Back after a long break, locked out the RS6

[Ben_r1]

Hi all.

I know I’m not exactly well known around here but I’ve been absent for the past 3 months due to breaking some bones in my right hand and having been stuck in a cast.
Motivation for motoring stopped and even typing became a chore so I’ve had a little break from cars and the net. But now I’m back!

My RS6 last turned a wheel returning from Silverstone classics at the end of July and has been in solitary confinement in the garage since without so much as a visit.

At the weekend I dug out the keys to roll it out and wash her, the mot being well expired it was the most I could do.

However as to be expected the battery is dead so central locking isn’t interested, problem being my garage is so tight there’s no more than an inch of clearance on the drivers side and back to the walls as I reverse it in, some of you may already see the problem here?

The manual door lock isn’t accessible as there’s no clearance for the key between door and wall and although I can unlock the boot manually I can only lift it an inch at best.

So I’m effectively locked out my car and in a spot of bother, the handbrake is off but the cars in park so I can’t pull it out on a tow rope. I’ve spoken to a few of these companies who specialise in breaking into cars when you lock yourself out but due to the car they aren’t confident they can gain access on the passenger side without damage.

So my remaining options seem to be either boshing a window through and coughing up replacement or having my local windscreen place pull the front screen out to grant access and the popping it back in.

Anyway that’s my dilemma, I’m not sure on my plans for the RS6 going into 2019, I did 800 miles in it last year and my insurance has once again got up another third so it’s a costly ornament at the moment.

Glad to be back, see you all at Simply Audi, minus a sunroof glass panel maybe!

[FrazerD]

Glad to see your on the mend but a bit of a tricky situation. You could try car skates, give them a google. It may seem like an outlay but if it was me, I would use them, clean them up and return them

I’m sure there were even a set for sale on here a while back, I’ll have a look.

Here they are
viewtopic.php?f=64&t=129907&p=896139&hi ... tes#p89613
Obviously you couldn’t return them but could lend you a hand for some beer money if you weren’t too far away. Failing that, I’ll haul her out with my tractor, being in park wouldn’t cause me an issue


Cheers

[Shoppinit]

Forklift with fork extensions and careful positioning. And some rubber pucks.

[Ben_r1]

Well it is on carpet tiles so I’m thinking dragging it out may not damage the drivetrain as the locked wheels should just drag out the tiles with the car, but with the gearbox freshly rebuilt and their fragile nature I wouldn’t want to give it a reason to throw a wobbly.

[Shoppinit]

What about smearing the carpet tiles with copious amounts of washing up liquid and pulling the car across them. I used washing up liquid under my tyres on wood when I needed to test my steering angle sensor without overloading the power steering. It’s surprisingly slippery.

[Puggie]

Thinking out loud so you need to check on a wiring diagram to be sure.

Is the foglight/driving light in the front bumper wired hot so the positive side connected permanently to the battery and the ground switched? If so can you pop this out and trickle charge the battery over 24hrs, between this +ve and a known chassis earth point?

Checking the wiring or just voltmeter on a good car should tell you if it's viable.

Do you have AA or similar cover? Get them to recover your car to a local garage for repair (charging).

[Covkiller]

All too complicated. Knock a couple of bricks out if you have the access from outside. I'd rather knock my garage about than my car.
Can you get a photo up so we can see the situation you're in?

[Shoppinit]

Is the foglight/driving light in the front bumper wired hot so the positive side connected permanently to the battery and the ground switched? If so can you pop this out and trickle charge the battery over 24hrs, between this +ve and a known chassis earth point?

That's a good idea. Unfortunately the positive side is switched. Same for the number plate lights. I can't think of anything else that would be accessible from the outside of the car.

[srichards]

Charging posts/jump posts for the battery are also under the bonnet and the cigarette lighter sockets are also permanent live so you can use a trickle charger via them so you don't need need access to the boot. Did you climb out of the sunroof when you parked it up?!

