Multiple Warnings on Start-Up

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steverobertsbbc

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I'm beginning to think the car park at work is haunted or something... After experiencing my fuel pressure switch ejecting itself from the fuel rail last month, today I get back in to drive home and the dashboard lights up with multiple warnings and beeps, from memory:

Suspension System Fault
ESP not available
Hill Hold not available
Stop/Start not available

There may have been others. Turned off the ignition and same again on restart. There was a yellow suspension strut icon displayed on the dash. However, this disappeared when I started to drive, drove fine and when I got home and turned it off and on again I had no warnings.

Any ideas?
 
That's normally what happens if you have had the battery disconnected. Then you need to drive a few 100 meters and then everything settles.

Do you think you have a lose battery wire/connector or something?
 
I've found on previous vehicles when the battery is low or been disconnected then a full X-Mas tree lights come on. I'd check the battery condition first.
If this doesn't work then you need somebody with a plug in diagnostic reader.

Colin
 
I haven't been using the car very much (and actually don't even under non Covid conditions, less than 5000 miles a year), so it's possible that the battery might be low, although I'm surprised that it didn't error before I drove it twenty minutes into work this morning. Prior to two trips into work yesterday and today, it has been off the road for four weeks due to the aforementioned fuel sensor incident. I'll check the battery connections and voltage.
 
I've realised that in six years of owning the car, I've never disconnected the battery. Are there any pitfalls in doing so? I thought maybe I'd take it out and put it on charge for a while.
 
6 years for a battery, especially with low annual mileage and usage is astonishing. I would definitely have the battery checked out
 
Last edited:
steverobertsbbc said:
I've realised that in six years of owning the car, I've never disconnected the battery. Are there any pitfalls in doing so? I thought maybe I'd take it out and put it on charge for a while.
Click to expand...
No need to remove the battery from the car to charge it, if you haven't got a charger, I'd recommend a CTEK
 
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Bought my S3 new and noticed the usual start-up not being as eager when it was very cold in winter just gone. Car was 5 years old and only 20k on the clock so 4k average per year. I also have a tracker fitted. Had battery tested by Audi and it showed as needing replacing. You’ve done very well for 6 years and low annual mileage. Gave mine a really good run last week as car not really being used at all but obviously battery is new.
 
I do have a charger, but it's a bog-standard non-intelligent one, hence i thought it might be safer to charge it off the car.

Sounds like I need to get the battery changed at the next service...
 
I would suggest you get it checked ASAP, as a battery on its last legs may leave you stranded when you last want it to. The proper battery is expensive and has to be coded upon installation. A check out is inexpensive and provides peace of mind either if it is faulty or ok, which I doubt it is.
 
How expensive is the battery replacement? I see even Halfords want nearly £200 fitted, what's Audi's price? (1.8TFSI quattro DSG, if it makes a difference). Would Halfords be able to do the coding?
 
It doesn’t have to be an Audi battery, and there are online deals to be had if you look around. HF is not the most cost effective supplier....
Just ensure it’s same spec as you already have.

The recoding is not 100% an absolute requirement, it’s a recommendation to optimise the charging cycle of the battery. It’s also very easy to do if you have or know someone with access to VCDS.

:racer:
 
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OK, I've looked around at replacement batteries. The OEM battery from 2014 is a Moll EFB battery with the VAG code 6R0 915 105 B, dimensions are 278l x 175w x 190h.

Whenever I look at replacements, the suggestion is an AGM battery. Whilst taking your point about coding, I'm wondering if it would be rather more necessary when changing from an EFB to an AGM battery?

Any thoughts?

Edited to add: I've just gone ahead and ordered a Varta EFB replacement. Thanks to everyone who chipped in with advice and thoughts. :)
 
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I did it on my golf as all the warning lights came on like yours.
There is a order on taking the positive and negative off, I looked on youtube.
When I started my car back up all the errors came up, but took it for a 5 minute drive and it sorted itself out.
Just buy a good battery on Varta to the same size as yours, it does not need to be a special make, just a good name brand.
 
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I know enough to take the negative terminal off first. :) This eliminates the possibility of the spanner touching the bodywork whilst trying to take the positive terminal off, thus causing a direct short through the spanner.
 
Just to close this off, new battery arrived this morning (thanks tayna.co.uk!), fitted easily. Same load of errors on startup as before and as expected after battery disconnect. All disappeared on driving, except for one saying Stop/Start had malfunctioned and was unavailable, but that came good and stop/start activated after about half an hour. Will let Audi know when it's in for service that the battery has been changed so they can code it in.

Thanks again to all who contributed advice and information.
 
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