I have a 2000 A4 1.8T quattro that has an intermittant starting problem that is driving me crazy.

Whenever the car sits for about 1 hour, it won't start unless I jump it.
I have replaced the battery a couple of times since the first one I bought was defective.
I have had a shop check the charging system and I'm told that is ok.
The strange part of this is that it only happens when the outside temp falls below about 45F. In the warmer temps it has no problem.
This is the second season I have put up with this. I have spoken to a couple of Audi shops and all they tell me is bring it in and they will troubleshoot it for $$$ per hour and it might take some time to figure out the problem.

Has anyone ever seen this before?

 

A bad starter could do that, but it would do it consistently at any temperature, not just in cold weather...
What fixed the problem last year, or did the warmer weather make the problem go away on its own?

 

sounds like a bad ground or you have the dreaded stater/ignition switch problem and well covered so a search might be wise

 

Actually starter failure is more common in warmer climates, not usually in colder ones. I would lean more towards a connection problem. Corrosion on the starter terminals or at the grounding points for the battery. Can you explain in greater detail about what happens when it doesn't start? Lights go dim? Do you get all the warning lights when you turn the ignition on? When you try to crank it do you hear a clicking sound? Does it ever not start after it's been sitting longer than an hour? Does it happen everytime it sits for only an hour? Do you have some type of electric heater plugged in to constant voltage? ( I had to ask that one- you just never know )

 

Last year it just went away when the warmer weather came. That is what puzzles me. If it was a bad ground, etc, it would happen in every temp. In the warm weather it never happens at all, ever.

When you turn the key, it's just like a completely dead battery, nothing happens. Open the door and no lights come on. The hour time frame is approximate. If I stop it and then start it again within the hour, it usually starts. After an hour, no go. If I go somewhere and park it, restaurant, mall, etc, when I come out, I have to jump it with my portable battery pack. When I park it in my driveway overnightI connect a battery charger to it in order for it to startin the morning.

This weekend I tried to pinpoint the problem again. Since the wipers work with the ignition off and key removed, I though possibly the wiper relay was shorting to ground. So I removed the relay, waited awhile butit was dead again.

At first I though the cold weather problem was related to the Mexican grease issue, but my A4 wasn't Mexican made.

 

go to autozone or something and get ur battery checked.

 

That's where I bought the batteries, the first defective one and the good one.I have had them check itseveral times.

 

how many amp battery did u get?

 

Nothing to do with battery amp capacity.

 

actually it does matter on amperage. every battery has an internal resistance that it must overcome in order to power other things. the internal resistance increases and the temperature decrease, thus causing a high internal resistance which results in a lower output power of the battery. i hope you understand wut i said cuz i just learn this in school and i feel very smart being able to spit it back out. if you still don't believe me, go ask any mechanic in a cold climate.