The Audi 500 SEL V6 is based on the C4 Audi 100/A6 from what I can gather. In the case of that model, the battery is located under the rear seat, with the positive (+) terminal outer most and the negative (-) terminal towards the centre of the vehicle.
For the purposes of jump starting, there is a "hot stud" located in the Engine bay. A hot stud is a remote positive (+) terminal designed for ease of access for the purpose of charging or jump starting. On LHD markets, it is on the firewall under the brake booster under a plastic cover. As yours is a 500 SEL, I will assume it was built for the South African market and is RHD. In your case, look for a small black plastic box attached to the firewall with a "+" on the top of it. It will quite likely still be on the left hand side of the engine bay, but check the vicinity of the brake booster as well. The lid of the box should simply open by pulling, being secured with some sort of simple clip.
The stud or bolt located inside the box will be a positive (+) live, so do not short circuit this onto the cars body or other metal parts. When finished, close the lid. Connect the positive (+) red lead of your jumper cable to this stud, and the negative (-) black lead to the earthing strap of the engine block, or a suitable engine earth that can carry high amperage. This arrangement can also be used for charging the battery.
There may come a time when you try to start your vehicle...and nothing happens. In those situations, a dead or discharged battery is often the culprit. There are a couple of ways to check: If the starter clicks or makes no sound, and the headlights are dim or don't turn on at all, chances are it's the battery. Thankfully, jump-starting a vehicle is easy. All it takes is a set of jumper cables and another running vehicle, and you'll be on your way. Before you start There are a few things you should do before starting step 1:
Read the safety, jump-starting, and roadside emergency information in your owner's manual
Have your roadside assistance number handy
Locate a pair of color-coded jumper cables and a wire brush for removing battery terminal corrosion
Find each vehicle's battery: They can be under the hood or in the trunk
Remove any metal jewelry like rings or bracelets to avoid accidental shocks while working near the battery
Don't disconnect the disabled battery-it could damage the vehicle's electrical system
Move the boosting vehicle close to, but not touching, the vehicle with the dead battery so the jumper cables can connect without being taut. Put both vehicles in Park or Neutral, turn off their ignitions, and set their parking brakes. Turn off or unplug all power-draining items: lights, electronic accessories, and portable devices plugged into auxiliary outlets.
Open the hood or trunk and remove any battery terminal covers. If you see chalky corrosion on the terminals, remove it with a wire brush terminal cleaner.
Clamp the red positive (+) cable onto the disabled vehicle's red positive (+) battery terminal.
Next, connect the other end of the red positive (+) cable to the booster vehicle's red positive (+) battery terminal.
Now connect the black negative (-) clamp to the booster vehicle's black negative (-) battery terminal.
Connect the other end of the black negative (-) cable to a large, unpainted metal surface in the disabled vehicle's engine bay, away from the battery and the engine itself. Make sure the cables are clear of any moving parts.
After a final check, start the booster vehicle. Then try to start the disabled vehicle: Usually it will start right up, but it may need to charge for a few minutes before starting. Once it starts, allow both vehicles to run connected for about three minutes.
Without turning off the jump-started vehicle's engine, disconnect the cables in the reverse order that they were attached, and close the hoods/trunks.
Allow the jump-started vehicle's engine to run for several minutes. Depending on how discharged it is, the battery may not be able to start again under its own power, so keep it running until you reach your destination.
Visit your local Ford Dealership as soon as possible to get the jump-started battery tested or replaced.
Answers & Comments
The Audi 500 SEL V6 is based on the C4 Audi 100/A6 from what I can gather.
In the case of that model, the battery is located under the rear seat, with the positive (+) terminal outer most and the negative (-) terminal towards the centre of the vehicle.
For the purposes of jump starting, there is a "hot stud" located in the Engine bay. A hot stud is a remote positive (+) terminal designed for ease of access for the purpose of charging or jump starting.
On LHD markets, it is on the firewall under the brake booster under a plastic cover. As yours is a 500 SEL, I will assume it was built for the South African market and is RHD. In your case, look for a small black plastic box attached to the firewall with a "+" on the top of it. It will quite likely still be on the left hand side of the engine bay, but check the vicinity of the brake booster as well. The lid of the box should simply open by pulling, being secured with some sort of simple clip.
The stud or bolt located inside the box will be a positive (+) live, so do not short circuit this onto the cars body or other metal parts. When finished, close the lid.
Connect the positive (+) red lead of your jumper cable to this stud, and the negative (-) black lead to the earthing strap of the engine block, or a suitable engine earth that can carry high amperage.
This arrangement can also be used for charging the battery.
There may come a time when you try to start your vehicle...and nothing happens. In those situations, a dead or discharged battery is often the culprit.
There are a couple of ways to check: If the starter clicks or makes no sound, and the headlights are dim or don't turn on at all, chances are it's the battery.
Thankfully, jump-starting a vehicle is easy. All it takes is a set of jumper cables and another running vehicle, and you'll be on your way.
Before you start
There are a few things you should do before starting step 1: