Audi Q5 brakes or trasmission failure? Details below.

Tiny
AUDIQ52011
  • MEMBER
  • 2011 AUDI Q5
  • 6,000 MILES
I have an audi Q5 2011. Last week I parked my car on a slope of a grocery parking lot. After my shopping, I started my car, put it in reverse and the car moved backwards, I hit the brakes, but it not work, the car started to roll, I hit hard, it did not stop. I changed the gear to park, it wont stop. I changed it to drive and it kept rolling. I looked back and moved my steering to avoid hitting any other car. I managed to hit the curb and the car stopped. The back wheel of the car went out of alignment, there is damage to the car.
The dealer says there is nothing wrong with the car. I had my 2 yr old son in the car. I would like to know what went wrong mechanically. What could I have done wrong here. The dealer says I did not hit the brakes. I had a good 40-50 sec to react, once the car was on roll. How could I not hit the brakes and put my son's life at stake.
Please believe me and try to think what can go wrong meachnically. What can I do to find out whats wrong.
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 AT 1:13 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
You will not be able to select park with the car in motion, as for selecting drive and nothing happening and no effective brakes, I can only imagine that the engine was not running and this would account for no drive and poor brakes, being a new car I really can't think of anything that would cause this problem that would only show up as a once off problem, brakes that fail do not come good again is so rare that this is not really a option with a new car, failed brakes would show as no pedal pressure, hard non responsive brakes are the result of no booster operation, the engine must be running for vacuum assist to take place.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 AT 2:13 PM
Tiny
AUDIQ52011
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thankyou for your time and information you provided.I get the same response from other forumathat the engine was not running. I would like to add some deatil on the situation.
When the car kept rolling in park, I looked at the rpm counter on dash board to think that ti am not actually press the acceleration. And the rpm was very close to 0, but th saw and "EPC" light lite up and once the car hit the curb it stalled on me, I could not even get the keys out for afew min. If theengine was not running how does that EPC light come on? I cannot be 100% sure of engine running. After knowing more could you think os any other situation. I am not blaming it completely on brakes or brake pads. I understand that.

Thank you again for your time.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 AT 7:16 PM
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
If the EPC lights activates with engine running there will be a code set in the ECU, this can be scanned and read, ignition on engine not running should bring on the light as its own self test takes place, most systems do this, that is why so many dash lights come on then go off when you first turn on the ignition. With that said, I must confess that I am not a specialist AUDI tech, but I have been in this industry over 35 years now and thew scenario that you describe is nothing I have ever encountered before, I would ask the AUDI people to do the diagnostic scan and see if there are any set fault codes present, they will stay in the system until manually cleared.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 AT 10:40 PM
Tiny
AUDIQ52011
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thank you So much for the reply, there is 1 last thing I would like to clarify. If you assume that the engine was not running.
And I do undertand when you say how, the dash board light comes on then go off. In Q5, when u put in the key, upto lets say 30-40 % in, the dash borad light come on, and then when u insert the key fully the light goes off and the engine starts.
My question is, If I put the key just enough for the dash board light to come on but not for the engine to start, will I be able to shift the gear.
I am pretty sure thats what happened, that I was able to change the shifter to reverse, then it went on a roll, and then story is as in my previous description.
However, the dealer says that I wont be able to shift the gear at all if the engine did not start. If I assume the above senario to be true, it should repeat my story, if I repeat the actions. Right?
I am going to ask the dealer to repeat the actions may be not on a slope. Lets see what come out.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, September 2nd, 2011 AT 4:46 PM
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
Unfortunately that I can't be sue off, I am not that familiar with the 2011 version, as I said I am not an Audi tech by training, but they will be able to answer this one for you.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, September 2nd, 2011 AT 9:34 PM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Related Brake Content

How a Brake System Works
GUIDE
How a Brake System Works
Article describes how an automotive brake system works.