Car starts, then shuts off

[gotboost]

Just started happening, and doesnt happen always. I will start my car and it will die imediatly, sometimes it takes like 5 times to start it before it acually starts and runs. Does anyone know what the problem could be?? BTW its a 03 1.8 t

[Amze]

Does it idle normal when it finally starts?

Check for unhooked hoses and such, have you?

[gotboost]

yeah it idle normal when it finally starts

[dirtybrd]

Go out tomorrow morning and turn it on and off 5 times at 5 sec. on intervals, but don't start it until the last time. If it starts and runs fine, the fuel check valve in the fuel pump has failed. Call your local dealer and have them run the VIN for recalls, the 03 had a fuel pump recall.

[gotboost]

Go out tomorrow morning and turn it on and off 5 times at 5 sec. on intervals, but don't start it until the last time. If it starts and runs fine, the fuel check valve in the fuel pump has failed. Call your local dealer and have them run the VIN for recalls, the 03 had a fuel pump recall.

I will give that a try thanks

[Pete4 1.8t]

I take it there are no lights flashing on the dash....(ie the engine immobilizer one..with the key/car pic)?

[sunthose80]

what would that mean?

[A4 TSCHUSS]

plain and simple, it's your immobilizer. I am having mine fixed this Friday. Mine did the same thing over a year ago. Every once in a while it would die a few times then others it wouldnt. Then it would go a few days and be perfect and others it would be everytime I started the car. I then had my battery undone for a long period while I had a transmission fixed and the problem went away for several months. I then had a dead battery and the problem came back.

Very easy to tell. Turn your key on and the little yellow car icon in the top center of the gauge cluster will come on with all the other lights when you first turn on the key, then it will go out then start to flash. If it starts flashing then the car is gonna die because the key didn't get read properly. So next time you start the car pay attention to that icon and if the car dies watch for it to be flashing. I am almost positive this is your problem. There is a "key reader" or "reader coil" that is part of the ignition where you put your key in. This piece has gone bad.

A dealer quoted me over a year ago $350 for parts and labor when the problem first started on my car. I also have an 03. Like I said im taking it in this Friday so I will let you know what the cost was and the outcome.

[218army]

I had this same problem, for about 9 months. The car would start and die with the immobilizer light flashing. I finally figured out that if you have a bunch of keys or weight hanging on your remote while it is in the ignition, it puts stress on the key reader and causes the malfunction. If I take my remote off of my keychain the ca has started first time every time. I am going on a month and a half without the problem. I almost dropped $350 on a new lock cylinder with key reader coil. Might be worth a shot before you drop the money.

L8

b

[Kemiksiz]

I had this same problem, for about 9 months. The car would start and die with the immobilizer light flashing. I finally figured out that if you have a bunch of keys or weight hanging on your remote while it is in the ignition, it puts stress on the key reader and causes the malfunction. If I take my remote off of my keychain the ca has started first time every time. I am going on a month and a half without the problem. I almost dropped $350 on a new lock cylinder with key reader coil. Might be worth a shot before you drop the money.

L8

b

Hey,

I have heard this story from one of he mechanic guys, i did not gave a f$ck. I guess I should have, coz I got the same problem these days.. I'll try the 2 option on this page..

Thanx for the infos, I hope we all get rid of that issue without spendin any $$$

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I had this same problem, for about 9 months. The car would start and die with the immobilizer light flashing. I finally figured out that if you have a bunch of keys or weight hanging on your remote while it is in the ignition, it puts stress on the key reader and causes the malfunction. If I take my remote off of my keychain the ca has started first time every time. I am going on a month and a half without the problem. I almost dropped $350 on a new lock cylinder with key reader coil. Might be worth a shot before you drop the money.

L8

b

I have ZERO keys connected to my car key/remote and never have had any. I think you just had a crazy coincidence. Like I said mine all the sudden started working for several months perfectly as well then reared its head like a year down the road.

[BarryT82]

I had the same problem. It was the key reader coil. It's not cheap, so hopefully you have a warranty. They change it and then they charge to reprogram all of your keys.

[gotboost]

i will see if that imobilizer thing is flashing, i have 2 keys i will try.

[BarryT82]

If I remember correctly the immobilizer light didn't flash. The car just shut off and I had to keep trying to start it until it would stay on.

[Pete4 1.8t]

Mine used to have the immobilizer problem, and then it disappeared. It usually only happened with one key for me so it wasn't the reader in the car. So you could try another key to just make sure. Also I read in the manual that if you have other remote keys on the same key ring it can interfere with the audi key detection. I don't know if that was a factor for mine or not it would do it pretty consistently and now I haven't seen it for about 8 months!

[cjonesgo]

My immobilizer broke for a weekend last fall. I ended up removing a fuse, and then plugging it back in. Dash/gauge cluster made a clicking sound. Fixed the problem and hasn't happened since...

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...mobilizer+fuse

good luck!

[a4fromhell]

I'm having this same problem. The car will sometimes start fine, and then randomly take a few tries. It'll start and then immediately shut off. Takes a couple tries, and no flashing immobilizer light. Now on top of it all i see that the car reads "safe" in the trip screen under the tach. If i disconnect the battery for a minute it goes away, but once i try to start the car a second time the "safe" comes right back. PLEASE HELPPP!