bcvickers

I see this is an older thread so I might fire up my own as well but I thought I'd ask here first. 2004 A8 109,xxx miles, new to me in MN. I picked it up last night at the dealer and noticed the date time was off as in date was something in 2003 and time was waaay off. I set them through the MMI and didn't think anymore about it. This morning I went out to drive to work and when I opened the door there were no convenience lights and I was a bit concerned so I put the key in the ignition and turned it, nothing. No start. So I got a bit disgusted, turned the key off and removed it, reinserted it and bam, it started. After it started everything seemed to work but the date/time was back to 2003 and I couldn't find the battery meter in the MMI so I don't know what that was reading. It seemed like all functions were working properly as we drove.

Now I've searched a good bit here and found threads about possible bad batteries, possible alternator problems, and the mysterious red wire that is somehow often not reconnected. The problem with most of the threads is there's no resolution. I appreciate all the troubleshooting information but I'd be really interested to hear the end of the story . I posted on a few that are similar requesting the resolution so we'll see where that leads.

I haven't had a chance to look for the red wire yet but is it possible that this car sat on the dealer lot and wore down the battery sufficiently that it wouldn't recharge during test-drives and my 20 minute drive home? Should I put it on the charger tonight and see how it acts in the morning? Any help is appreciated. I'm pretty handy, being a former mechanic before going into IT full-time, and I've done all my own work on my 1999 A4 with over 300k miles on it so I know Audi's in general.

mishar

Charger is a good idea for the beginning. Negative to that shiny hex above battery.

aTOMic

Mine does exactly as Brozee's does, if I understand his post correctly. Maybe once in 20-30 starts everything is normal except when I turn the key, the starter sounds like the battery is too dead to turn the engine; I hear a thunk and it seems to start to crank, but then nothing. I turn the key again and it starts right up. No pattern, except it never happens more than once in a row (in other words it will be another 20 starts before the problem recurs).

This is not a crank/no start, but a no crank issue. My battery is Bosch from and Audi dealer, coded to the car by them. I think the PO paid around $350

It's been doing it since we bought it, a year or so ago. No change in frequency. The car has 150k miles on it.

mishar

Same thing happens with keyless start if you press button to short. So turn it all the way and for a bit longer.

aTOMic

if I understand your grammatically incorrect post, (and I do, in fact speak "mishar"), your suggestion does not work on my car. I have held the key in the "start" position for a very long time with no cranking. And I crank that key around with authority. Are you questioning ma thota?? (South Park reference)

Do you type with your finger, or is there something we should know, Misha.

mishar

I am not sure if this was supposed to by funny. I was just trying to help.

DTHREE

Yep - push button start on my '04 does exactly that and only one in twenty times. Have just learnt to live with it.

snapdragon

Me too, there are several TSBs which cover these issues, the random no crank when attempting to start requires a software update to ENTRY & START AUTHORISATION ECU & GEARBOX (PCM) ECU- IIRC.

The battery going flat when parked may need software update BATTERY MANAGER and RADIO.

bcvickers

Just to update on my particular issue as stated above. I'm guessing the battery was pretty flat from the car sitting on the dealers lot since after driving considerably more I have not had a occurrence of the issue.

aTOMic

Thanks, good info.

Mine is not pushbutton start, FWIW.

It did it again today, I let the key return to the neutral position, turned it to start again several times and nothing. Turned it back to off, then it started up normally.