Need help -- w12 suddenly won't crank
 

Hey guys, my car has once again left me stranded. Everything was working fine then came back to the car to go to the store and it will not crank. The dash lights up and I hear the fuel pump running. Battery is fully charged. I get no click or anything just silence. I scanned it with vagcom and code p3054 starter jammed or electrical malfunction. I assume if the motor went bad it would still click? When i monitor the starter relay and solenoids in vagcom while trying to start they turn to "on" for a split second then back to off.

my first thoughts are ground wire for the starter, not sure where they are and possibly the relays in the passenger footwell. Any way to test those? I read on alldata that the first step to replace the starter motor is to remove the engine so I am hoping that is not the case as I dont have $4,000 to have that done. Thanks for the help guys.

It is a 2005 a8L w12 with 116k miles

Calm down, a lot of things the manual calls for removing the motor in the manual doesn't have to be done that way. That said, a W12 is an unusual car and issues with the actual starter are rare. Have you had any kinds of symptoms before this? Did you check the relay?

thanks for the reply! I had a problem a couple of days ago where I had to press the start button twice before the starter engaged. I do not know how to test a relay without replacing it. Apparently there are two on my car and they are the same style so swapping them wouldn't necessarily help if one is bad

Question: You mention using VAG COM (VCDS), but the code given is a typical "P code" that comes from a throw away OBDII scanner. Do you have the actual VCDS code to match, which is likely 5 digits? In there is a possible much easier solution.

Yes, meantime the P code nominally seems to point to starter, which on any D3 is at least not fun and on a W12 may indeed be yet worse. Don't assume though that is actual issue. Also guessing if it is a VCDS scan, there are other codes in there, perhaps for ABS system or some others. Give us any other specific ones that are in drivetrain area--motor, brakes, ignition, etc.

Thanks for the reply! The 5 digit code is 19510 for the starter and ECU 2 had codes: 17493, 17485, 17489, and 17483 which seem to point to bank 3 and 4 running lean. The only other codes related to the adaptive cruise driver identification control module but it works and the code has been there forever.

I just tried to start it again and I am getting a solid click on and then click off from the engine area when trying to start the car. Just a single click.

Audi codes posted, I tried the starter again and got no clicking so I have hope that the motor is just not getting power for some reason, I am going to google how to test the two relays in the passenger footwell and then crawl under and check the frame rail grounds. Anything else I should do? My independent shop quoted me 30 hours of labor and 2 weeks time to fix the car

So, just focusing on 19510 (that was along lines I was thinking), see: 19510 - Ross-Tech Wiki As in, brake light switch. Thus, the engine start that flows through the foot on brake check may well be on the fritz. Known D3 problem, and afflicted a lot of the earlier 4.2's. Even mentioned in that Wiki page for D3! Search for the how to--lower dash has to come off, which means the oh so fragile metal belt trim across the dash center. But light years easier than a starter. Some us even went to buying this brake light switch part, along with the suspension compressor relay, to have on hand preemptively for this exact scenario. Search on 4.2 posts (including Mister Bally among others) if you need confirming descriptions of what you have.

If you go under dash, do the compressor relay too; not particularly expensive and saves a second lower dash dive and related labor. I had a blown compressor relay fuse in this past this year (post 130K miles, 2006) so dissected the relay. Contact points were clearly worn from normal use (its a 40A rated set up), and made sense for what triggered fuse blow. If relay fried shut, absent fuse blow then compressor runs until dead battery or fried compressor.

I didn't check other lean codes, but if one side is lean like that (bank 3 and 4 = US./Cont. Europe drivers side) look for vacuum leaks pre intake---main connection clamps/hose from MAF to throttle body, the vacuum suck pump (the T shaped part in the hose set up) that is below the main intake hose, etc.

my brake lights work and there isn't a code for that switch, but I will check it again. Is there a way to bypass this and activate the starter manually? I did replace the brake light switch just a couple of months ago due to it causing an esp light but anything is possible.