Trunk opens but doesn't lift up
 

Hi. Just bought myself a new-to-me 2012 A8. Its nice to be back in an Audi again (my previous one was an A6). Anyway, the trunk opens and unlocks but it does not lift up. I checked if the valet mode is activated and it isn't. Checked it a couple of times to rule out if one of the key fobs is the culprit but its not. I tried to open directly from the trunk and it wont lift and same goes from the interior opener. Then a couple of times I activated the valet mode and waited 20 to 30 secs then deactivated it, it worked using the key fob, interior trunk release and the actual trunk. Then it started not to open up again. Did anyone experienced this issue before? Is there a link or DIY for this? I'm planning a trip to my dealer soon since I bought the platinum mechanical breakdown package with it but I just want to hear from anyone on here.
Thanks again!

Does your car have the button on the interior of the trunk lid that closes the trunk? (i.e. does it have a trunk motor?) I'm not sure if that was offered in 2012, but if so, it's possible the motor has gone bad and needs to be replaced. I had to have the trunk motor (and latch) replaced in my 2015 A8 recently.

Yeah it does.

I'll bet it's the trunk motor then. Not a cheap fix at the dealer out of warranty (I think the parts alone were about $700), but if you have a warranty just get it fixed.

I did purchase an additional platinum mechanical breakdown protection so I hope that'll cover it. When I had the S-class, theres an electronic encyclopedia for it (w220.ee). That was super helpful when I was troubleshooting the airmatic components. Does this A8 platform have something familiar? If its something I can do in the garage I'm all up for it.

D4 trunk motor
 

There are several D4 trunk motors advertised on eBay. Here's an example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/11-17-AUDI-...frcectupt=true

I had to replace the trunk motor on my previous D3 A8 at about 90K miles and 8 years.

Gary

Thanks for the link Gary. Does a site exist where it shows the schematic/ diagram for the D4?

Warranty may cover, but you need to read fine print. If it were anything less than Platinum type coverage that you mention (often exclusionary at that top level), I would bet the warranty would not cover it.

Yes, could be trunk motor. Best diagnostic at this stage would be scan with VCDS to see if there are any codes. With symptoms like you describe I expect there likely are. A dealer will do the same thing against your description, using their dealer equivalent VAG tool. To be clear, use VCDS and not some generic OBDII scanner that won't reach beyond ECU. I have a hunch the app wannabe's like OBDeleven or Carista don't reach things like this. If they do, probably OBDeleven, which is in turn requires an Android device.

Likewise, I have had my 2015 S8 trunk motor replaced under warranty. More because it was finicky in stopping part way up or down and seeming confused. One of the most problematic areas of D3's, especially early ones. I had hoped they had gotten it better by D4's.

Holy Jesus! Thanks! This is exactly what I'm looking for!