Ok this is my first post and I read practically a hundred similar posts in hopes of finding an exact match to my symptoms.

I have a 97 A4 2.8. I have only owned the car about 1.5 months thus far. All of sudden with no warning or other issues, the car would not start yesterday. All I get is a single click when I try to start it. I tried jumping it and that did not work. I could pop it (5 speed) and thus that is how I got it home. I replaced that battery but that did not fix it.

Now is where the confusing part starts for me. When you pop it, it will not hold a low idle. I could drive it all day on the highway, hence when it first did yesterday I was about 25 miles from home. As long as I was moving, it ran fine. As soon as I slow down to where it needs to idle, it stalls, then of course I can't crank it back up. So popping it in traffic was excellent, I suggest that for everyone..ha


So I have two issues, no low idle(maybe and alternator) and no starting(starter/solenoid). There is no way in h*ll that the starter and alternator went out at once. I just can't think that is what happened. So based on previous posts I am guessing maybe the grounding issue that others have had happen. Or maybe this secondary fuse panel??

Oh and the key switch and starter were replaced in 2003 before I got the car.

Any help would be most excellent...

 

The initial problem sounds like a bad starter.

The vehicle not wanting to idle sounds like a throttle body that isnt programed.

 

U probably have a bad starter and it sounds like you also have a bad idle air control valve. I'm guessing that you have the 12 valve 2.8 and that was very common on that motor.

 

Thanks for the input. So without any symptoms at all before this, it isn't odd that both would quit at the same time?

Thanks,
Philip

 

If the fault in the starter has caused it to stick in, the engine will be constantly driving the starter round. The extra load will mess ip the idel, take the starter off then see if it will idel.

 

Alright thanks.. Sounds sensible... I will attempt to pull the starter this weekend. I don't have a Bentley manual, this should be interesting.

 

Well I took off the Idle Control Valve and cleaned it out and put it back on. I pop started it and the idle is now fine. The starter however is another issue. I bought another one and was going to replace it, ha.. ha.. Hats off to everyone that has done that themself. I gave up.. I will be searching today for someone to put one on for me... What a PITA!