georgeb944

+100. Remove the battery and take it to a place that can do a load test on the battery. A voltage test is not enough. If it's older than three years, it is suspect. If it passes the load test, clean the terminals and the terminal connectors on the harness.

Just Me

If you watch the voltage under load it DOES say a lot about the battery. No-load voltage is only a rough indication of condition. But loaded voltage tells the whole story - output impedance and voltage drop across an actual load.

What is the cranking voltage?

Even a dead battery will generally create at least a hint of motion - a solenoid click or something.

Grant

Gsrob

Thanks for all the replies... Currently can't see what the cranking voltage is on the gauge since I can't get the car to crank. I originally thought it was my clutch switch that may have gone bad since the message on the dash kept saying push clutch to start. I put jumper cables from my wife's car to mine and it still wouldn't make a difference, even after several minutes of her's running. As I stated before, all the dash lights work, headlights work, interior lights, etc when I turn the key, just no crank no start. There is clearly a relay clicking somewhere when I turn the key. To get the actual car to start, I have to get it push started with lots of help and pop the clutch. It runs fine then. I am going to pull the battery anyway this weekend just to start there then start checking Airbag's suggestions. If anyone else has some insight I'd really appreciate it. I have both bypassed the clutch switch (the small one that makes sure the clutch is in before allowing a start) and bypassed the starter interlock relay with no success. Same thing happens, ignition comes on, lights on dash, etc, but no crank/no start.

georgeb944

If you have bypassed the clutch switch, then the "depress clutch to start" message should not display at all.

Sorry, I was mistaken. I just tested this on my (working) 6MT A6 and the message displays whether or not the clutch pedal is depressed.

Gsrob

That's what I thought too, but it must be a stock message that comes up when the car doesn't start initially because I'm pretty sure I've had it happen when I didn't hold the key quite long enough even when the switch was 'working'. Or if I didn't go all the way to start the car, as if the ignition was just turned onto accessory mode.

Gsrob

Not sure if this extra info is relevant... When I try to turn the key to get the car started and that message pops up, the relay clicks once. However, it will not click again unless I turn the car all the way off and retry the ignition.

georgeb944

If the clicking relay is under the dash, it might be the "starter interlock relay". You can bypass this with a jumper. Check the wiring diagram for J207.

N_Jay

If it does not crank at all even when being jumped, then you KNOW that the battery is not the issue.

Or should I say, "you KNOW the battery is not the ONLY issue".

Move on to figuring out of the switch is working. Find something that is suposewd to be on when cranking and off when running (or off when cranking and on when running) and see what it does when you turn the key.

If it does not change you have your (first) answer; "The switch".
If it does change then move on to the next potential problem; Interlocks and Starter itself.

Tackle one problem at a time, in logical order.

Gsrob

It is most certainly not the battery. I threw a brand new one in there from another car and while it reads a higher voltage on the dash (slightly) it is still not cranking. I just got a new multimeter today as well. Going under the dash in the morning to check the interlock relay upon ignition just for the heck of it and see if it's getting juice. I guess the next step would be checking a wire coming off the actual switch in the car as Airbag stated. I've gotta say I am getting more and more prepared for it being the starter. The car does have 152k on it.

Gsrob

I was wondering about that, thanks for the edit. I sort of recall seeing the message on the dash before even if I had the clutch pushed in but didn't start the car all the way. Also, I did jump the relay for the starter interlock with no success, as well as ran a jumper in the plug of the clutch switch.