Clean your Air Mass Sensor !!!!!

[Killerwhat?]

Hello everyone I'm a Forum newb!

Do any of these sound familiar:

• Unstable idle
• Hesitation between gear changes
• Flat spots
• Engine speeds up when you lift off - yes really !
• Throttle 'hangs' between changes
• Missfire above 4000

Well. I've scoured the forums for something definitive on all the above which have plagued my s/h (125 k) A6 1.8T Avant (petrol) since I bought it a year ago. So I finally bit the bullet, took out its Air Mass Sensor (often referred to as the MAF) and cleaned it.

What a transformation , it finally feels like the car I always thought it should have been !

Want to know how ? reply to this thread, it took me about an hour.

Cheers !

[clogman]

Ah but....

I tried the same trick, fixed the car up a treat (I thought) then it failed its MOT because emissions were all over the place.

Fitted a new MAF (exchange unit from Audi for about £60) and all the emissions fell back to very low levels and the car ran sweet as a nut.

Hope a simple clean works for you, shame it didn't for me in the long run.

[Killerwhat?]

Oh ye of little faith !

There's always someone who wants to burst your bubble of euphoria but seriously I suppose I'll have to wait and see at next MOT, at least I'll know where the damned thing is and how to change it.
Car still goes well, better fuel consumption and much more satisfying to drive.
Just got to get it to steer nicely now !


Any advice ?

[Killerwhat?]

A6 Avant 1.8 T petrol 1999

[redadair]

This reminds me of a similar incident I had last year when I too suffered the same problem i.e flat spots and unstable idle. When the cause was diagnosed and resolved I had the added benefit of improved oil consumption!

[Kev.trebuan]

I don't suppose a dirty MAF could account for a 2.0 8V cutting on acceleration could it?

[Killerwhat?]

Yep sure could !

To add to this thread, I just got it MOT'd and it was well inside all the tests.
Just got back from towing a 16 foot caravan to north devon and can report a very satisfactory experience. avge fuel consumption of 25 mpg over 800 miles (500 towing). Easy 70+ on the motorways and good performance on ordinary roads.

[giblets]

Oh ye of little faith !

There's always someone who wants to burst your bubble of euphoria but seriously I suppose I'll have to wait and see at next MOT, at least I'll know where the damned thing is and how to change it.
Car still goes well, better fuel consumption and much more satisfying to drive.
Just got to get it to steer nicely now !


Any advice ?

I got a 2nd hand A6 2.7T and the first thing I spent time (and money) on was the steering characteristics. I didn't muck about and got all the bushes done, then the front wishbones (cheaper than you might think), got all the bearings checked but didn't bother with the steering rack. The steering and cornering characteristics improved enormously.

Next job was disks and brakes, then tyres (michelin).

The car has now got more grip than a very grippy thing; only problem is, I took the michael, pushed it hard on the 3rd world roads we have round my way and promply (within 3 months) got a bit of looseness back in the system, and a bush-knock. My own stupid fault.

Try all this before you go for the steering rack itself!

[buster]

pushed it hard on the 3rd world roads we have round my way

Live in South Yorkshire eh?

[giblets]

Live in South Yorkshire eh?

Er, not quite - sunny, druggy sussex by the sea! You could pick just about any part of this country at the moment and it is very similar to any third world gaff you cn think of, including the corruption and roads.