn't think that was allowed as if you did have a total elec falure you would have none zilch steering. Can understand losing power steering (and have in the past on another car) but did you lose all sterring ?

Post by **superlightr** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:05 am

zebede wrote:Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Blimey.

Hope you are ok. What happened with the steering when you were driving? Im struggling to comprehend no physical link with the wheels and sterering wheel. Sure for fly by throttle but the steering? Didn't think that was allowed as if you did have a total elec falure you would have none zilch steering. Can understand losing power steering (and have in the past on another car) but did you lose all sterring ?

Post by **superlightr** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:05 am

zebede wrote:Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Blimey.

Hope you are ok. What happened with the steering when you were driving? Im struggling to comprehend no physical link with the wheels and steering wheel. Sure for fly by throttle but the steering? Didn't think that was allowed as if you did have a total elec failure you would have none zilch steering. Can understand losing power steering (and have in the past on another car) but did you lose all steering ?

Post by **superlightr** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:05 am

zebede wrote:Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Blimey.

Hope you are ok. What happened with the steering when you were driving? Im struggling to comprehend no physical link with the wheels and steering wheel. Sure for fly by throttle but the steering? Didn't think that was allowed as if you did have a total elec failure you would have none zilch steering. Can understand losing power steering (and have in the past on another car) but did you lose all steering ?

Post by **superlightr** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:05 am

zebede wrote:Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure, literally everything failed, headlights through to the drive by wire steering, I was on m25 and the steering wheel literally did not move the wheels, not happy at all, this is actually the 2nd time it's failed too the last being 4 weeks ago.....
Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

I didn't realise that there is no physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, just electric rubbish, when it does fail you are fooked!!

Blimey.

Hope you are ok. What happened with the steering when you were driving? Im struggling to comprehend no physical link with the wheels and steering wheel. Sure for fly by throttle but the steering? Didn't think that was allowed as if you did have a total elec failure you would have none zilch steering. Can understand losing power steering (and have in the past on another car) but did you lose all steering ?

Post by **RSQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:07 am

I am 100% sure there is a physical link between steering wheel and front wheels. Even the crappy infiniti car with true drive by wire has a manual backup. Likely you just lost assistance which would be heavy as hell.

But I wasn't in your car when it happened which must have been awful......

Post by **zebede** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:17 am

I can assure you the steering wheel was turning and the wheels weren't but intermittently, the plod who stopped behind me has written a little report on what he saw

Post by **robf** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:42 am

Your steering is connected to the wheels; it still has a steering rack. You have said the problem happens at the same time as other electrical items failing, so it must be the EPAS failing rather than anything mechanical (especially as it been 'fixed', and then failed a second time round). It therefore doesn't make sense your wheels won't turn at all; the EPAS takes your steering effort and then provides assistance. Failure will mean no assistance and therefore you'll have to do all the work. I can appreciate it may 'feel' like you can't steer the car, but there is still a direct connection between your steering wheel, the rack, and eventually your wheels.

Anyway, this is by-the-by - you need to get onto Audi UK. If you have a car under warranty then i would be refusing to use it and expect a like-for-like replacement until they either fix it or buy the car off you. Citizens Advice Bureau will be the best port of call before you spend money on a solicitor (obviously, hopefully Audi will be receptive and it won't need to come to that).

Post by **LukasPukas** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:16 am

Wow, that sounds very scarey.

I think I might have seen you on the M25 yesterday(black RS6 with red calipers), was just before the M4 turning going clockwise at about 8:30-9, I was in a silver RS6.

Good luck with getting it resolved with Audi, when a car is unsafe to drive you would expect them to move pretty quick. If they don't, I would get onto Citizens Advice to understand your rights.

Post by **Markp** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:16 am

Sounds scary but probably felt worse than it was. It is just an electrically assisted rack - not steer by wire. When assistance fails it is no different from failure on conventional system, it just gets very heavy and feels like it's not working.

edited to add: Oops beaten to it by above posts..

Post by **RSQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:39 am

Btw if it really did do all that I would not drive it again until Audi fix something.

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