Ok here's the story my wife drove the A6 450 miles away there It's sitting she said that the emissions light was on and the car and turned over fine and almost started .I'm going up to work on the car next week I'm assuming it's a fuel problem But I'm open to suggestions
1 Do I need to buy a diagnostic tool and what kind,or are there buttons to push in some funky way to tell me a code?
2 where is the fuel pump relay
3 I'm assuming the pump is in the tank do I need jacks to drop the tank?
4 how do I check fuel pressure?
5 where is the fuel filter?
what would you do?
yes it has fuel
yes the bat. is charged up

 

I bid $30 for one of these:
http://search.stores.ebay.com/OneSma...READERQQsofpZ0

Find someone with a VAG-COM
http://www.steve-hall.com/cgi-bin/VAG-Locator.pl

Anyway get the codes.

AutoZone checks codes for free.

 

My guess would be carbon buildup on the valves. Try starting it with the gas pedal fully depressed. Youll probably have to crank it for a while before it starts. Once it starts take it out and beat the crap out of it. Thatll usually take care of the problem. If not youll have to have an engine decarb performed.

 

Ok got a comp. reader said low voltage at terminal 30 I cleanned all the terminals I could find I took a while to start but it did and is running great now.Oh and by the way the LED display is almostperfect now I was missing about 7 lines its only out on now

 

Purchase a Bentley Manual, & a VAG-Com. You can't diagnose problems with out either of them.

I would pull the plugs & see how they look. If there wet, then your getting fuel & that might also keep the car from starting (fuel fowled).
Then I would turn over the engine, with the plug connected to the coil pack with it out of the engine, to see if your getting spark.

To check fuel pressure, you put a fuel pressure gauge inline on the fuel line before the FPR. Even if you have low fuel pressure, the car should still start.

If there is carbon build up, go & purchase some Seafoam, and read the directions for cleaning the valves & combustion chamber.

 

I did get it to start and it runs fine and plan to change the fuel filter.and buy a fuel pressure guage,I do have a VAG-Com It said trouble code 18101 wich is low voltage on terminal 30 according to the book it came with,and the disk says its a short to a indicator lightwich I dont think would stop it from starting.I dont know how old the plugs are may be original so I think I'll replace them as well ,it has 83000 miles I've had it for 2 years and only changed the oil

 

if the the weather was very cold, or perhaps the battery died most likely it is te throttle valves. if the car turns over and then stutters and shuts, and doesnt have the usually power that is most like the case. is it cold where the car is ?