2006 Audi A6 Electrical System Problems

AT 150K MILES, EXPERIENCED NO CRANK, NO START. TOW TO DEALER, AND I HAD ALREADY DONE SOME TRIAGE. THEY DID 2 HRS OF TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS THAT WERE NOT EVEN RELATED, SO I TOOK THE CAR BACK. FOUND A TRUST WORTHY MECHANIC AND HIS DIAG SUGGESTED THE SCM BURNED OUT TAKING THE PCM AND ECM ALONG WITH IT. THE COST WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE $6000 RANGE AS HE STATED A %40 FAILURE RATE AFTER 150K IN ALLDATA. HE ALSO SAID, IF I REPAIR IT, I NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AS WELL BECAUSE I WILL JUST HAVE ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD IF I DONT. THE CAR ALSO HAD A SLOW OIL LEAK. THE PLACE WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR SAID THE REPAIR IS NOT WORTH THE COST, SO THAT FACTORED INTO MY DECISION NOT TO INVEST IN REPAIRS. THE OIL LEAK WAS SLOW AND I NEVER HAD TO TOP OFF THE OIL, BUT IT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO KNOW IT WAS AN ISSUE. THAT LEAK WAS PRESENT AFTER 80K MILES. SO I HAD TO MAKE THE UNFORTUNATE DECISION NOT TO INVEST ANY MONEY INTO AN ATTEMPTED FIX. I WAS AT THE GAS STATION, HAD JUST FILLED UP THE GAS TANK, HAD NEW STRUTS, NEW BATTERY AND PRIOR TO IT NOT STARTING, THE CAR WAS RUNNING SO REALLY GOOD. IT LOOKED GREAT AND PEOPLE OFTEN THOUGHT IT WAS WAY NEWER THAN IT WAS. THERE WAS WAY TO MUCH VALUE IN THE CAR TO TRASH IT, BUT VARIOUS PARTIES ONLY OFFERED $200 TO SCRAP IT. THIS IS A HIGH END CAR FOR AUDI AND I CANT BELIEVE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO IMPLEMENT A KILL SWITCH AFTER 150K MILES. I WAS PLANNING ON KEEPING THAT CAR FOR A LONG TIME. NOW UNEMPLOYED, I HAVE TO BUY A CAR I CANT AFFORD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A6. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE DELAYED TO START AND THE INSPECTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000. UPDATED 7/14/15*CN

WHILE REPLACING A HEADLIGHT BULB I NOTICED THAT THE INSULATION ON WIRES INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT COMPARTMENT HAD FLAKED OFF, EXPOSING AT LEAST 1 INCH OF MULTIPLE WIRES (LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM) ALL ALONG THE LENGTH OF THOSE WIRES. BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHOW THE SAME SYMPTOM. HIGH BEAM WIRES (+V AND GND) ARE HELD TOGETHER WITH A ZIP TIE AND THERE IS FLAKING INSULATION ALL AROUND IT, SO USING THE HIGH BEAM COULD RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING. AS ALL OF THE WIRES ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT NORMAL USE OF THE CAR (E.G. BOUNCING ALONG A ROUGH ROAD) COULD CAUSE THE WIRES TO CONTACT EACH OTHER AND SHORT CIRCUIT. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT A JUMP START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE REMAINED ON WHEN THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE RADIO STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND A BUZZING SOUND EMITTED FROM THE SPEAKERS. THE BATTERY DRAINED AFTER THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AMPLIFIER FOR THE SOUND SYSTEM DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,157. ..UPDATED 02/10/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE AUDIO SYSTEM THAT CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM RESULTING IN THE CAR BATTERY BEING DRAINED. HE WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IF HE DIDN'T GET IT FIXED, THE PROBLEM WOULD PERSIST AND CONTINUE TO DRAIN THE BATTERY. THE CONSUMER STATED HE FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING WHERE HE OBSERVED THAT NEITHER THE RADIO NOR THE BLUETOOTH LINK WOULD FUNCTION RELIABLY. INSTEAD, THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE LOUD BUZZING SOUND EMANATING FROM THE VEHICLE'S SPEAKERS. EVEN WITH THE IGNITION TURNED OFF, THE FAILURE CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN OVER TIME. UPDATED 04/26/12

