PaulW

I can't believe it's the pump, but I've been wrong before!

Fulliautomatix

Well I've only had the car 2 days now, I ~think~ its the ABS pump. A medium sized aluminum manifold with 4 brake lines going in/out and a small motor poking out the lower back side of the manifold. This is in the front driver's side part of the engine compartment. Is that the ABS pump manifold?

Is there any simple way to pull the code using jumpers and flashing lights... or does it require a VAG-COM device?

BTW... let's say it isn't the ABS pump, what else is there in that part of the engine compartment that would make that noise?

PaulW

I guess you could pull the fuse for it....but you might generate a fault code that won't clear once you put it back in....

And yes, you need the Bently and vag-com, which you can get both at ross-tech.com

Fulliautomatix

Well, in the last day and a half, the ABS/ASR dashboard lights came on three separate times, each time while turning a corner. Turning the ignition off/on cleared the lights untill the next 'sharp' turn.

Fulliautomatix

After researching the archives here it looks like faulty wiring with the ABS sensors is a fairly common trait in the A8. Since this is an intermittent fault I'm going to suggest that this is what happening in my car, particularly since the faults and the ABS motor running occur when the position of the wheel relative to the body changes.

Fulliautomatix

It was a faulty ABS sensor wire. Replaced it... now no more ABS pump running.