Hi all. This is my first post on here (although I have been reading through for a few months now). I'm not clued up about cars particulalrly so go easy on me.

I bought my 03 plate A3 1.8 T Quattro Sport a year ago and absolutely love it. Either through my 'over-zealous' driving or from it historically being a fleet car, the clutch wore out a couple of months back and I had the clutch and flywheel replaced.

Ever since then there's been an intermittent problem - which of course may be coincidental. The car to use my term 'misfires' in first and second at about 2.5k-3k revs (and sometimes in third). Sometimes it feels like the revs stop building for a second - a flat spot, other occasions it's bad enough that it feels like I've bunny hopped it on the clutch (although the clutch has long been engaged and my foot is well off the pedal), a very violent drop in power (that you can't replicate by taking your foot off the gas - it's so noticealbe that passengers comment on it and assume I've got no clutch control.

I've been in to Audi 3 times - the first two times they plugged it in to the computer - apparently no faults showing. The third time they took it overnight and drove it home - didn't experience any problems, but suggested the air flow meter should be changed. £130 later and still the problem remains. They say it's not misfiring it's hesitating?

The very obvious drop in power occurs a couple of times a week, the 'flat' spots in power are occuring most days now - although not all the time.

Other symptoms include:
  • Takes longer to start than it used
  • Unhappy idling when first started (and a little even when warm)
  • On two occasions the car shook fairly violently for a few seconds on starting
  • Generally feels sluggish compared to a year ago
  • Fails to pull away quickly on occasion until eventually turbo cuts in
  • Turbo seems to cut in later than before?
  • Generally not very smooth
Apologies for the length of this - I don't know what's important.

I love my car, this is really frustrating me - please help me make it better again...

Nick