Hi guys,

I'm very much a noob, both in the working-on-cars field (although have spent time around engines and mechanics so have picked a few things up - not much though!) and also when it comes to Audis and also on Audi Forums. So a 'hello from the UK!' to begin with.

I recently picked up for peanuts, a 1998 A6 1.8 Turbo Manual (AEB engine, DHW transmission) with zero service history available. The thing has seen its fair share of action, but the engine is very sweet. It's done 144,000 miles (230,000 km) but is still smooth as silk - no knocks, no warning lights, seemingly no major problems apart from an oil warning light which turned out to be a busted oil pressure sensor, which I replaced the day after I bought her.

The reason I bought the car is so that I could indulge a long-time desire to learn about, and work on, cars and engines.

I've bought myself a workshop manual - not the Bentley one, because from what I can see, it only covers models sold in the US, which I think the 1.8T wasn't (happy to be corrected, of course).

Being a noob, however, it's going to take a while to get up to snuff with the way that tech manuals are spelled out and some of the intricacies, but there's one area I want to deal with which I think will help begin that process.

The driver's side rear electric window will wind down, but when one tries to wind it up, it goes up a short way, stops and then winds back down. The only way to wind it up fully is to flick the switch (either the one on the door itself or the driver's) in tiny little increments and sometimes I have to push the window slightly out of where it's currently aligned in order to get it all the way back up.

So, there's a couple of questions (and I apologise for the length of post!):

The first is, what could that specific problem be?

The other relates to electrical systems overall and something I keep seeing called a 'radio code'. Can someone, in simplish terms explain what that is and what I need to be aware of - I've probably pulled on the almightiest thread with that one, but I'm here to learn, so hit me with it!

Many thanks in advance.

 

I think it sounds like there is something in the glass channel that is stopping a smooth passage of the glass, make sure it is clear. Strange question I know but, does it make a crackling sound at all? If it does then the window plastic guides may be about to break... they are the pink things in my post some years back, when they start to go the plastic shatters due to age, then the window wont work at all... https://www.audiforums.com/forum/aud...-cable-167583/

If it's just that rear window, don't use it

'Radio code' comes up when the battery has been disconnected, meaning you have to enter the radio code for the radio to work again - theft feature, only the owner of the vehicle would have the code, it is in the owners manual and states 'radio code' - unique 4 digit number.

 

Thanks, kj.

No, there is no crackling sound from the window - the operation of the window is smooth, if a bit slow - although I have no frame of reference from any other A6 to be able to say if it's slow compared to A6s in general.

Although I do have the owner's manual, the original radio unit was removed long before I bought the car and was replaced with a store-bought head unit. So, if that's been replaced, do I have to worry about the radio code if I unhook the battery should the need arise?

 

I don't know then Sir, only ever had stock radio in mine so have no idea - sorry.

 

That's OK, worst case I unplug it and see what happens. Thankfully, I have a mechanic friend who can help me if things go wrong.

Any further advice on the window, though?

 

Window: I would still say something is impeding the glass in the track, maybe the top of the door frame has a slightly tighter bend in it, open the other back door and compare the shape especially around the top of the door, the frame can twist a little on the back ones - I know it sounds a bit odd but that's all I have for you. Other than that I would take the inside door card off and examine the mechanism for free flow of the glass.

 

Thanks, buddy - appreciate the help. I'll report back once I've had a good look.

 

I had a similar problem with the driver window on my 1998 A6. Turns out, it was in the window regulator. There is a plastic piece, a regulator clip, that rides up and down the regulator that was cracked. They are around $10 on eBay. Pull the door panel off to inspect the clip. There are several excellent Youtube videos on removing the regulator. It is not a difficult repair.

 

Thanks, gschuch - I'll certainly check for that. I can't do it right now as my car is on the street, so I take it to my friend's house to work on the car, but as we're in lockdown in the UK, I can't go right now. But, early December, it's job number two. Job number one is bleeding the brakes.

 

The window issue sure sounds like the guides. It happened on my driver's rear, and it would get stuck at an angle on the way up. I could manually straighten it and hold it level while someone else held the button up. Not convenient, but it worked. I have seen the posts for replacing the guides and they are not difficult, but I never bothered (car was my winter driver so windows were usually up).

If the radio was replaced, then the anti-theft feature of the Audi head unit is history and you should have no problem, but you probably know that by now.