2009 manual b8 S4 starting issue?

[rabhrab]

Hi everyone. Looking for your knowledge regarding an issue with the starting procedure.
As I assume you know, on this engine you depress the clutch pedal and then press the fob into the dash in order to start the car, Recently, on occasion, the engine has refused to start (or engage even), I thought that perhaps I was just not depressing the clutch pedal fully, but I was not getting the 'to start the engine depress the clutch pedal' message on the dash. On taking the fob out of the dash and waiting a minute or so it will then start as it should. I have been having to depress the clutch pedal fully, and I mean to the floor, for some time in order to be sure of the car starting. No issue at all with the clutch operation itself only with this starting procedure.
Anyone had this occur? Any adjustment on what I assume is a sensor for the clutch pedal movement? All help appreciated as always.

[fat controller]

I 'think' there is a switch that tells the car when the clutch is depressed, and have a funny feeling that it lives at the gearbox end; someone that knows their onions like Chris, Zollaf, Crasher.... (not exhaustive list!) will tell you better than I can.

[rabhrab]

I 'think' there is a switch that tells the car when the clutch is depressed, and have a funny feeling that it lives at the gearbox end; someone that knows their onions like Chris, Zollaf, Crasher.... (not exhaustive list!) will tell you better than I can.
Thanks for your advice. Would a vcds scan throw up a fault code to help identify the culprit?

[fat controller]

Possibly, but I am not overly sure. Certainly no harm in having a scan done - do you have VCDS

[rabhrab]

Possibly, but I am not overly sure. Certainly no harm in having a scan done - do you have VCDS
No, don't have vcds, but I'm also a member of the audi-sport.net forum and they have a database of members with vcds, so I'll see if there is anyone on that who is close.

[rabhrab]

Just had this comment on an American web forum:

hi. i have a 2010 S4 6speed manual. my vehicle is cpo and still covered under warranty and has 130km on it

i just went through this issue about 2 months ago. upon trying to start the vehicle, pressing the clutch the warning statement would appear on the dash "please depress clutch peddle... bla bla bla"

this was an intermittent problem but when it appeared it would take several tries to start the car... very frustrating. i had an old mazda rx-7 with the same issue and in that car it was the clutch safety switch.

i brought the vehicle into my local dealer (pfaff audi in vaughn ontario) and upon inspection they informed me that it was a faulty release bearing. (inside the transmission housing)

total job was about 20 hours of labour and new parts. the cpo warranty covered the repair thank goodness.

my two cents...

1. check the clutch safety switch
2. have someone diagnose the release bearing issue

Does this sound as though it is the same as mine?

[fat controller]

Does sound about right to me - going by my own clutch/dmf problems, I thought the switch was at the gearbox end (in the bellhousing) and that the release bearing was implicated. I'd even go as far as to say that I recall reading that there was a modification to the release bearings being supplied after a certain date as there had been some sort of issue identified.

[_tones]

Hi everyone. Looking for your knowledge regarding an issue with the starting procedure.
As I assume you know, on this engine you depress the clutch pedal and then press the fob into the dash in order to start the car, Recently, on occasion, the engine has refused to start (or engage even), I thought that perhaps I was just not depressing the clutch pedal fully, but I was not getting the 'to start the engine depress the clutch pedal' message on the dash. On taking the fob out of the dash and waiting a minute or so it will then start as it should. I have been having to depress the clutch pedal fully, and I mean to the floor, for some time in order to be sure of the car starting. No issue at all with the clutch operation itself only with this starting procedure.
Anyone had this occur? Any adjustment on what I assume is a sensor for the clutch pedal movement? All help appreciated as always.

I had this issue where it wouldn't always start and I changed the battery in key fob and not happened since (try spare for a bit which is what I did). May be worth checking before going down release bearing investigation route.

[rabhrab]

I had this issue where it wouldn't always start and I changed the battery in key fob and not happened since (try spare for a bit which is what I did). May be worth checking before going down release bearing investigation route.
I've already put a new fob battery in without it making any difference. However, you may be interested to know that you DO NOT need to have a battery in the fob to start the car, honest, I tried it without a battery and the car starts!

[Guest 2]

The release bearing issue is a common failure. On the diesels at least the clutch and dmf lives inside the gearbox bellhousing so you may aswell get those changed too.


'd even go as far as to say that I recall reading that there was a modification to the release bearings being supplied after a certain date as there had been some sort of issue identified.

Correct, something is longer. I remember my specialist saying to me that the revised clutch and dmf pack is north of £500.