THE 2005-2007 AUDI A6 HAS AN INTEGRATED DASHBOARD SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS AND MANAGES THE AUDIO, NAVIGATION, TELEPHONE AND OTHER NON-SAFETY RELATED FEATURES. THE SAME MODULE CONTROLS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR-BAG. I RECENTLY HAD THE DISPLAY MODULE FOR THE RADIO/NAVIGATION FAIL. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM TO FAIL. SHOULDN'T SAFETY SYSTEMS IN A CAR BE ON SEPARATED FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS ? THIS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO HAVING YOUR SEATBELTS FAIL IF THE REAR SEAT DVD PLAYER FAILED, OR YOUR DRIVING LIGHTS STOP WORKING IF A VANITY MIRROR BULB BURNED OUT....I HOPE YOU GET MY POINT. IN VIRGINIA, THE STATE I LIVE IN, ALL CARS REQUIRE AN ANNUAL SAFETY CHECK - AIR BAGS INCLUDED. THE FACT THAT A CAR RADIO CAN CAUSE YOUR AIRBAG TO FAIL JUST SEEMS LIKE POOR PLANNING AND PUTTING PASSENGER SAFETY AT RISK. I HAVE OBSERVED ON THE VARIOUS AUDI FORUMS ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS DISPLAY MODULE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE QUITE COMMON. *TR

I BOUGHT A USED 2006 AUDI A6 TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. I HAD BEEN USING THE "KEYLESS" OPTION WHEN STARTING AND STOPPING THE VEHICLE. I STOPPED AT A LIBRARY, PUSHED THE BUTTON TWICE TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT IT WAS ROLLING FORWARD. I ATTEMPTED TO STOP IT; I OPENED THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND AS I WAS GETTING IN THE DOOR STRUCK A TRASH CAN IN THE PARKING LOT, KNOCKING ME DOWN. THE VEHICLE'S REAR WHEEL CAUGHT MY LEFT HEEL AND DRUG ME ACROSS A CURB BEFORE STOPPING ON MY LEFT FOOT. SEVERAL MEN IN THE PARKING LOT LIFTED THE VEHICLE OFF MY FOOT. I WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND KEPT FOR INJURIES TO MY LEFT LEG. EVIDENTLY I FAILED TO PUT THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION IN "P" AND HAD LEFT IT IN "D". CARS THAT USE A PHYSICAL KEY TO START AND STOP THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ALLOW A DRIVER TO REMOVE THE KEY UNLESS THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO "PARK." A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT UTILIZE A PHYSICAL KEY, DOES NOT THAT BUILT-IN SAFETY FEATURE. FIVE WEEKS LATER I AM IN PHYSICAL THERAPY AND AM GRATEFUL I DID NOT SUSTAIN MORE SERIOUS INJURIES, OR THAT AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER WAS NOT KILLED BY A DRIVERLESS CAR ROLLING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AT A LIBRARY THAT IS FREQUENTED BY CHILDREN. NOW I AM ADAMANT ABOUT ALWAYS SETTING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. MY CONCERN IS REAL: AS MORE AND MORE VEHICLES ARE MANUFACTURED WITH "KEYLESS" IGNITION SYSTEMS THAT CONTAIN NO FAIL-SAFE FEATURE TO PREVENT "INADVERTENT ROLLING" AS EXPLAINED IN THE AUDI'S OWNER'S MANUAL, I BELIEVE MORE INJURIES AND DEATHS WILL BE REALIZED. IN SPEAKING WITH THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AT AUDI, HE EXPLAINED THAT AUDI PUBLISHES A "BOOK" EXPLAINING THE VEHICLE AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT. MY AUDI HAS A SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER THE SEAT THAT PREVENTS AN EXPENSIVE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING UNNECESSARILY; HOW ABOUT A SENSOR IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT THAT PREVENTS A VEHICLE FROM ROLLING WHEN THERE IS NO DRIVER? *TR

I HAVE A 2006 AUDI A6 3.2 QUATTRO. IT HAS 53,215 MILES ON IT. SO 3,215 MILES AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES SO DOES THE IGNITION COIL WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED ON ALMOST EVERY MODEL YEAR UP 2005 FOR THE LAST 5-6 YEARS. BUT IT'S NOT ON RECALL FOR MY CAR YET. TO ME IF THEY HAVE HAD A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE COILS THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM OR BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THEY SAID BECAUSE THERE IS NO CURRENT RECALL THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE HAD A RECALL FOR ALL THERE CARS FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS MEANS NOTHING... SO I PAID TO HAVE THE COIL REPLACED MYSELF SINCE THERE WOULD BE MORE DAMAGE DONE TO THE CAR IF NOT CORRECTED. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER 01/27/2005 FOR RECALL REMEDY REPAIRS, #04V133000. DURING THE INCIDENT THE CONTACT'S KNEE PUSH AGAINST THE KNEE BOLSTER LOCATED UNDER THE DASHBOARD, WHICH MADE CONTACT WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS, AND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OCCURRED AND RESULTED IN A FIRE. UPDATED 8/14/2006 - *NM