Audi A3 8P 2003 - All dash lights on + hard to start

[Simba2004]

Hi lads,

my Audi is horsed. It would not start last night... It was very cold the last 3 days and I have not used the car since Sunday.

Last night I tried to run it, so turned the key and tried to start it- I managed, but after the initial roar of the engine it went dead- no dash lights, just a little high pitched hum. So I panicked and tuned the key to the off position and then ALL possible symbols were on the dash, petrol gauge not working, no mileage and no time. No date either, but because my clocks are a bit weird, I never had the date on there. All the lights on were quite a sight on a freezing dark night but at the same time I was really worried. Tried starting a few times after with the same response- engine catching on and dying. I have had a similar issue beforehand but usually when the engine dies the LEDs on the dash come on- the engine light, battery light and something else.
I tried to start the car this morning as in I put the key into the ignition but as I saw all the lights on again, I didn't bother flooding the poor engine with no success.
Here's a pic I took last night of all the lights on.

DSC_0156.jpg

I was thinking would it be immobilizer... I had the car diagnosed in a garage and immobilizer fault did come up, so the lads suggested to go to Audi and get it checked. And so I did, but the Audi computer did not find the fault with immobilizer- the only one being the faulty coolant sensor, a minor thing I guess. So I was baffled, why would Audi not pick up on it?! I had a trouble with Simba (the car) previously during the cold snap- even on a warm engine it would power up and die a second after- characteristic of a bad immobilizer?!

Here's what I found about the faults the ordinary garage found about Simba....

01176 - Key: Signal too Low
Possible Causes

• Immobilizer
  
  • Wiring and/or Connector(s) from/to Immobilizer Reader Coil faulty
  • Immobilizer Reader Coil faulty
  • Immobilizer Transponder in Key faulty OR incorrect Transponder in Key
  
  
• Remote Control
  
  • Remote Control Battery low (battery was replaced last Saturday!!!)
  • Remote Control faulty OR incorrect Remote Control used
  
  

Possible Solutions

• Immobilizer
  
  • Check Wiring and/or Connector(s) from/to Immobilizer Reader Coil
  • Check Key Immobilizer Transponder Status
    
    • See Measuring Value Blocks (MVB)
    
    
  • Check/Renew Immobilizer Key Matching
  • Check/Replace Key
  
  
• Remote Control
  
  • Check/Replace Remote Control Battery
  • Check/Replace Remote Control
  
  

Special Notes

• This Fault Code can be stored in due to Remote Control or Immobilizer Problems. On most Models these systems are separate and should therefore also be diagnosed separately.
• In case of Engine Starting Issues please make sure that you are really experiencing an Immobilizer related Problem! On most models using conventional keys, the Engine will still start but cut out after 1-3 Seconds if an Immobilizer related Problem is the cause. On models using Kessy Systems and Electronic Keys, most systems in the car won't power up at all if if an Immobilizer related Problem is the cause. If you are NOT experiencing this behavior (e.g. Instrument Cluster powers up, and engine cranks but doesn't fire at all or engine won't crank) this is likely NOT Immobilizer related.
• When found in Audi A3 (8L), Audi A4 (8D), Audi A6 (4B) or Audi A8 (4D), check Wiring from Immobilizer Control Module to Immobilizer Reader Coil. A known issue would be the Length of the Wiring, an optimized Replacement Part may be available (8D0-972-275).
• May be stored in Combination with 17978/P1570/005488 - Engine Start Blocked by Immobilizer in Engine Control Module

I also get the ENGINE CONTROL UNIT BLOCKED and MOTOR WIPER OVERLOAD so it seems it is all connected. Would it be the electrics?

What's more, one of my clocks- the rev counter- is not working... The odd time the needle is all spastic and goes up and down but most of the time it is dead. I did consider changing the whole clock unit but I heard it is messy and expensive cause it has to be matched with the immobilizer. I have the car since April last year and I don't know if the immobilizer/dash/clocks were exchanged and matched incorrectly...

One more thing, after my diagnostic at Audi the rear wiper was going haywire, Simba was wagging his tail (mind you, the wiper was "switched off") and I did ring them to say that's what I noticed. Then, next week I had a problem with the locking (cold weather?) so I replaced the battery in the key and Simba was fine.

Anyhow, so this is me, I will go home later on and disconnect the battery for a few minutes to see if it really is the security system or not. I have exchanged the battery last July for Varta Black Dynamic which is supposed to survive the atomic bomb (ha!) and the car was fine since (unless you count the sunroof closing itself a bad thing- I guess it could be because of the bad circuit). I will try to get it started and if not that (after the lights disappear, hopefully) I will get it jumped and get a new battery if I really needed. I have a funny feeling I won't get it started at all though!!!

Does anyone have a clue what it going on with Simba? Any suggestions? I don't want to go back to Audi cause how can Audi computer not see the fault that's evidently there? Cheers lads, hope someone has heard of this before.

[Cavanmick]

The fact that coolant temp sensor is dodgy could account for the not starting, if it's reading hot it won't give enough fuel for a cold start, can't comment on the dash lights though.

Mick

[Simba2004]

Hey Mick, thanks for taking your time reading through my post.... I had the problem with the coolant sensor for a good while now and it didn't ever cause such a thing. The odd missfire, but it would be more like the immobilizer fault I have found above. I was told by Audi that the fault doesn't require an immediate fix so thought it would not be sinister in consequences!

What I can add is you know when the car is locked, when you press on lock button again, the lights usually flash once? Well. that doesn't happen now- the car is unresponsive in that way. It locks and unlocks fine but does not flash when locked. I am wondering, would it be because the boot has frozen last night and when I was trying to open it (after I flooded the engine) it would not budge and only then when starting the second time the car was acting up strange. Could it be it thought it was being stolen? Sounds so silly.

[Cavanmick]

It could be the immobiliser alright but the fact that there are no codes is the funny bit, I presume it didn't get any better once things thawed a little bit, if you have access to a vcds it would be worth seeing what the immobiliser is doing when you try to start.

Mick

[Simba2004]

Bizzare thing. I got in the car this afternoon and just drove off. No battery disconnecting no nothing, as if nothing happened. Only thing was that the clock was showing 05:07 so it must have been restarted 5 hours? I don't get it.
The boot turned out to be sort of open since last night hence no light flashing when locking... Think it must have enough anti theft response!?

[Cavanmick]

It sounds like you have bad connections somewhere buddy, start with battery terminals first and any easy to find earth points. Glad it's back running at least...lol

Mick