2020-2022 Audi AC Not Cooling: DTC P053000, P251500

Symptoms

Owners of 2020-2022 Audi vehicles may experience their air conditioning system failing to cool the cabin. This condition may be intermittent in nature, meaning the AC might work sometimes and not others.

Fault Codes / DTCs

When the air conditioning system does not cool, technicians may find one or both of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) stored in the Thermal management control unit, J1024 (address word 00C5):

Code	Description
P053000	Air conditioning system pressure sensor electrical fault
P251500	Refrigerant pressure sensor 2 electrical fault

Technical Background

Audi has identified that a failure in the sensor electronics can lead to an incorrect evaluation of pressure within the air conditioning system. The specific sensors at fault are those with base part number 4M0959603 (also referred to as G395 / G827) that were manufactured before Calendar Week 31, 2021. This issue causes the air conditioning system to not cool the cabin effectively. An improved version of the sensor has since been implemented in production to prevent this issue.

This Technical Service Bulletin, identified as 87 23 38 2068460/2, supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 87 number 22-35 dated November 9, 2022. The current revision, Revision 2, was issued on January 31, 2023, primarily to revise the warranty details regarding the maximum time allowed for GFF (Guided Fault Finding) procedures.

Diagnosis and Repair Summary

If your 2020-2022 Audi is experiencing an Audi e-tron P053000 air conditioning issue, a technician will first confirm the symptom of the AC not cooling. The next critical step involves inspecting all pressure sensors in the refrigerant circuit that have the base part number 4M0959603 and a build date prior to Calendar Week 31, 2021. Each affected model may have between one and three of these sensors installed.

Technicians will carefully inspect the markings on the sensor to determine if it has already been replaced with an improved version. An improved sensor, produced after Calendar Week 31, 2021, will typically have an index 'E', a green dot on the connector housing, and a laser marking on the aluminum housing. Sensors without these specific markings or with an older build date will require replacement.

The repair procedure involves removing and reinstalling the faulty pressure switches. This often necessitates additional labor operations depending on the specific Audi model. For instance, it may include draining and refilling the refrigerant (labor operation 8703 1750), and for some models, removing other components such as storage compartments (7007 1900 for e-tron GT), wheels (4405 1951), or cross braces (5069 1960). For e-tron models, disabling and activating the high voltage system (9310 8302) may also be required for safety during the repair. The specific labor operations for pressure switch removal and reinstallation vary by model, such as 8757 1900 for A6/A7 and A8 (non-PHEV), 8757 2093 for Q7/Q8, 8757 1950 for A8 PHEV, 8709 2099 for e-tron and some Q5 variants, and 8709 1901 for other Q5 variants.

Required Parts

To address the Audi e-tron P053000 air conditioning problem, the following part is required:

Part Number	Part Description	Quantity
4M0959603E	Pressure and temperature sensor	1-3

Always consult with your Audi Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and part bulletins.

Warranty Information

This repair is covered under warranty for up to 48 months or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. For Audi Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles, the claim type is G10. If your vehicle is outside of these warranty parameters, this Technical Service Bulletin serves as informational guidance only.

The Service Number for this bulletin is 8757, and the Damage Code is 0040. Diagnostic time for Guided Fault Finding (GFF) is allocated as 0150 0000 (maximum 50 Time Units). Road tests before and after the service procedure are not allocated additional time (0 Time Units). All warranty claims must adhere to the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures Manual and are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty, as per TSB 2068460/2.

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Source: NHTSA ID 10230992