Audi A6 C7 steering rack repair

It's impossible to imagine a modern car without power steering. These devices make steering easier, improving both handling and manoeuvrability, as well as safety. In the early days, cars were primarily equipped with hydraulic power steering, but today electric units are increasingly taking their place.

The advantages of electric power steering are obvious. Electric power steering is more compact and quieter. It can be controlled electronically, changing modes and settings depending on road conditions or the driver's wishes. However, these steering racks have a few significant disadvantages, the main ones being high cost and difficulty of repair.

Typical Audi A6 C7 steering rack problems

The car was produced by Volkswagen AG in sedan and station wagon bodies. It is one of the most popular models of both Audi brand and in general in its class – first of all, because of the successful combination of comfort and economy. Structurally, the A6 is very similar to the A7 of the first generation, on the basis of which it was released. This includes problems, particularly with the steering rack, so the above will also apply to this coupé-liftback.

Troubles with the electric power steering fall into two main groups:

1. Mechanical.
2. Electronic.

The first includes damage to the steering rod covers (dust covers), both as a result of natural wear and tear and due to damage, including damage to the clamps. This often happens during wheel angle adjustment (camber). Leaky seals – the most popular cause of steering rack failure. Many failures also occur due to road accidents, when mechanical damage is caused to the housing, control unit or even the rack rod.

The thing is that in both the A6 and A7 models, the unit is located very low, next to the engine oil sump, and its control unit is actually the lowest point of the car with a fairly low ground clearance. It is clear that these cars were designed for driving not on broken country roads of Eastern Europe, but on autobahns. But good roads also do not guarantee the serviceability of the rack, the main enemy of which is moisture.

Electronic problems, too, are primarily water-related. Whereas with power steering, problems start when fluid leaks out, electric racks are afraid of moisture getting inside. Water getting inside the unit may not necessarily be due to damage. With the design flaws described above, loss of seal elasticity is sufficient. Power boards suffer, contacts oxidise. Moreover, sometimes moisture can occur inside without loss of tightness – in the form of condensation, the conditions for which are also almost ideal due to the design.

Actually the only exception – ECU failure due to a drop in mains voltage during engine start-up. But it is treated quite easily: by resetting the errors in ODIS and re-flashing. However, corrosion cannot be cured by hardware, and the rack must be disassembled.

Symptoms of Audi A6 C7 rack failure

Failures of the power steering on this model manifest themselves in a typical way:

• the «red steering wheel» icon on the instrument panel lights up;
• the force required to turn the steering wheel increases greatly (becomes almost the same as when the engine is not running);
• the mechanism operates with considerable noise.

Diagnostics in this case gives errors from group 0044, i.e. power steering: malfunction of its control unit, motor position sensor. A hardware reset does not give any results. This means that the rack must either be replaced or repaired.

How and where to repair an Audi electric rack

The electric power steering rack – a technologically complex, therefore very expensive unit. The price for a new unit can go up to $3000-4000. Buying a second-hand rack from the dismantling is not always justified: the same problems may lurk in it, besides, there is a great risk to confuse and buy a part from another modification: for example, with dynamic control, when it is necessary without it, or vice versa. Even with the help of firmware, it will not be possible to prescribe such a rack.

The best option – contact a company specialising in electric power steering rack repair, us at STS.Parts. We always have repaired, fully functioning steering racks in stock for all models and variations of Audi vehicles. You won't have to wait for your unit to be repaired, you'll get a working part with a warranty, ready to install on your car.

A little bit about how STS.Parts rebuilds steering racks. There are several steps involved in the repair:

The repair process includes

1. Complete disassembly and defect analysis. We remove the damaged components of the rack, disassemble and eliminate the cause of malfunction, moisture.
2. Cleaning of metal parts, contacts, sensors and boards from corrosion, restoration of protective coating.
3. Steering rack control unit, if necessary, we change it to a reconditioned one. We change the boards of field-effect transistors on elements of our own design.
4. The rack thrust bearing can also be replaced if necessary. We bore out the coupling and make it collapsible, install a new bearing.
5. In case the pivot screw was bent during the accident, we install a new one.
6. Check the electric booster control unit on a special bench.
7. Install new dust covers, clamps, sealant.

As a result, the customer receives a repaired unit, which is not inferior to the factory rack, and in some respects it is superior - for example, in terms of further repairability. And all this at a price that is much lower than that of a new part.