2019-2025 Audi Gesture-Controlled Rear Lid Deactivation TSB

Audi has issued Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 55 24 99 2070966/3, dated July 27, 2024, to address customer requests regarding the deactivation of the gesture-controlled rear lid opening/closing function, commonly known as the virtual pedal. This TSB supersedes previous bulletin 55 24-96 from June 5, 2024, and provides a detailed procedure for technicians to disable this feature across a wide range of 2019-2025 Audi models.

The virtual pedal feature allows owners to open or close the vehicle's rear lid (trunk or tailgate) with a foot gesture under the rear bumper, providing hands-free access. While convenient for many, some owners prefer to deactivate this function. This TSB outlines the official method for performing the Audi virtual pedal deactivation.

Important Warnings and What Owners Should Know

Audi has provided several critical advisories for owners and technicians regarding the Audi virtual pedal deactivation:

• Resetting user accounts to factory settings changes these values to "on". If you have the virtual pedal deactivated, resetting your user account profiles may re-enable it.
• Replacement of the Comfort control module -J393- (address word 46) may revert the changes to "on". If this module is replaced, the deactivation procedure may need to be repeated.
• Coding of the Comfort control module -J393- (address word 46) may revert the changes to "on". Any recoding of this module could re-enable the virtual pedal function.
• If the virtual pedal functions are inoperative with no Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), technicians should check the personalization settings as described in this TSB.
• The virtual pedal feature is no longer available from Model Year 2023 on for sedan models only. Refer to TSB 2067818 for more details on this specific change. For Audi Q7 and Q8 models, this option is also no longer available as of Model Year 2023, and all 2024 models are excluded from this TSB for deactivation. The option will be available again as of Model Year 2025 for these models.
• This TSB is for informational purposes only and is not applicable to any Audi Warranty.

Symptoms

The primary symptom addressed by this TSB is a customer request to deactivate the gesture-controlled rear lid opening/closing function. Owners may find the virtual pedal activates unintentionally or simply prefer not to use this feature.

Repair Procedure Summary

To perform the Audi virtual pedal deactivation, a technician will follow these steps using the diagnostic system, specifically targeting the 46 module (Comfort System Central Control Module):

1. Access Control Module and Adaptation: The technician will access the control module OBD for the 46 module and then select the "Adaptation" function within the diagnostic software.
2. Adjust User Account Personalization: The next step involves clicking the caret to the left of "Personalization of user account 1". The technician will then scroll down to the setting labeled "Rear lid release via rear lid open sensors". For this setting, the "Input" field must be clicked and set to "Off". This process is repeated for all personalization user accounts, typically from 1 through 7, to ensure comprehensive deactivation.
3. Adjust Vehicle Personalization Settings: While still in the "Adaptation" screen, the technician will click the caret to the left of "Personalization settings vehicle". Again, they will scroll down to "Rear lid release via rear lid open sensors", click the "Input" field, and set it to "Off".
4. Verify Deactivation: After making these changes, a 10-second key cycle is performed. The technician will then check the function of the virtual pedal to confirm that the gesture-controlled rear lid opening/closing function has been successfully deactivated.
5. Reactivation: Should an owner wish to reactivate the feature, the same procedure is followed, but the "Input" setting for "Rear lid release via rear lid open sensors" is changed to "On".

Specific Model Considerations for Audi A6 and A7

For certain Audi A6 and A7 models, specifically those up to and including model year 2021, the gesture-controlled rear lid closing function can be deactivated separately. This requires that the vehicle is fitted with one of the following part number and target data container (TDC) combinations for diagnostic address 0064 (rear lid power opening control unit):

• Part Number 3G0962243B with TDC 4K0909477 (TDC Index A, B, C, D, or E)
• Part Number 3G0962243C with TDC 4K0909477 (TDC Index A, B, C, D, or E)
• Part Number 3G0962243D with TDC 4K0909477 (TDC Index D or E)

If one of these combinations is present, the closing function can be deactivated using SVM code 064ES005. To reactivate the closing function for these specific models, SVM code 064ES006 can be used.

Additional Information

All part and service references provided in this TSB (2070966) are subject to change and/or removal. Always check with your Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and parts bulletins. Please check the Repair Manual for fasteners, bolts, nuts, and screws that require replacement during the repair.

NHTSA ID: 2070966