Audi Lovers, Please Help Me Out!

This morning I went out to drive my 1999 Audi A4 (2.8 Quattro) to work and it wouldn't start. Jump started it with wife's Explorer (Yuk!) and proceeded to work. After putting the car on a medium charge for 45 minutes the car would still not start. Not even with the industrial charger set to "Crank" but it would start with a jump. Called local Audi tech and he told me it sounded like a battery. Bought a new battery, installed it and wala, the car started. Now the Bose Concert Sound System won't work nor will the interior lights. Every time I install a new 20 amp fuse for the radio, it blows immediately. What's Up? Prior to installing the new battery, I noticed a white light under the dash by my left foot flashing constantly. Can anyone please help me! I can't afford to take this fine ride to a dealer at $95 per hour.

When reading the manual, which I should have done in the first place, it states to turn the key on for five seconds prior to starting. I probably didn't do this. Might this have something to do with the radio fuse problem. For what it's worth, I've never had a problem with this sound system in the past. Please help me out!!!

Respectfully,
Ed

 

Sounds to me like you need to give the ECU time to reset itself. When we put a new battery in our Murano(yuk!) the radio and everything was off till the ECU readjusted to the new battery. Everything was reset, and everything had to be reset.

Your problem does sound bigger than that though, I don't know why the radio fuse would keep blowing itself out.. Is the battery meant for the car? Where did you ge the battery? Is it the same battery as before?

 

Thanks for the reply. I think it has something to do with that white light located under the dash. I've never seen it on before until I had the battery problems. I tried everything, from disconnecting the battery and doing as the manual suggest and the damn fuse still blows instantly. I never received a "Safe Mode" on the radio because the fuse is constantly blowing. The fact that these cars are so "designed" that a owner can't even change his battery just drives me bonkers. They're designed to return to dealers at $1.50 a minute labor rates. That is my only gripe with European Automobiles. I love how they drive but when something goes wrong, you had better be sitting on a thick wallet.
Any other input will be greatly appreciated.
Respectfully,
Ed

 

If you leave the motor running while changing the batterythe safe mode on the radiowill not come on unless the alt. is bad. You can also use a battery saver that plugs into the cig. lighter to maintain power to the ECU's and radio while changing the battery and will not go into safe mode. I have no idea what is wrong with your car though, I have heard of certain cars needing reprogrammed if constant power is not maintained but not an A4 and it would not have the same symptoms you have.

 

I donbt that changing the battery is causing the fuse to blow. Borrow a vagcom and check the radio system.

The light in the drivers side footwell is controlled by the drivers door open switch. It should go on with the interior lights and turn off when the interior lights turn off.