starting problemon '99 996

[nellod123]

I'm having intermittent starting problems. Some days, I turn on the switch, lights come on on the dash, and then nothing happens when I turn it all the way to the start position. I've replaced the electric part of the ignition switch (twice). The clutch pedal switch seems to be okay. I have a new key with new battery.

So??

One wierd thing that has happened a couple of times: as I was holding down the clutch and turning the ignition switch, I flipped the gearshift in and out of first and second and all of the sudden it cranked and started!

That part of it (moving the gear shift) makes no sense to me.

But, one thing I was thinking of trying was to override the transponder to see if that's the problem. On the wiring diagram, it appears to be a simple single pole switch. Does that sound right? And, I'm assuming it's located somewhere near the ignition switch?

I took it to the dealer in Walnut Creek a few months ago in desperation. Naturally, it behaved and started while it was there. They told me I had too many floor mats and that they were interfering with the clutch pedal going all the way to the floor (not!)

Any guesses? What else is in the ignition circuit?

[Loren]

Perhaps you are buying those cheap "Made in China" switches on eBay?

The Audi switch works well or you can change the whole switch and lock assembly to the new style and say goodbye to switch problems. (A couple hundred dollars as I recall).

[nellod123]

Perhaps you are buying those cheap "Made in China" switches on eBay?

The Audi switch works well or you can change the whole switch and lock assembly to the new style and say goodbye to switch problems. (A couple hundred dollars as I recall).

Thanks for the reply. I bought one switch from whatever the sales site was that was recommended in a Renn post from a while back. . .I got another from Pelican and a third from the Oakland dealer (it said 'Audi' on the package.) I haven't tried the Audi one yet, but I'm getting desperate, so I guess I will.

The first time I replaced a switch, it made no difference. The car still wouldn't start at that time. It did start a few days later. Also, I can't make any sense of why the switch usually works after I push-start the car.

[Scouser]

this is a long shot but I once had a strange problem where the car would not switch off with the ignition key unless I took it out of gear and also took my foot off the foot break. The fault turned out to be a failed earth in a stop lamp!!

The weird part is that the stop lamp worked including the side lamp when the lights were on. Obvioulsy via a leaky circuit. But you may want to check silly things like that. As I said.....a long shot.

[der meister]

The fault turned out to be a failed earth in a stop lamp!!

Failed earth = bad ground?

One people separated by a common language. ;)

[Scouser]

The fault turned out to be a failed earth in a stop lamp!!

Failed earth = bad ground?

One people separated by a common language. ;)

Yup. bad ground.

The stop lamp has two filaments. One for the side lights and one for the stop lamp. They are joined at the center which is earth (ground).

The ground was open circuit to ground and so the entire bulb was one circuit across the two filaments.

[nellod123]

this is a long shot but I once had a strange problem where the car would not switch off with the ignition key unless I took it out of gear and also took my foot off the foot break. The fault turned out to be a failed earth in a stop lamp!!

The weird part is that the stop lamp worked including the side lamp when the lights were on. Obvioulsy via a leaky circuit. But you may want to check silly things like that. As I said.....a long shot.

Thanks for the reply- -I think you may be on to something. Yesterday, I pushed it out of the driveway to jump start it, but didn't get going fast enough. So, on a whim, I tried the key- -it fired up on the second try! I'm thinking now that it has to be something loose somewhere- -that the jolt from trying to jump start it, makes something reset itself. Unfortunately, I haven't a clue what that might be! Then again, it could be any of a million other things. I'd like to try to figure out how to eliminate or overide everything in the starting circuit, one piece at a time. But, I have the feeling that that might be too logical an approach. At some point, I'll probably run into the computer, and there's no way to get around that. . .

Oh also, I mentioned in m original post that a few times, it started while flipping the gearshift between first and second.

Now that I think about it (quirky things on the car), the passenger side mirror seems to have a mind of it's own- -sometimes it will correct itself to the normal driving position after going out of the reverse gear mode; sometimes not.