2021-2025 Audi Quattro Ultra Vibrations or Binding TSB

Owners of certain 2021-2025 Audi models equipped with the Quattro Ultra system may notice unusual vibrations or binding when navigating tight turns. This issue, detailed in Audi Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 39 24 60 2059057/8, describes symptoms ranging from drivetrain noises to a noticeable humming or droning sensation within the vehicle.

This TSB, which supersedes an earlier bulletin (39 24-58), provides a comprehensive diagnostic and repair strategy for technicians. The latest revision, Revision 8, updates the header to include Model Year 2025 vehicles, ensuring a broader scope of applicability for the repair.

Symptoms

Owners typically report specific issues that point to the Audi Quattro Ultra vibrations problem. These include:

• "Noises from the drive train when pulling away quickly from a stop with the wheels turned."
• "Vibrations, humming, droning, or rubbing when fully turning the steering wheel in the vehicle interior and/or the rear seats can be heard and felt."

These symptoms are often reproducible by technicians during a workshop visit, helping to confirm the presence of the issue addressed by this bulletin.

Diagnosis / Trigger Conditions

Diagnosis for these Audi Quattro Ultra vibrations involves confirming the customer's reported symptoms. Technicians will attempt to reproduce the noises, vibrations, humming, droning, or rubbing sensations. A key diagnostic indicator for this specific issue is the absence of certain diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).

Specifically, there should be no DTCs stored in the transmission control module (TCM), identified as J217 (address word 002), or in the all-wheel-drive control module, J492 (address word 0022). The technical background explains that the problem arises from the different speeds between the front axle differential and the rear final drive, combined with a closed four-wheel-drive clutch 1, which can lead to these varying degrees of discomfort during tight cornering.

Important Warnings

Owners and technicians should be aware of a critical detail regarding the repair process:

• "The condition may take up to 60 miles of running before it is corrected."

This means that even after the initial repair procedure, the symptoms of Audi Quattro Ultra vibrations might persist for a short period before fully resolving. It is crucial not to assume the repair has failed prematurely.

Repair Procedure Summary

The repair for the Audi Quattro Ultra vibrations issue involves a multi-step process, primarily focusing on the four-wheel-drive clutch 1 and its fluid. The procedure is as follows:

1. Initial Check and Preparation: Verify if the TSB has been performed previously and ensure the S-Tronic or manual transmission is at operating temperature.
2. Diagnostic Data Collection: Use ODIS Guided Functions to access the All-Wheel Drive Electronics (address 0022), read measured values, and upload the diagnosis log.
3. First ATF Drain and Fill: Completely drain the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) from the four-wheel-drive clutch 1. Document the ATF quality with date-stamped, VIN-referenced photos. Then, fill with new ATF (part number G 055 515 A2) and set the correct level, reusing the sealing bolts.
4. Driving and Cooling Cycles: Drive the vehicle to achieve operating temperature, then allow it to cool down for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this driving and cooling cycle once more.
5. Second ATF Drain and Fill: Drain the ATF from the four-wheel-drive clutch 1 again. Refill with new ATF (part number G055 515 A2) and set the level, but this time, replace the sealing bolts.
6. Basic Setting Reset: After another drive to operating temperature and cooling period, perform the basic setting