So i wander out of the Police concert at fenway park saturday night and approach my A8 in the parking lot. I click the unlock on the key fob but nothing happens. Unlock the car manually and open the door; the interior lights go on. Put the key in the ignition and turn and nothing happens. Try to take the key back out and the ignition won't release the key. The rear trunk won't unlatch when i try to pop from inside the car and can't get the key out to unlock the rear trunk to access the battery in order to try to maybe jump it in case the battery is low (have never had a battery problem with the car). Look thru the manual for a while but nothing jumps out. End up leaving the car in the parking lot unlocked with the key in the ignition until Audi roadside picks up the car in the a.m. Any speculation as to what this could be? Just had the car serviced a couple of weeks ago by the dealer.

Lee

 

Older body A8's have frequent ignition switch problems, thats what i would be looking at even more so cause you can't get the key out.

 

So, being told that the recognition module failed and that the entire steering column has to be replaced and re-coded from the factory in germany. Sounds crazy that the module, which I am told is the size of a cigarette pack, would necessitate the replacement of the entire steering column. Has anyone else run into this issue?

 

I also have an 04 A8 but never had that problem. Its scary though.

 

sounds like a bad access start control module. they are attached to the steering column and cannot be ordered seperately.

 

if you tried to unlock it with the remote a few times and were out of reach this would lock you remote out and the fob would need reprogramming immobiliser would have kicked in preventing you from starting

 

finally got fixed. dealer had failed to clean out windshield drain and water got in and fried the recognition module. All is well now.

 

Good to hear, damn A8's can be a nightmare to diagnose.