Help please

[paynts]

Hi all, My wife has a 1999 A3 quattro 1.8T.

The car has been running fine and just this week it has started spluttering and missing.
On initial start up it wont rev and you have to try and hold the gas pedal at 2k revs for 5 mins before you can pull away or else it will just cut out.
When you get going the car splutters at around 3k and wont rev higher until the engine warms up to normal temperature and then it splutters but will pull through the splutter in each gear with the turbo coming in but carrys on doing this all day long.
Any ideas on things to check would be appreciated, would normally take it to my local mecanic but have just forked out £900 on a cam belt failure on my renault trafic van so funds are tight.
Am with the RAC and considered calling them out to get a diagnosis by saying im broke down. ?

Thanks in advance Andy

[A4 Lad]

Hi all, My wife has a 1999 A3 quattro 1.8T.

The car has been running fine and just this week it has started spluttering and missing.
On initial start up it wont rev and you have to try and hold the gas pedal at 2k revs for 5 mins before you can pull away or else it will just cut out.
When you get going the car splutters at around 3k and wont rev higher until the engine warms up to normal temperature and then it splutters but will pull through the splutter in each gear with the turbo coming in but carrys on doing this all day long.
Any ideas on things to check would be appreciated, would normally take it to my local mecanic but have just forked out £900 on a cam belt failure on my renault trafic van so funds are tight.
Am with the RAC and considered calling them out to get a diagnosis by saying im broke down. ?

Thanks in advance Andy

Sounds like a coil pack. Really easy and cheap repair


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[paynts]

Thanks Bangor lad.

1: Is there any way of me checking this.
2: Would this be a GSF part.
3: Just checked ebay £40 is that about right.

[A4 Lad]

Use genuine AUDI parts only as there is a revised part for them. Genuine part is only around £35.

This is only a guess from what your explaining.

Easiest way, would be to pull your spark plugs out and see if any of them are wet with unburnt fuel or a different colour after the engine has been running. Failing that, you could buy a coil pack and switch the good one to each cylinder at a time to see if it fixes it.

As i say, this is only an educated guess and there is plenty of other things that might be causing it, even the plugs themself right through to a bad wire.

The only sure way would be to get a diagnostic check done on it. Saying that, a diagnostic check will probably cost you the same as a coil pack so it just depends on how much of a gambling man that you are :-)

Coil Pack Fixes It = £35
Diag Scan To Find Out Its A Coil Pack = Coil Pack £35 & Diag Scan £30ish
Diag Scan To Find Out Its Something Totally Different = £35 Saved On Coil Pack

You get my drift :-)




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[paynts]

Might try the RAC tomorrow as i know they carry diagnostic machines.
Got to be worth a try.

Cheers Cheers

[A4 Lad]

Sorry, I got carried away and forgot about that option :-)
Yip, that sounds the best.
Please do update just for me to be nosey and see what it was :-)


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[Zenerdiode]

I'll pin the tail on Coolant Temperature Sensor :)

But as Bangor Lad says, it'll be best to have it diagnosed because it could be anything, manifold air leak could cause this too.

[paynts]

Not getting any lights on the dash come on, thought i might have ? .
Just been out to start it now and it fires up quick but wont idle it just dies on me if i dont try and blip the throttle.

[A4 Lad]

I'll pin the tail on Coolant Temperature Sensor :)

Good call ! Also very plausable.

I have coil pack
Zenerdiode has Coolant Temp Sensor
Anyone else want to play ? :-)



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[A4 Lad]

Try disconnecting the coolant temp sensor. It will probably be to the right of the engine, gearbox side going into a water hose or pipe and have a four pin connector and start it. If it makes no difference, you will have to remember that you will have a stored OPEN CIRCUIT fault when the AA do a diagnostic check which will not be related. Second thoughts…maybe dont, it may just confuse the AA


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[kenney]

Output stage for ignition coils N122

[A4 Lad]

Output stage for ignition coils N122

Whats that ? A coil pack ?


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[kenney]

It's the unit on top of the air filter,it's just another alternative,from my point of veiw,;) and often forgotten

[A4 Lad]

It's the unit on top of the air filter,it's just another alternative,from my point of veiw,;) and often forgotten

Ah, i see, thought you were going all fancy talk for a coil pack lol


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[paynts]

UPDATE.
Called the RAC and they have been out and said the following.

