Endless crank / start up issue on TDI
- Thread starter wasfer
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2015
- Messages
- 1,850
- Reaction score
- 864
- Points
- 113
Hi mate, not had this issue to be honest. Mine starts first time every time.
I do have a dpf sensor error at the moment though
Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk
I do have a dpf sensor error at the moment though
Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk
Oh no, hopefully it's just a sensor replacement that costs less than 50€.
In my case issue became apparent after Starter change (recall) and Fuel pump replacement (buzzing noise).
After which they ended up changing Fuel pump second time, and issue vanished for 7months. Sadly issue became active during yesterdays start-up again.
Out of warranty, and not having high hopes this time around with diagnosis and replacement fees...
p.s. 55 000 km on the clock. Audi doesnt make great cars these days.
In my case issue became apparent after Starter change (recall) and Fuel pump replacement (buzzing noise).
After which they ended up changing Fuel pump second time, and issue vanished for 7months. Sadly issue became active during yesterdays start-up again.
Out of warranty, and not having high hopes this time around with diagnosis and replacement fees...
p.s. 55 000 km on the clock. Audi doesnt make great cars these days.
Yes happened once or twice over last two years in very cold weather. Just stopped it immediately then press the start button again and fires up instantly. Never thought it was much to worry about tbh.
I suggest you take this case up during warranty. It can help try to find an issue during warranty and help the rest of us out as well 
Hopefully your dealer has great mechanics.
I dont have newer vids, but this is how it behaves from earlier.
Hopefully your dealer has great mechanics.
I dont have newer vids, but this is how it behaves from earlier.
Mine used to do this, I say used to as it was one of a list of faults that Audi couldn’t seem to fix so I just got rid of the car in the end, earlier than planned.
Glad I did, much happier with its replacement.
Glad I did, much happier with its replacement.
I suggest you take this case up during warranty. It can help try to find an issue during warranty and help the rest of us out as well
Hopefully your dealer has great mechanics.
I dont have newer vids, but this is how it behaves from earlier.
On the few times its happened I didn’t leave it crank as long as the video. Just stopped it and started instantly after. This has happened before and after the recall for the starter (or alternator, I forget which it was). I did mention it to Audi at one service and they said they couldn’t repeat the fault.
To be honest, the windscreen could fall out and I don’t think they’d notice. I’ve lost count of the number of times the car has been back to fix the dash rattle (back in next week, yay). Warranty is up next month and still not fixed, ****** useless.
I was told by big local (Non official audi dealer) vag group repair shop to leave it cranking for longer time. There should be safety that kicks in and stops the engine crank, this may save error codes into system.
I have been really worried about doing this earlier, I might as well just let that happen when the issue happens again... but who knows as it is so random, maybe it wont happen for a year or worse, if there is indeed cable harness issue(heard it was found by engineers for one person in german forum who also has endless crank issue, and instant start on second crank) it will just keep cranking and maybe kill the starter? Possibilities seem to be endless.
My car goes in on 7th of Feb for another round of checkups, Hopefully with all the possible solutions/causes i've provided they manage to find it.
If they do, I will make sure to give updates.
Go push them a lot during warranty! My warranty is over and diagnosis will most likely be for me to pay, if they find the issue I hope goodwill will kick in and they share the costs as it was issue since warranty.
BMW M340i xDrive. Only had it 3 months but IMO it’s a superior car all round. Although my A6 was only the FWD 40 TDI.May I know what did you get as replacement?
Mine had multiple dashboard rattles, none of which were ever rectified, unbelievable really, I thought it was just my local Dealer but obviously not!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2017
- Messages
- 187
- Reaction score
- 82
- Points
- 28
This problem started for me after about 2 years, I've now had this problem throughout the whole of the previous winter (20-21), it went away in about March and then re-started again in October and has continued, particularly in December and the early part of January.
It has been into the dealer several times, and I've provided them with videos. I asked that very question about whether I should leave it trying to start, so that it might end up showing the fault. The senior tech told me explicitly not to do that. He said that once I had identified that it was not going to start (within a couple of seconds) I should hit stop. All it will do is put extra strain on the battery and starter motor, and if it does eventually capture a fault, apparently it will just be a random "crankshaft out of position" error, or something similar, rather than what is the actual cause.
Like everyone else, this only happens on first start-up, and even then, it is intermittent with pattern (wet, frost, days untouched, etc), but generally in the middle of winter is happening at least every few days, and for a short while every day. It's been mentioned in another thread here.
The senior tech that I spoke with thinks it is a fuel issue and maybe fuel is draining away overnight, and then perhaps the fault lies with the way the low pressure pump initially delivers fuel to the high pressure pump at the inlet. That explains why it only occurs on first start, however it doesn't explain why it is intermittent, or why it is only during winter. He suggested that I try leaving the ignition on for 1-2 seconds before starting which should ensure the low pressure pump has got fuel to the engine. I thought that had done it, and I hadn't had the problem for the last couple of weeks, however it happened again yesterday despite leaving the ignition on for 10-15 seconds. So, I guess that isn't the issue...
Do you by chance have any errors saved?
Such as;
19 Gateway - Databus missing message U112100, Intermittent (TSB points towards cable harness defect for transmission)
02 Transmission - Gear Shift Control Module "A" P085D00 Intermittent
09 - Central Electrics - Databus error value received - Intermittent
13 - Adaptive Cruise control - Databus error value received - Intermittent
In short odd signal errors that point towards cable harness defects?
Why I am even thinking it can be cable issue is because I recently had front left level sensor with cable defect by manufacturing error.
