My son's '97 Audi A8 is stuck at Walgreen's. His negative battery cable was loose and the car lost power. We tightened the cable, jumped the battery with my truck for 5 minutes, tried to start the thing and nothing happens. The dash lights all come on and the stearing wheel moves into position, but no clicks or anything when the key is turned.

Any advice?

 

Sounds like you KILT tha battery, DED!

The lack of "clicks" and whatnot is the electrica;l system announcing that there isn't enough "cold" amps to turn the starter. Not even enough to push the solenoid, in fact.

Try charging it for more than 5-minutes. Say, for 20-30 minutes, at idle. Alternatively:

Drop $125+ for a new battery (DON'T go to the Audi dealer, unless you take out a loan, first), I'd say.

Now, if your dash-lights were dead, too, I'd say you had an entirely different problem.

 

Okay, thanks - will give that a go and let you know

Thanks Again!

 

Okay, did a load test and battery is at 12.7v so that's not the problem. We can hear clicking when the hood is open, but it doesn't try to turn over, just clicks.

My son had pulled off the negative cable, would this cause something to reset?

 

Lots of things reset when the battery is disconnected. May or may not have made a difference.

You didn't by chance connect jumper cables or a charger directly to the battery did you?
Have heard of several Battery Management Modules getting fried that way.

 

Don't know about a '97, but on a facelift D2 (00-03), the only things to reset after battery disconnect (or dead) is clock, radio, seat memories and window one-touch close function.

One added exception: When the car is started for the first time after battery reconnection, the key must be set to the ignition position for approx 5 seconds BEFORE hitting the starter position...this resets the "engine management system".
---straight from the Audi A8 owner's manual

On my car, when I reconnect the battery, the starter switch position does nothing until this required ritual is completed.