I've read all forum posts that search can find for my 1998 A4 Quattro on this subject. I went out this AM and the battery appears to be totaly dead. There are no flashing lights for the alarm and the doors will not unlock. I've tried driver's and passenger doors--the key just turns and there is clearly no mechanical linkage to a door lock on my A4. The trunk will unlock but that doesn't appear to help. I prefer not to kick out a rear seatback (they are latched / locked closed) or break the rear window as two others suggested for solutions that worked. I have pushed relatively hard on the seatbacks but am at the point where I believe more force will break something. I don't have a trickle charger to connect to a brake light to try to get enough juice to unlock it. I do have jumper cables and another vehicle. I've tried to find the vacuum lines referred to by one poster, but only found a large round device with power and two lines (for quattro system I think) on the passenger side of the trunk floor under a black round-ish cover--no vacuum line I can easily suck or blow on. If the vacuum line is my last hope and it's supposed to be behind the semi-rigid panel on the passenger side, how is that removed? Are there any other smart ideas I can try before I call for a tow truck?

 

I'm not sure of the basic mechanics of the hood release switch, but maybe you could get below the car and try to find a way to manually unlatch the hood and then you'll be in business for recharging the battery? I'm sure theres a failsafe that is built in for this exact reason, maybe someone else on here can confirm me on this?

 

Thanks for the thought. Another post did mention the same idea, but so far no one who knows exactly where that is / how that works has posted as far as I can see with my searches. I offer a free beer to anyone who can help on this!!

 

On most cars I use the shovel in the door method. But I don't think that will work here. You could pull the bumper off and then the grill and use a prybar to pop the hood. That's how I got mine open when the hood cable broke.

 

That black cover you were looking at in the trunk is your fuel pump. Leave that alone lol.

 

Or you could just call a locksmith/AAA to unlock your doors.

There is a cable to be slim jimmed. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though, I haven't locked my keys in my A4 before.

 

The hood is a bitch to pry open. My hood release lever recently stopped working, I took it to my dad's shop where he used a long pick to push the hood release spring through the front grille and it eventually opened. We then fixed the spring and all is well again.

 

Maybe you can get thru the trunk? When my battery died... U was able to unlock the passenger door... But not the drivers side

 

when my hood latch broke i ended breaking the head light brackets took it out and the latch were the wire connects to on the latch was very easy to get to and it was one hell of way to say i needed to upgrade headlights just an idea

 

Damn, you really did do some research!

Anyway, the vacuum pump you are referring to is on the passenger side of the trunk behind the little cubby hole. The little storage pocket pops up and out of the way. The pull the lining out and you will find the central locking all covered in foam. That's the thing you're looking for. It actually connects to your fuel door to lock that as well, if that helps give you an idea of where to find it...