A3 1.8T Sport Starting Issues

[TheCreg]

Hello Everyone!

I'm after a little advice regarding a recent problem on my Pride and Joy!

It's a 51 plate (2002) 1.8L T Sport, done 80K miles. It's had a full Audi service every year of it's life. CAm belt replaced at 67K miles.

A few months ago it started making a whining sound after the engine fires up. It sounds a little like something is rubbing like a bearing perhaps? Anyway, it didn't affect performance in any way, was just irritating.

However! In the last couple of weeks, in addition to this noise, it has started running a high revs (approx 1500 rpm) when I first start the car. It does this for around a minute before dropping to just below 1000 rpm.

Even worse, this morning I started the car and the engine immediately stalled. it did this twice before starting up and working OK.

It only does this when left in my garage overnight. It doesn't seem to be cold related, if anything it has gotten worse since we started having this damper/milder weather.

Any ideas or help you could offer woud be hugely appreciated!!!!!

Cheers,
Craig

[NickPicks]

If the whining noise is a sort of chattery shriek that just happens once, then it's likely to be the starter motor pinion sticking on the shaft and making a whining noise as it disengages. It is iritating, but removing the starter motor and greasing it should solve it for a while.

The fast idle up to 1500rpm for a minute is normal for cold weather.

[Adam_A3]

I've had a similar problem with my 1.8T 1999. It does make a whining noise, but doesn't sound too odd, seems like the power steering or something as it is very quiet and doesn't seem to effect driving at all? My issue is that I start the car, it dies, then I start it again and it's fine, no issues what so ever. Only does this occasionally, any ideas what this can be? I'm doing a mini service anyway as only owned this car a week and like to do services on cars myself when I get them.

Thanks

[TheCreg]

NickPicks, thanks for the reply.

You have confirmed my suspicision that the rev issue is basically normal, and that my problem is the starter motor. The problem where the car had difficulty starting also fits, if it is the starter motors.

I'll give it a clean and a blast of WD40 and see how that goes.

Cheers!