Jonny K

I've got a 97 S6. Today I was driving around a good deal (not hard) and I had no issues. Parked for 20 min and then went back and started the car. Suddenly I have no signal lights and the climate control computer is totally dead. No lights on it at all and I can't control the heater or AC. Higher up on the console, the lights for the fog light buttons and seat heaters appear lit, but the light for the window defroster is off. The radio lights are off, though the radio still works when turned on.

So maybe it's just a fuse, right? Well the engine is also making an odd noise now. In fact, it sounds awful. It's hard to describe, perhaps a scraping "sssshhhhh" noise? Well, I carefully drove it home at low speed. After getting it home I took a look at the engine and everything appears cosmetically normal. But it smells burnt!!

Just now I went outside to start it again and record a little movie of the engine so you guys know what I'm talking about. But now the engine won't start! No starter at all. I turn the key, the lights turn on, the door beeper makes noise, but no turnover at all.

Within a few minutes everything has died on me! Any idea what's up? I'm not much of a mechanic, so I'll probably have this towed to a dealer for service tomorrow. :-(


Thanks.

|skolnick

Bad ignition switch and probably a starter that didn't disengage

UrS4boy

thread for the procedure). You probably need to replace your starter now. This just happened to somebody the other day. See the URL for that link.

For other people, at the very least, make sure you turn the key back a bit after starting your car. The switches fail so the return spring doesn't work anymore - so you have to do this manually until you get a new switch.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/s4s6/msgs/135837.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/s4s6/msgs/135837.phtml</a</li></ul>

4Driver4

As others have said, replace the switch and the starter. :-(

TabulaRasa

Are you out of motor oil? LOL.

Jonny K

Well I'm happy to hear this is a common problem, at least it's nothing crazy! :-)

Jonny K

I don't even know where the starter is. :-) Is this something I should even try on my own?

4Driver4

It's under the exhaust manifold. Disconnect the battery before you start. Remove wires from starter, unbolt starter from car. Install new starter.

There should be any number of write-ups around for the ignition switch. Try STFA.

kday

but I'm not sure how the exhaust interferes. Certainly with the exhaust and axle disconnected it's super easy. 2 bolts and the electrical. The bolts should be torqued to 48 ft lbs on reinstallation.

UrS4boy

<ul><li><a href="http://www.elektro.com/~audi/ignswitch">http://www.elektro.com/~audi/ignswitch</a</li></ul>