Plugged his diagnostic in and no faults stored, he thinks it could be a blocked cat ??, When he said this i was surprised as ive never heard of that before.
Also told him my temperature guage is not going up very much and he just sugested me getting it looked at.
Just drove the the car 10 miles and it is spluttering and missing at 3k but will eventually pull through it and clear as the turbo kicks in, the only problem with doing this is that the road conditions are not good for that type of driving and when i ease off below 3k it just does it all over again but is better as the engine warms up.
Looks like im going to have to take it to the garage to be checked.

Cheers Andy

[NickPicks]

A dodgy coil pack won't cause a fault code. A coolant temp sensor might, but only if it gives an implausible signal (If it just thinks it's 20 C when it's -5, it won't).

Did the RAC guy have a look at the plugs as Bangor Lad suggested?

The other thing it could be is the MAF sensor.

So, I'd start by looking at the plugs to see if one's wet or different colour
Change the coil packs in turn until it's fixed
Change the coolant sensor
Change the MAF

Also, if your engine is not getting up to temperature (should be 90 C), then the thermostat might need changing.

[A4 Lad]

NickPicks - i was thinking along the line of "radom/multiple misfire detected" or "cylinder 1 misfire detected"
My TFSI shows up fault codes for misfires.
If AA man says it sounds like a blocked cat, I would maybe lean towards temp sensor as this would over fuel the engine and choke it.
Realistically, we could throw ideas around here all night but your going to need her looked at by a garage.


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[paynts]

RAC man did not take any plugs out or even touch anything under the bonnet, he was really only thinking it was a blocked cat.
(Would a blocked cat not be at all revs.)
Would a knackered temp sensor also make the car heater slow to deliver hot air in the cabin as i can usually drive about 7 miles before i get warm air and thats with it on full heat. Been like that since i bought the car.
Can anyone let me know were the temp sensor is so i can check it and any other sensors it may be. Its times like this i wish i had a manual with a exploded diagram .

Thanks to all who have replied and i will update hoefully with soloution.

Merry Christmas Andy

[NickPicks]

I don't think they had misfire detection on those (My non turbo 1.8 doesn't store a code for the misfire I've got).

[kenney]

a blocked cat will affect all revs,reading your first post,and it seems the engine is not running on all 4cylinders,try and find out which cylinder,it is not running on by removing the connector on each of the injectors,one at a time,when you find the non working cylinder swap the coils,to see if the fault follows the coil or if it is the output stage for the ignition coils N122,it will give the symptoms you describe

[paynts]

Think ive found the problem....

Decided to go through process of elimination and hit the nail on the head first try.

Unplugged the sensor directly next to the air box and it instantly started running smooth on tick over, took it for a drive and its smooth again with no turbo lag either.

Anyone know what that sensor is called and wheres best to get another one. (gsf, europarts or genuine)

So happy i found it and a big thankyou goes out to all you guys for giving me ideas on what to check. Will definately be hanging around this site and hope to be able to help others in there hour of need.

:beerchug::D
Thanks again Andy

[A4 Lad]

Great ! Air mass meter ? Is it on the air filter housing itself ?


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[kenney]

use only a genuine vag part

[paynts]

Cheers bangor lad.
Dont stop what your doing as its appreciated by people like me.
If we ever meet i will buy you a pint.

Cheers Andy

[paynts]

Cheers Kenney

Another pint your way as well.

[A4 Lad]

lol, your very welcome. Happy Christmas to you and your family


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[Annabelle]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this and just wondering whether anyone could shed some light on a problem I've got with the turbo on my audi.

As i was pulling away from traffic lights, there was a really loud "tractor" noise coming from the engine, and hardly any power. I suspected the turbo had gone as even when i gave it more throttle it really struggled to gain speed. Pulled over and the exhaust was full of oil (apparently this is flushed out when your turbo packs in?). This loud tractor like noise will happen if revved in neutral. If the engine is idling it sounds normal.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Not sure if its just one of the hoses that has come off. Don't think its anything to do with the cambelt/engine as it still ticks over fine and i managed to run it to get off the roundabout. Its currently sitting at the garage waiting to be looked at monday (i had it recovered as it sounds so nasty i didn't want to do more damage). Any ideas would be really helpful.

Thanks,
Anna

[kenney]

I think there is a split in one of the hoses,usually when the exhaust is full of oil the vehicle will smoke,unless it is just oil that has been sprayed onto the exhaust when the hose split

[Annabelle]

Thanks Kenney,

I have a feeling this may be it. Would it explain the noise? Its really loud (i literally thought i had a van or a tractor next to me). I think the reason it didn't smoke is because i had only been driving for about 10 mins and pulled over straight away (maybe not hot enough to smoke?)

It hasn't been properly looked at yet but the garage said it might be a case of changing the whole turbo, which at cheapest would be about £500 not inc labour!

Thanks x