No Start- Battery, right?

[AudiNFS]

The car sat over the weekend and as you may know, it was relatively cold up here in the Northeast. The car would always have trouble starting after it sat for a couple of days. Well, not really "trouble" but it would always start with the first turn of the key, just start slowly. This morning, it's about 33 degrees. I walk out and find a low tire. So, I plug in (without thinking) the tire pump into my cigarette lighter and the pump was pumping. Then, I went to start the car, interior and dash lights on, and got nothing besides a fast click-like sound. I tried jump starting and got nothing besides the clicking sound still. And the car said twice "language select is ready to use" or something like that and then stopped.

With the key in accessory mode, the interior lights work, dash lights worked for the most part, but no gauges moved, like my gas gauge didn't read anything. So, battery? I think I did myself in with the no start by plugging in the tire pump before turning the car on. Battery recommendations and size? I'd really prefer it to be something I can just pick up at Advanced Auto or Autozone. Thanks guys

[FCPGroton]

The clicking your hearing is the starter trying to engage, but can't due to low voltage. I would check some other possibilities before jumping right into a new battery, even if the battery is bad you should still be able to jump start the car. Check the voltage at the battery terminals with the car off, it should be reading somewhere around 12v if its good (obviously). Make sure all connections on the positive and negative leads on your end are good and clean, and make sure the jumper cables you are using are also good and are making a good connection. It never hurts to hit the terminals with a wire brush to remove any corrosion, especially because you are in the northeast. You should be getting a nice spark when you connect the jumper cables from the jumper car to your car, if not then you do not have a good connection and should try re-positioning the cables or hitting them with the wire brush some more. You can also check the voltage at your terminals with the jumper cables connected and see what the voltage reads (the jumper car should be running while doing this), the voltage should read somewhere between 12-14 volts. If this is the case I would trace the positive lead from the battery to the starter, ground your negative meter lead and check voltage at the starter with the positive lead while someone cranks the car over (again these are obvious instructions but I'd rather be too in depth than too vague!). You should be getting 12 volts there. If you are and the car is still not starting then you probably have a failed starter/solenoid.

[andyrew]

Take the battery to the local parts store and have them test it.

[BaconBait]

As FCPGroton stated, start by cleaning the battery contacts. If there's bad corrosion, try a baking soda solution. If that doesn't work, Autozone can test your battery and tell you if that's the issue.

[AudiNFS]

News update:

Turned the key onto accessory mode and checked the voltage gauge. It started above the first hash, (the hash between 8 and 12, a little above that one) then started dropping back to almost 8 just from having the door open in about 10-15 seconds. I didn't let it die compeltely, but it was heading there. Battery? I didn't try starting the car again.

[Timtheguru]

You need a new battery or charge it. Even if it has voltage it doesn't mean it has the cranking amps power it once did.

[AudiNFS]

What say everyone to a Duralast Platinum vs. Gold battery? Is the Platinum worth it over the Gold?
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...mString=search

[Seerlah]

Before buying a new battery, get your current one recharged (either by jump starting your battery and letting it run for at least 30-45 min before cutting off engine, or a simple battery charger). After this, your voltage should be ~12v. Test your battery to see if it holds charge (Autozone does this for free). If it does, then don't waste your money on a new battery. But if your battery holds charge and your battrey still drains (you mentioned something that pointed towards a voltage drop), it will do the same thing to the new battery until you find out why.

[AudiNFS]

I've never had this happen before. I mean, I've had to have my battery charged, but it's always been fine afterwards. I've had to have it charged twice, once when it sat for 2 weeks in the cold, and once when I got an alignment. I usually go the weekends (or equivalent) without driving my car and it starts up afterwards, only this time it didn't. First time it's ever happened. So that leads me to believe it's just the battery.

