Hello,

One of my daily drivers, a 1998 A4 Quattro with the 2.8L (30V) motor and tiptronic trans decided it would be fun to not start roughly 50 miles from my residence...

The car drove roughly 120 miles non-stop prior to not starting, and after stopping to get gas would not start. The car was off for about 5 minutes while I was refueling.

All the accessories will come on, the vehicle will not crank nor is there any major voltage drop/attempt to start upon turning the key to the Fire/On/Crank position.

Thankfully I had tools with me(I am Not a mechanic however), so I checked all the wires that would be directly accessible for connection issues including the battery terminals. I am not very familiar with these cars regarding the electronics if the ignition is controlled/limited through the ECU so I disconnected the battery waited 20 minutes to see if there was an ECU reset/issue (my BMW DD was like this). I do not normally touch electronics if it can be avoided as I dislike dealing with the issues like this..meh...

I checked the ECU to see if it would throw out any codes regarding this issue but got nothing for codes. (Solus Pro).

Pulled the starter(surprisingly easy), tested it ...works fine. (gas station had a mechanics shop attached coincidentally...although they will not work on foreign vehicles..loaned me a bay to work in)

Checked fuel components etc....

Dealerships were useless (those that I spoke to at least)...and the closest one to the car is 213 miles....so before I tow it there if it is a simple fix I'd like to do it myself rather than be charged at $110/hr shop rate.

I know I missed a relay somewhere or just am overlooking something stupidly simple but I'd appreciate any suggestions or solutions... I searched the forums prior but did not get any results. I had it towed and is in my driveway currently.

VIN: WAUED28DXWA199734

Thanks.

 

Others have replaced the ignition switch to remedy the problem.

My car didn't start one day at work, after it was running fine all morning. Went back the next day or 2, it started up fine. Maybe you'll get lucky like I did.

 

That is the part I was leaning towards, if it is the only part that would remedy the problem...however I was basically given a checklist by the dealership on parts it *could* be...along with their prices . This was one part of several. I will either order all the replacement parts to solve the problem but I do not have the time to waste currently to try one part at a time. (Other DD is down currently...)

Thanks for the reply/suggestion (Saw the DIY thread for the switch earlier)

 

The price for an ignition switch isn't that bad.

GermanAutoParts.com

Those are on the expensive side of the aftermarket selection. I've seen them for under $7. I just replaced my switch last week. My car did turn over, but wouldn't fire. I noticed my accessories would turn on as I turned the key, but would turn off before I could position/turn the key forward to the Start position. It took me 14 minutes to replace it using a flashlight in the dark, granted I've replaced it once before and didn't disassemble the steering column.

You said you checked the starter and it was good. When my starter went, I believe my accessories came on, but it wouldn't crank whatsoever. I could pop start it though.

That's not exactly what you'd want to hear while pressed for time, but the switch is a pretty cheap part. Other than that, I'm not sure where else to look

 

I've had issues with fuel pressure regulators where they work fine when starting a cold motor but fail when starting a hot motor, e.g. after driving and then getting gas.

 

Was this problem solved? I have a perplexing/similar situation. Drove to work, drove to lunch, after work no crank no start. Push started (5 spd) and drove home. All lights work, key turns properly. Never had intermittent problem. I jumped clutch switch. Garage tested starter and said no power to starter (but would go no farther on an Audi). I see two relay banks 13 set and 8 set, but have no idea if that could be the culprit (also a bunch of fuses way under dash)....no sure which (if any) to check. Is switch worth replacing if no problem with mechanism? What else to check. I hear there is a ground near alternator, but not exactly sure where.