flippity_01

Hi all,
Recently purchased a 2005.5 A4 2.0 Turbo, and I'm not sure where to begin troubleshooting my issue. When I started the vehicle before a test drive, it cranked over a little hard, as though the battery might need a charge. Once it started, it ran fine and drove fine. I took it home and noticed the issue again, except this time I would turn the key and it would take a full second before the starter would engage, then it would turn over correctly. I assumed the battery was old (dated May 2008) so I replaced the battery. After replacing the battery, I tested the battery and alternator with my voltmeter to be sure both were working and they were both reading within expected ranges (12.6 for the battery, 14.0 for the alternator.) Yet the issue I'm experiencing still exists. Last night, I ended up having to put a charger on the battery, as it was down to a 72% charge, and today, I'm back to a second elapsing before the ignition wants to engage the starter. In each of these situations, the car has progressively cranked over a little slower, over time, before becoming a concern and needing to go on the charger.

At this point, I suspect a short somewhere. Maybe the starter, as there is a little corrosion on the connections. Are there any relays that can cause this issue?