Help needed with starting issue

[RS4 Will]

Hi Guys, I was hoping someone might know the issue I'm experiencing when trying to start my car. When its cold it always starts perfectly but once its warmed up after a decent drive and I try to start it nothing happens. I will then have to sit there and wait for the car to cool down. I can only fill up with petrol when the car is cold now I can hear the click when I press the starter button but nothing else happens. Its not the immobiliser because if I leave that on I can't even hear a click when i press the starter. Any thoughts? Its actually going in for its yearly service tomorrow at Audi but I wanted some opinions before I take it in. Many thanks

[Silverfox42]

Do you get any 'clicking' when you hit the start button?
I had this with an older non-Audi that related to the starter motor solenoid becoming too hot and failing to engage.
I am unsure of the remedy, but if you are getting fuel pump activity but the car not turning over, that would be my starting point...

It never happened with my B7, and I am not aware of being a 'known' issue on this forum.

Good luck!

[andref]

Hi @RS4Will, I've just had this exact issue sorted on my RS4. Car would start fine from cold, but whenever warm, would just click. After a couple of tries it eventually starts. Sadly, it's the starter. Easy test is if you put the car in gear and rock back and forward so that the engine turns ever so slightly, it will probably start.

Apparently it has to do with wear on the starter armature. They guys who fixed mine actually redo the starter, skim the armature and replace the brushes, but most folk simply replace the whole starter.

Either way, it's a starter out job. Advice is to get it done as soon as possible since the no start frequency gets worse until you end up stuck somewhere.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[RS4 Will]

thanks guys, finally got it back from the garage. It seems like every starting issue is different......Audi were blaming the immobiliser I had fitted, saying that when they isolated it there were no starting problems. Bypassed it for now (with a simple wire) which isolates the immobiliser so lets see if that was the problem - i'm not convinced. Otherwise the car is in fine form so at least there is nothing else to worry about!

[irishmike]

I had a NIGHTMARE with this before.

Few threads on here about it:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=120256
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=122551
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=117530

Long story short after multiple starter replacements, it was the aftermarket alarm/immobiliser.
It's connected into the starter circuit and was drawing < 0.5 v.
When the engine was warm the starter required a higher crank voltage to turn it over, as the system was taking that small draw the ECU decided it didn't have enough power to crank, so just clicked.
You could sometimes turn off the radio/Auto Lights/Seat heater ect and the it would fire up fine.

So based on my experience, they have found the solution and it should be fine now.

[FazS3]

Sounds like starter motor