# Car will not start



## 98A4ntampa (Apr 28, 2014)

*Getting married & car will not start*

Looking for some help with an issue with my 98 A4... My fiance was driving it and the gauges, radio and ac shut off on her going down the highway... by the time I got there the battery was beyond dead and wouldn't except a jump... Spent $170 on a new battery and got it home... next day it wouldn't start and starter just clicked... Spent $185 on a new starter and paid a shop $200 to put it in... drove it away and 5 miles down the road the gauges, radio, ac all shut off but the fan comes on and you can't turn it off... Now the car won't start again... Can someone please enlighten me on what's going on and how to fix it... My wedding is this weekend and don't really need this stress... Thanks in advance...


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## O_o (Nov 12, 2009)

I'd start with checking the state of the battery leads, before moving on to testing the alternator. With the engine running, you should have at least 13V. It should increase with engine speed to 14+, and if you turn on the radio, AC, lights, etc., you should hear it go into high gear. Also, check to see if it's getting unusually hot.

If the alternator is fine, then you probably have a bad ground connection, or some other wiring problem.

Oh, and congrats on the wedding.


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## MattySull (May 17, 2006)

I can tell you a few things about whats wrong.

1. Don't throw parts at a problem


2. Check that the Serpentine belt is in good condition and actually present on the alternator pulley.


3. If serp belt it OK, test the alternator for voltage when car is running. This is probably where you will find your issue.


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## crazyquik22023 (Jun 17, 2013)

I would suggest your alternator is bad. If your electrical components started dying while the engine was running then that tells me your alternator is not charging properly. You probably didn't need a new battery or starter. If you can get your car to an auto parts store they test your alternator without even removing it from the car. It sounds like you possibly have a bad alternator and/or some kind of short or parasitic electrical draw.


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## a81sturmer (Jan 3, 2011)

Really sounds like alternator. Jump the car to get it running. Then check the voltage at the battery with the car running. Should be 13-14.5 volts or so. If voltage is lower then it's probably the alternator. Could also be a bad battery lead, bad connection on one of the big leads.


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