I'd think breaking the front grill and popping the bonnet that way might be an option. That way you can charge it up or at least get started to get it moved out of there so you have access to do more. If you have that little clearance then getting skates on the car will be impossible as there is no way of jacking the car up sufficiently.

The key slot in the boot lock also lets you open all the doors if the fob doesn't work but it's obviously no good if the battery is flat flat flat.

[Shoppinit]

I don't think I'd try this on mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdgsUnhYFCY

[bam_bam]

Hi all.

I know I’m not exactly well known around here but I’ve been absent for the past 3 months due to breaking some bones in my right hand and having been stuck in a cast.
Motivation for motoring stopped and even typing became a chore so I’ve had a little break from cars and the net. But now I’m back!

My RS6 last turned a wheel returning from Silverstone classics at the end of July and has been in solitary confinement in the garage since without so much as a visit.

At the weekend I dug out the keys to roll it out and wash her, the mot being well expired it was the most I could do.

However as to be expected the battery is dead so central locking isn’t interested, problem being my garage is so tight there’s no more than an inch of clearance on the drivers side and back to the walls as I reverse it in, some of you may already see the problem here?

The manual door lock isn’t accessible as there’s no clearance for the key between door and wall and although I can unlock the boot manually I can only lift it an inch at best.

So I’m effectively locked out my car and in a spot of bother, the handbrake is off but the cars in park so I can’t pull it out on a tow rope. I’ve spoken to a few of these companies who specialise in breaking into cars when you lock yourself out but due to the car they aren’t confident they can gain access on the passenger side without damage.

So my remaining options seem to be either boshing a window through and coughing up replacement or having my local windscreen place pull the front screen out to grant access and the popping it back in.

Anyway that’s my dilemma, I’m not sure on my plans for the RS6 going into 2019, I did 800 miles in it last year and my insurance has once again got up another third so it’s a costly ornament at the moment.

Glad to be back, see you all at Simply Audi, minus a sunroof glass panel maybe!

Can you clarify? When you reverse the car in can you actually get out of the car? If so, then you can pop the bonnet, there is access to connect a jumper under scuttle. Having de-locked the boot on my previous RS6 'loon I have some comical experiences trying to access the battery.

[PipRS6]

I don't think I'd try this on mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdgsUnhYFCY

This looks like it should work. Most cars you can get into the bonnet in a similar way. Some through the grill and some from underneath and reaching up behind the bumper. Just look out for where the cable connects to the mechanism and find a way to pull it.

[Nobby]

Can you reach the cigarette 12v in the boot? Then use a trickle charger.

[Ben_r1]

To clarify I climb over to the passenger side and exit through there before locking the car with the fob.

The battery must be dead as a door nail as throwing the lock in the boot manually doesn’t work the central locking.

If I manage to access the bonnet where are the jump points? I’ve also considered removing undertray and seeing if the alternator is accessible for its live lead? Although space is so tight I can only jack the n/s up a few inches before the opposite wing mirror comes within a mm of the wall.

[bam_bam]

To clarify I climb over to the passenger side and exit through there before locking the car with the fob.

The battery must be dead as a door nail as throwing the lock in the boot manually doesn’t work the central locking.

If I manage to access the boot where are the jump points? I’ve also considered removing undertray and seeing if the alternator is accessible for its live lead? Although space is so tight I can only jack the n/s up a few inches before the opposite wing mirror comes within a mm of the wall.

The key only works on the lock you're putting it into (so just the driver door and the boot). The central locking is electric. If I know I'm going to disconnect the battery, I completely unlock the car and cut the power. Then I go around and manually lock every door, this way I can open any door from the inside after power is gone. If you cut the power you cannot open a door from the inside until power is restored. I learned the hard way innit.
I digress, this doesn't help you.
If it was me, I'd go the lube up the tyres and drag method, then open the boot, lift the boot floor and charge the battery, alternatively, drag the car far enough out to gain access to the driver door and pop the bonnet to get to the charge point or use a cig lighter trickle charger.
OR smash the passenger front window, climb in, pop bonnet.