Cold start problem
 

Just bought a 2003 a4 with the 1.8T. It's had some problems starting when the temp is low in that it won't even try to start. I've never had any problems trying to start it later in the day when the air temp has risen. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!!

This is a 5-speed manual w/86,000 miles......

When this happens, it's totally dead (no clicks, no cranks), like there is a dead battery except all the dash lights are on.

Try a jump start when the problem takes place. If the starter engages, it is an indication that the battery is weak. If the lights do not dim when attempting to start it shows that the starter is not engaging.

Mine is only on winter time also that acts weird and i cannot figured it out what causes it , ill explain . Always starts and never dies .

All summer and warm days the first time of the day when i start the car the Rpms always go up for a min or two then they come down to 900 , nothing wrong on that , it s when it s cold or below zero that happens exactly the opposite and it should not be like that ( i think ) , first time of the day when i start the car the Rpms just go to the 900 , just like if the car/engine was already warm and i had driven it already , i just dont get it , should it not be in cold temperatures the Rpm s go up as well then come down ? What is wrong and causing this ?

mine does the same thing and this only happened after i got stage 1+ flash... when it was stage 1 everything was fine. i have to turn the car off and on a few times to get it to kick in cold start mode.

All the lights in the car are fine when trying to start it. It is an intermittent problem. For instance, the first few times I try to start it, all the lights will come on as normal, but nothing happens when the key is turned. After multiple attempts to start it, sometimes it starts right up for no apparent reason, other times (such as this morning) there is no hope of starting it. The best way to describe it would be like trying to start the car without the clutch in. I have a feeling there might be a sensor somewhere that is going bad. Do these cars have any sensors that are known to go bad?

not sure on manual car if theres a remote relay for starter, but automatic has a interlock relay. either way you can check by removing the bottom dash panel under the steering wheel and locating a relay box. you will have to find out which one is for starting circuit

another thing to check is the starter itself. check the power cable to make sure its secure. have someone help you check the voltage the starter receives when the ignition is turned.

hi,i think maybe its battery wasn't strong enough..

Found a solution to my exact problem over on audizine. Here is the link: Starter Issues; B6 S4 - Attempting Official Resolution
The evidence in the thread is pretty compelling. Evidently the heat from the engine eventually wears out a solenoid in the starter, which explains why it starts right up when it decides to crank. I will be ordering a new starter soon and will follow up with the results.

Hope this helps anyone with the same issue!!

You should check if you have power to the solenoid befor you replace the starter, this is an expensive guess!! No power= ignition switch or wiring problem of some kind.