My son purchased a 1995 A6 which has been running until a couple days a go when he went to start it and it was dead. It's a 1995 A6 Base, automatic, with 140k.

I searched the forum and found bits and pieces of information so I thought I'd ask to verify.

The symptoms are, all electrical works except when the key is turned to start, no signal to the starter/solenoid. I took the starter out and also checked the signal wire with a test bulb and nothing. Thinking it could be a starter relay I called 3 Audi dealers and they all said the car does not call for such a relay. Only a security relay is the car has an alarm. The relay they refer too is a single 4 prong relay in the 4 spot in the knee pad area but my son's car has a double relay in that spot, number 369. I've read that it does, and I've read that with the automatic, the starter gets it's signal directly from the ignition switch. Can anyone confirm which is the case? BTW, the battery is new and charged.

If it doesn't I'm assuming I'm looking at a new ignition switch....

 

A quick update for anyone reading, I took apart the dash and found the starter switch had been replaced at some time. I know this because they didn't tighten the set screws and the switch was floating. I hoped that was the problem...no luck. Next I added a flashlight style continuity tester inline from the starter signal wire and started testing leads at the relays under the knee pad. I found the relay that the signal comes from and its the first one from the right...a grey relay labeled diesel...no idea why. A couple terminals looked a little fried so I going to start there.

 

Well I'm still at this.....I have a wiring diagram of the start system, transmission circuit and power distribution circuit. Using the starter diagram this really should be so hard. I see the park neutral relay should be actuating at 50z and 50a which it's not. I get power to 50z from the ignition switch so I replace the relay....no work. If i jump to relay I get a signal to the starter wire so what in the circuit prevent the relay from working? It's a double relay with the top half going to the shift lock control then the multi function switch. Any ideas....just keep chasing?

 

Are you sure all of the circuits in the starter switch are working? You may be energizing the starter signal but not the rest of the 12V. The switches are notorious for failing and the symptoms vary. The housing cracks and if they are not replaced with an OEM switch they will fail again within a year. If I were you I would just go to the dealer and buy an OEM ignition switch and replace that first.

 

I agree. I actually spent a good part of the morning testing all the related circuits based on the wiring diagram. Everything seemed to work and get power except 1 circuit that kept leading me to the central lock system which in turn leads to the ECM and multi switch. The alarm worked fine and I didn't want to deal with the multi switch prior to an easy potential fix like the ignition switch so I decided to put his new starter in ( old one hurting anyway). I put the whole car back together thinking I was on a new repair path and wouldn't you know, it started.
So either the ignition switch is junk and it's worked its way to a position its working again or the problem was the starter all along. Either seem plausible. I now think the open circuit I was experiencing may have been because the starter circuit was open by not having the all the wires attached while testing. Someone else would have to confirm that. All I know is it didn't work sitting on the floor, but worked in the car.

Anyway, a new ignition switch is going in for cheap insurance.

Thanks all!