A wrong part is more than a big problem, it costs a lot of money too. That is why it has to be checked whether the right part number was ordered for the replacement.
Find the Number on the Rack Itself
The part number for an Audi steering rack is usually marked directly on to the steering rack body. The number is usually marked near to the pinion housing (where the column meets the steering rack) on the main tube of the rack. It will be an 8 digit number (sometimes 9 digits including the letter at the end) starting with an 8E or 8H for B6 and B7 cars.
Check the Suffix Carefully
Those last two or three characters matter! Most errors here occur because people only order off the 8 digit base number and not the full number including suffixes (e.g. A, B etc). The suffix indicates whether the rack has a different configuration of valves, is mounted the other way round, or if there are sensor ports on it.
Cross-Reference Against Your VIN
The part number for a steering rack is encoded in your VIN. Your VIN determines the build specifications for your Audi (e.g. steering arm configuration). When cross-referencing part approval number vehicle type approval data with your VIN number you can verify what your VIN number linked build record says your Audi was built to. Typically you would cross-reference part numbers against a vehicle’s parts number (e.g. Audi ETKA parts database, Audi Parts Counter at local Audi Dealer) using your VIN number to verify the correct part number for your specific vehicle.
Match the Speed Sensor Port
B7 models can have steering racks with speed sensors and also ones without. You should always check your original part to see if it has a sensor port before buying a new part. More on Audi A4 steering rack can be found at https://westernpowersteering.co.uk/vehicles/audi/audi-a4-b7-steering-rack-without-speed-sensor-port/.
Checking the part number before you order could save you a lot of hassle!
