New guy here... My wife brings the car (2001 A6 2.7 6spd) to my office and can't leave! Help. I put the key in and turn it on and get flashing dash lights, and voltage varying around 8V. After a couple minutes its up to 12.5V and everything looks normal. I put my foot on the clutch and turn key to start and immediately the voltage drops again and nothing but low battery clicking if even that. I checked battery voltage and it is perfect at 12.5. Load tested it and also good. Cleaned terminals and re-installed thinking this would fix it. No such luck. Same results. It seems like ignitions switch or master electrical solonoid????

 

Check the terminals at the battery and ground strap from engine to frame...

 

Dead Battery symptom for sure, take it to a excusive battery store and let them do a load test on it, it should be free..I'll bet it flunks. If it does, put the correct battery back in.

 

Already cleaned and checked battery connections and ground. Thanks

Also already load tested battery but I'll take it to Napa and have them do it. It sure seems like a connection to wherever the primary battery cable goes to.

 

Your looking for 14 volts out of the battery. If it's at 12.5 and diving to 8. Find your self a metal bar or pipe and using it like a poker smack the starter as hard as you can several times while she has the key turned to start. If it's frozen or welded that will free it. If it starts leave it running drive it to where ever you need to have it changed but don't turn it off until it's where you need it to be.

Another sign of starter failure is when you turn the key you will here a small little whine from the electrical sytem as it grounds through the starter.

If you are concerned you don't have the amps to crank it over, jump it to another battery.

 

DOH!!

I meant check the terminals at the starter...


Frigging Freudian slips

 

Have you tried bump starting it?

 

The voltage problem is not just when the starter is trying to engage. With the key just in the on position the voltage is almost always down to 8V or lower and fluctuating slightly. Sometimes it works its way back up to 12.5v and all systems look normal. As soon as I turn the key to start though it drops immediately as though it is a dead battery. So if it is connections, it is at the main bus or main power solonoid if there is one. All connections at battery and ground to body as well as engine to body grounds are solid and clean.

 

Maybe you have a voltage regulator problem. You may think you have a good battery, but actually is on its way out.

By the way, how did you load-tested your battery? Did you do that on your own or you took it to a chain store (AZone, PepBoys, etc)?

 

It sounds like a dead battery. But since I guess youre too scared to bump start it to find out, you will have to keep trouble shooting