1999 A6 Avant: My battery went dead last week. Installed a new one and now the car will not start. I have never had starting issues since owning the car. I am not thinking this is a coincidence. I've called a couple of dealerships, but they were no help.

If anyone is familiar with this scenario and has the solution / ideas ... please chime in. I would greatly appreaciate your input!

Thanks in advance!!!

 

Hi! What do you mean doesn't start - does starter work?

 

Which engine and transmission does your 1999 A6 Avant have?
Does the starter still work, or is it dead? If dead, then you may have a bad starter, switch or wiring.
When you turn the ignition key to "key on engine off", do you hear the fuel pump running for about one second?
Does your ignition still work?
Per www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/immobilizer.html your car probably does not have an immobilizer.
You should charge the new battery with a battery charger. How do you know the old battery was bad? Did you have the old battery tested? Did you clean the battery terminals?

 

The battery was new, but had been sitting on the shelf for sometime. A friend hooked up jumper cables and for about 15 minutes worth of charging the starter seemed to crank more rapidly. It took another 15 minutes of intermitant cranking ti finally get it started. Now it is starting just fine!

Thanks for your input! BTW: 2.8L Tiptronic auto tranny

 

I would take that battery back and exchange it for one that either hasn't sat on the shelf as long or has not discharged. A battery sitting on a shelf should NOT lose its charge. When an automotive battery loses its charge, it is VERY hard on the battery greatly shortening its life, due to the design of the matrix inside the battery (a deep cycle battery is designed differently). You did not get what you paid for: a brand new battery.

Bob