Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ABS / ESP Pump Module Faults – Testing & Repairs

Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ABS / ESP Pump Module Faults

Have you been having any issues with your Skoda Superb? Is the steering or the handbrake light on? If so, this could be a sign of a fault with your Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ABS (anti-lock braking system) control module. The ESP Modules are sometimes also known as an ABS Module, ABS ECU, ABS Controller, ESP Pumps and ESP Controller etc.

If the Skoda Superb is equipped with “Traction Control”, the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) will be situated within the ABS pump, if not, there will be an extra ESP module which will communicate with the ABS Pump.

General Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ABS Issues

As mentioned above, there are several issues that can occur with the Skoda Superb ABS pump and some further problems have been outlined below which have been found previously when these units have been received at our garage:

• Handbrake Light On
• Steering Light On
• Wheel Speed Sensor Faults
• No Communication via OBD
• ABS Light On
• Pressure Sensor Faults
• Traction Light On
• Brakes Juddering
• Speedo Not Working

Fault code U041500 (U0415) on VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda

What U041500 means: U041500, shown as U0415 by generic OBD tools, means a control unit on the car’s network has received invalid data from the ABS control module. On VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars it is often stored by another module, such as the gateway or engine ECU, and points at the ABS/ESP unit or its supply and wiring.

That makes it a different fault from a dead unit. With U041500 the ABS module is still on the network and still sending; the module at the other end simply cannot use what arrives. Depending on the tool, the same fault can be shown in more than one way:

U041500 is not a Superb-only code. Many VW group cars of the same period carry a Bosch 5.7 unit, and the ones below all appear in the part-number list on this page. Read the label on your unit and match the start of the number:

The letters at the end of the number mark the version. The full list, with the matching Bosch numbers, sits further down this page.

On the car, U041500 rarely arrives alone. The ABS and traction control lights usually come on together, often joined by the handbrake (brake warning) light and the steering light, because several systems depend on data from the ABS unit. On many of these cars the speedometer takes its road speed from the same source, so it can stop working too, and in some cases a scan tool cannot reach the ABS module at all.

A failing unit often produces a data fault rather than going quiet. The Bosch 5.7 control module is mounted directly on the hydraulic block in the engine bay, where it lives with engine heat, road vibration and repeated temperature cycling. As it ages, it can stay online while the values it sends drift out of range or stop agreeing with each other, which is exactly the condition U041500 records. A low or unstable supply voltage can cause the same result from outside the unit.

That is why the car-side checks come first. Before the unit is removed, have your garage confirm:

• Battery voltage and charging
• The ABS unit’s earth (ground) connections
• The ABS connector and its pins, for corrosion or water

Our ABS module no-communication guide sets out how a garage works through them. If they pass and U041500 returns after the codes are cleared, the ABS control unit is the usual cause.

That unit is the part we deal with. Your garage takes it off and posts it to us, and we connect it to an in-house test rig that recreates the car around it, find what is failing, repair it, and run it on the rig again before it comes back. Because it is your own unit, it keeps the configuration already matched to your car and refits without coding. Read more about our Bosch 5.7 ABS module repair, or see all our Skoda ABS repairs.

U041500 questions answered

I have a faulty Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ABS / ESP Pump – can Sinspeed help me?
Here at Sinspeed we have the facilities to fully Test + Repair your Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ESP pump. It will be remanufactured using genuine OEM components that meet and exceed OE Specifications to ensure that it is of the highest quality. It will be fully plug + play so that you can fit it straight back to your vehicle with no extra programming required, and will also come with our LIFETIME Warranty!

We also provide a professional diagnosis and fitting service if required.

The most common part numbers have been listed below, that we have found relating to the Skoda Superb Bosch 5.7 ABS Module. To identify your unit, match the part number on its label against the table below; the repair form at the bottom of this page is the quickest way to send it in.

To get started, send us your unit through our repair form, or contact us if you are not sure which part has failed.