[AudiNFS]

Charged the battery and started it. Started right up. Now I'm pumping up my tire (unfortunately taking awhile while the car is already warmed up) and going for a drive to get the battery to hold the charge. Thanks guys. I'll report if the car starts tomorrow morning or not

[Seerlah]

Running the battery will make the battery charge to ~12 volts (if it isn't already), but you really need to have it checked to see if it can hold that charge. If it checks out that your battery does hold charge, you need to find out where the voltage drop is coming from (ie faulty ground). If it shows that the battery does not hold charge, then the easy solution then would be to replace the battery. But you really need to find out if your battery holds the charge or not. What you do is go to Autozone (this service is free), ask them to check to see if your battery hold charge, they bring out their little machine, check it for free, and you will know if you need to replace your battery or look into other reasons why your voltage drops. Cold weather of course plays a factor. But I would not expect it to drop below 10 volts becuase of it. That's an issue, to me.

[AudiNFS]

It's out and ready to get checked. Strange there are no stickers on the battery except a green sticker on the side that says "11/10." Not sure what that means besides a date, but who really knows what the date could means. Could be "expires" or "made" date maybe.

[Seerlah]

You didn't have to take out the battery for them to check to see if it holds charge. Could have driven over there and they would have checked while it was still installed on the vehicle.

[AudiNFS]

Oh well. I don't think I'll be putting it back in at this point. But here's the thing I'm confused about, if I can start the car, drive the car, and start it the next morning, doesn't that mean the battery holds a charge? Maybe I just have a cheap-o battery? Like I said there's no labels on it at all.

Also, will I lose my radio code and have to re-program my key? I don't have an OEM key, some aftermarket setup. I hope not because I know not how to do either of these.

[Seerlah]

Not sure. But having the battrey hold charge does not mean it will drain in one day, necessarily. But it does happen. I just find it suspicious that you occasionaly have starting issues with the battery showing low voltage.

[AudiNFS]

I hope it's the battery. Any other issue sounds really complicated...

I don't really say I have starting issues, just that it is slower to start. Also, this is the first time this has happened. Like I said, weekend equivalent "rest" periods were fine starting it back up. Like I said, I think it's plugging in the darn tire pump that did me in. Like I said, maybe just a cheap-o battery that couldn't handle a) cold weather, b) sitting that length in cold weather, and c) all that combined with another source to draw voltage away from the car to start. Either way, the tests will show. If everything checks out, is it a good assumption that the battery is just a cheap replacement?

Also, this may be entirely dumb, but are batteries supposed to have liquid in them? I've only had experience with 2 batteries, this seemingly malfunctioning one which has some sort of liquid in it, and the one in my A4 that had been in the flood, so naturally had water in it.

[Seerlah]

Acid.

[wclepse]

Wow what a coincidence. This morning I went out to our 01 A4 and at first the car didn't want to start. So I shut off everything and tried to crank it again. It finally turned over but ran rough for a couple seconds and oddly enough the CEL light was flashing. After maybe 5 seconds the idle smoothed out and CEL light went away. Car drove to work fine and back but I ended up picking up a new battery tonight. Last battery was about 5 years old so I figured it was the most likely suspect. I had them test the battery and they did say it was bad so I did a quick swap. Car seemed to start up quicker but I noticed my voltage was a little lower than normal. I could swear it used to be a hair over 14V, now it is a hair under 14V but if I turn on the defrosters I can see it dip. I am hoping it is just something to do with the new battery not being fully charged or something but worried the alternator is starting to crap out.

[Seerlah]

Don't expect it to run at ~14.3v with accessories on.

[AudiNFS]

Mine runs at a little less than 14 with heat, fogs, and high beams on. Also, I had a CEL before I took the battery out. It was out for about 2 hours, put it back in, and no more CEL. Not even after a 15 minute drive to school. First time I've had a clear dash. I had a code for an EVAP leak

[AudiNFS]

Went to Autozone, the guy said that the battery has life, but is on it's way out. He said by the readings letting it sit like that, especially in cold weather doesn't surprise him that it wouldn't start. So, eventually, time for a new battery.