Cable underneath was running inside the seal, yet it had defect which caused it to corrode and cause issues. Cable was fixed by dealer.
Such as;
19 Gateway - Databus missing message U112100, Intermittent (TSB points towards cable harness defect for transmission)
02 Transmission - Gear Shift Control Module "A" P085D00 Intermittent
09 - Central Electrics - Databus error value received - Intermittent
13 - Adaptive Cruise control - Databus error value received - Intermittent
In short odd signal errors that point towards cable harness defects?
Why I am even thinking it can be cable issue is because I recently had front left level sensor with cable defect by manufacturing error.
Cable underneath was running inside the seal, yet it had defect which caused it to corrode and cause issues. Cable was fixed by dealer.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2017
- Messages
- 187
- Reaction score
- 82
- Points
- 28
There were no errors recorded.
That sounds like a specific error you encountered for a separate issue. There are quite a few people that have reported this starting problem, but with no errors recorded. If it were related to a cable fault, I think others would also have seen those errors, and would give the dealers something to investigate.
I had experience of this when I had my 2019 40 TDI. Always felt to me like a battery-related issue, Audi techs said this was unlikely but when my battery was swapped out the problem disappeared (turned out battery wasn’t holding charge, after the dealer kept the car overnight for several days). I also had central locking issues, which again made me think it was a battery fault. My brother’s A6 Avant also had to have its battery replaced, makes me wonder if there was/is some kind of systemic problem with the batteries in C7 and early C8 A6’s.
Sadly battery is not the issue for me and seems to be more mysterious
Hopefully I will find the resolution or just have to live with second-clicking the button to start a brand new car successfully.
It sounds like on initial start, the fuel solenoid isn't getting an open signal. It could be something like a bad connection or a software gremlin related to the cold start system.
Salas
New Member
ECU won't allow the first start for some reason. There's nothing mechanically wrong with the engine I would say. Diagnostics required here.
Salas
New Member
Cold weather and everything shrinks, gaps may become wider etc. But I wouldn't go with fuel anyway. The engine doesn't start no matter how long you crank it, right? So why doesn't it start after say 10 or 20 secs of cranking? It is not about fuel 99% sure. There is no logic.
Local audi dealer was able to replicate the issue or well, it randomly happened and to my luck they recorded it on their premises.
There were again no errors specifically for this, just Signal errors. They did not want to give any assumptions yet, apart from few which I wont share as it's not certain.
They have also escalated this to Manufacturer, so hopefully... I eventually get it resolved. Did not have to pay for it yet, I bet it helped as they managed to see the issue with their own eyes as well.
They pushed the start button and it cranked until default period was met and it stopped.(There is hardcoded time how long cars will crank for Start button cars)
Second push started instantly.
No logic indeed. In my years of driving, I notice the issue appears around January and then starts appearing more often until summer comes. Early summer wave it hits the hardest, and then it will dissapear for until next years January. Only logic I can say, rest is just random and nonsense
Nothing specifically related to coldness, as we already have cold in Nov and Dec here. Perhaps when it gets humid, snow melting/frosting fluctuating constantly. Period for it may be similar to DotNetDude, just months differ due to living in different countries. Humidity could be one factor for sure..and salty road?
There were again no errors specifically for this, just Signal errors. They did not want to give any assumptions yet, apart from few which I wont share as it's not certain.
They have also escalated this to Manufacturer, so hopefully... I eventually get it resolved. Did not have to pay for it yet, I bet it helped as they managed to see the issue with their own eyes as well.
They pushed the start button and it cranked until default period was met and it stopped.(There is hardcoded time how long cars will crank for Start button cars)
Second push started instantly.
No logic indeed. In my years of driving, I notice the issue appears around January and then starts appearing more often until summer comes. Early summer wave it hits the hardest, and then it will dissapear for until next years January. Only logic I can say, rest is just random and nonsense
Nothing specifically related to coldness, as we already have cold in Nov and Dec here. Perhaps when it gets humid, snow melting/frosting fluctuating constantly. Period for it may be similar to DotNetDude, just months differ due to living in different countries. Humidity could be one factor for sure..and salty road?
Last edited:
Salas
New Member
Happened to me yesterday, I hadn't used the car for 4 days. The cranking was happening even when I took my finger off the start button. I pressed it again to switch off the ignition and it stopped. I then tried again and it started first time and then never happened again. Strange.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2017
- Messages
- 187
- Reaction score
- 82
- Points
- 28
I wonder if there is anyone that has had the issue with a 50TDI? If not, it could be related to the fact that the 40TDI only has the 12v mild hybrid system, rather than the 48V version on the 50TDI.
Out of interest, is this this first time it has happened to you, or just the first time you've mentioned it here?
Oddly enough tfsi variants dont have this issue that are also on 12v system, so far I havent heard a version of non 40tdi having issue like this.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2017
- Messages
- 187
- Reaction score
- 82
- Points
- 28
petrol and diesel engines have very different ignitions systems, which is probably why there are no reports of the problem with the tfsi.
Perhaps resolved with latest service measure?
Measure: 24IF
Description: S software update engine control unit
Relates to start/stop fuel injection ecu error/failure that may happen on rare occasions.
*Sounds like related
Measure: 24IF
Description: S software update engine control unit
Relates to start/stop fuel injection ecu error/failure that may happen on rare occasions.
*Sounds like related
Last edited:
Have this happen every now and again..car had first mot in December so got it checked out..they said no fault recorded but to take it back nifty problem persists...my warranty expires next month but I'm definitely using the all in plan...
