Audi Battery Warning Light Came On
Have trouble with the Battery warning light on your Audi dashboard? Learn how to fix it and know the symptoms of why the warning light is on.
Symptoms
- Audi battery light stays on
- The alternator won’t charge the battery
- Audi keeps dying or won’t start
- Audi keeps shutting off after a few minutes.
- The engine is slow to turn over.
- Electrical issues and warnings on the dashboard
- Lights dim or flickering
- Audi stalls or is hard to start.
- The battery keeps on dying.
Audi battery warning light may be red or yellow.
Audi YELLOW Battery Light
If you notice a yellow battery symbol on your Audi instrument cluster, the battery voltage has dropped below the recommended range. This can happen if you ignore the lights or listen to the radio with the engine off. To protect the battery, some electronics may be disabled. A message on the instrument cluster may display stating LOW battery: Battery will be charged while driving.
Start your Audi and drive it for at least 30 minutes to charge the battery. Keep electronic consumers to a minimum while the light is on. The yellow battery light should go off when driving once the battery is charged. You may need to jump-start your Audi if the battery capacity drops too much.
If you keep getting the yellow battery light, it often indicates that the battery is not charging. In most cases, this is due to the age of the battery. Follow the instructions in the next section to check the operation of the battery.
Audi RED Battery Light
If a red Audi battery light comes on and stays on in your Audi instrument cluster, it indicates a problem with the alternator, battery, or charging system. If the alternator is not charging the battery, your Audi may only run for a brief time off the battery and then shut off. The battery warning light may go away randomly if there is a loose connection.
When your Audi battery light is on, the first preventative step is to turn off unnecessary electronic consumers. Turn off lights if driving during the day. Turn off the radio, blower fan, and heated seat, and unplug any chargers from the cigarette outlet. By turning off systems that use the battery, you may be able to keep your Audi running longer.
Sometimes, the Audi battery light and the temperature warning light will turn on. The temperature warning comes on because the coolant pump stops working. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to engine overheating.
Do not continue to drive your Audi if it is overheating. You may blow the head gasket and damage the engine. Turn your Audi off as soon as it is safe to do so and have the car towed.
How to Test Audi Battery / Alternator / Charging System
To perform Audi charging system test yourself, you will need a Charging System Analyzer.
- Park your Audi in a safe area. Set the parking brakes and turn off the ignition.
- Pull the hood release under the dashboard and open the hood.
- Locate the battery. Newer Audi vehicles have a plastic cover on top of the battery. If necessary, remove the cover to access the positive and negative terminals of the battery.
- Connect the red clamp to the positive battery terminal.
- Connect the negative clamp on the negative terminal.
- Test battery and alternator. Perform a battery and alternator test procedure.
Audi battery light can come on due to a bad alternator, battery, poor ground connection, blown fuse, bad relay, or a parasitic draw.
These instructions help Audi owners of various models, including A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 Q3, Q5 Q7 TT.
Audi electrical issues can be tricky and challenging to figure out. The first step in troubleshooting Audi battery problems is to check the charging system, including the battery and alternator. Your dealer or auto mechanic can perform this test. This guide will also find instructions on testing the Audi battery and charging system yourself.
We hope you find this guide, “Audi Battery Warning Light Came On,” helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Audi vehicle.
Battery light and temp warning light on no one mentions to first check to see if the belt driving the alternator is still on.
I just got a new key from the dealer , key plus Audi needs to program it at a cost of $400 ,car starts with new key but does not operate door locks they told me it would be too expensive to diagnose that problem.
Thanks for the info on here I came home and programmed the keys myself and door locks work and alarm sets, my car is a 2004 A6 and I guess the dealer has forgotten how to work on them.
Hey Jims,
Wondering if I could get your opinion I have a 2008 A4 and I just swapped out the alternator as well as bought a new battery for it and it won’t start up as well as loses power after no more than 20 minutes of driving when I jump start it. I was going through the wiring and noticed that the part of wiring that bolts on to the alternator is chipped.. Could that be the issue or is that not significant enough?
This article is a good resource but just to add a few points here. One of the most common ‘battery problems’ is simply a battery that is past its prime and needs to be replaced.
If your battery is a couple of years old, do not try to ‘fix’ it.. instead buy a high-quality battery that can last you a couple of years.
If a new battery is not working and the battery light indicates a problem, FIRSTLY check if the battery is under warranty and there are no problems with the Unit. If it is in good condition, the next possible outcome is usually a bad alternator and poor connections.
You can fix these yourself at home as even taking it to a dealership won’t cost you less than a 100 bucks.