[redline380]

Funny thing no one else picked up on this. If the battery didn't have much of a charge it could've been dead. Dead batteries freeze. Frozen batteries are shot and won't be any good. The fact its always started kinda hard makes me think you got a short somewhere leaking a small amount of voltage. This explains why it had to crank a little extra before. After you let it sit over the weekend, it lost all voltage, and froze, thus rendering it useless. After you get a new battery installed check for shorts causing a drain on the battery. This really sounds plausible to me. Any aftermarket electronic equipment installed at all?

[redline380]

Acid.

and water. That's why dead batteries freeze. No more acid equals no more current being produced. If its just water in there they will freeze.

[AudiNFS]

Only aftermarket things are a boost gauge and LED fogs. The previous owner had some shitty flipout radio that probably used a lot of juice. Also I never said it always started kinda hard. Just after it sat for a couple of days (at least 2) it would just take an extra second to start, certainly no more than that extra second though.

I've done that many times before and the car has started up fine. The only difference this time was that I happened to have a low tire, and after it had been sitting for the weekend I plugged in the pump BEFORE I turned the car on, making all the voltage go to the pump instead of to starting the car. I'm sure I don't have a voltage problem. Sits a little above 12 in accessory mode, and sits a little above 14 when driving with no accessories on besides the radio.

[AudiNFS]

Also, is this really a problem. My (not sure what it's called) is sticking a little out passed the windshield. How it is:


Probably how it should be:

[Timtheguru]

You have to turn the half turn knopf! Also, there is a little bit of a "hook" on the plastic part.

http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4/msgs/119768.phtml

[AudiNFS]

You mean "hook" by the part that connects to the other half of that plastic, right? I got that in place, and fixed the gap a little bit. But the things that look like phillips heads on pics 3 and 4 in the link on mine are completely stripped. Unless you're talking about twisting some other thing?

[Timtheguru]

Under the plastic lip (sorry no pic) there is a little bit of a hook or L shap that wraps under the windshield metal part. Yeah pretty common for those to be stripped, you might have to figure out a way to turn it manually underneath.

[AudiNFS]

I fixed the gap even more after it slid under the windshield. There's just about a mm gap in the middle of that piece. Is it really that bad if there is a slight gap? I just don't know what the effects are. I can snap a pic of the "new gap" to figure out if it will cause problems or not. I'd really like to know since I don't want to have to fix anything I can prevent.

[Timtheguru]

As long as the rain tray aove the air cleaner is all lined up you shouldn't have to worry.

[AudiNFS]

Just to be sure, New Gap:


It's a small gap, but there is one.

[Timtheguru]

You're fine, the thing is mostly cosmetic.

[AudiNFS]

*phew* good. Thanks for all the help with this diemma

[pimpbot]

I replaced the battery on my wife's Avant when we first bought it in '09. I just had to replace it again. No electrical faults. It's just that turbo Audis cook their batteries with high under hood temps.

Props to Autozone. For a cheapo auto parts K-Mart kinda place, the folks there do seem to go out of their way to help, right down to the blingy battery meter to see what is really going on. They even saw that I bought my 4 year battery two years ago, and pro-rated the warranty for a new battery for me, and I didn't even have the receipt. New battery was only $40 installed.

As a guy who has to deal with batteries for a living, I know they can die at any time due to a bad internal weld (plate or rail comes loose) or a zillion other reason. Especially considering many are made very cheaply in china these days.

[AudiNFS]

Work with batteries huh? Any opinions on the Optima series? Anyone running them?

[Timtheguru]

Stay away from optima, as of late they aren't doing so good from what I've read.

Personal experience, I've had my Kirkland Signature Costco battery since Aug 2008 and still running great. Same company that manufactures all of the rest and you get a better warranty. Here is the part number I got, same size as OEM.

[AudiNFS]

Sweet. Thanks for that info!

[andyrew]

Stay away from optima? I've been running optima's in my cars for years. My last optima battery lasted me 7 years under constant torture, and I still have it and it still holds juice..

[walky_talky20]

^ I think he is referring to "recently". From what I've heard, they are no longer made in the USA and as such the quality is now a concern.

[BaconBait]

Even more of a reason to get one. 3 year warranty that resets when it goes bad.