Hi there,
Need somem urgent help to try and calm me down a bit, if you could?
On the way home last night my A3 (2000, 53k) started "Shudderring" and losing power. I made it home and called the AA in. They said Coilpack and towed me to a local garage. The car was ran through the computer and identified injector, MAF troubles etc etc. Again, this could be caused by the a coilpack failure. The coilpacks were duly checked and each replaced but to no avail. After some checking of the injectors and unplugging the third injector which seemed to be causing some of the trouble the very thorough guy was still not happy.
He was not happy because the Engine management light never came on, and it never did at all during this whole episode. He checked the fuses and concluded that there is a good chance that the EMU unit may need repaied OR replaced and Audi are the only ones that could do this. He was so sure of this that he never charged me for any of his lenghty tests, and I duly chugged to the dealership...Not looking forward to that conversation in the future...
I run the car on good fuel, V-power, and have done for 6 months with no problems. Plugs replaced 10k ago with last service.
Any thoughts? Help?
Thanks for listening,
Clach
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 18/01/2008 at 19:38
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Clach
Any idea of the codes found? Was it only running on 3 cyls? Did he have concerns that the ECU was either not firing the coil or the injector on the missing cyl?
You might be able to get the ECU tested or repaired by people like BBA-Reman. Saves a lot of re-coding hassle.
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Not sure of the code to be honest, but there was certainly alot on it...Fuel, MAF, injector etc, etc. He removed the third injector which made the car retain some power, but it was still 'chugging' the few miles to Audi....
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Something very odd there and it's already at the dealers.
Hmm; you'd better stay on the phone to them, or they'll run up a bill that will scrap the car. Give them a diagnostic spend limit and them get a full report.
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I take the point about the diagnostics....Sadly, there is little I could do with the car like that!
Also, i don't think there is anything odd going on. The guy tried various things to fix the problem but was fixated on why the engine management light never came on after focusing on coilpacks (checking fuses etc) That is the odd thing, here, if it did come on at all over the last day or so It would sound like a classic coilpack problem....
Was considering the ignition control unit?
Thanks for the reply...
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I was meaning something odd about the fault - why disconnecting an injector improved things? Your chap seems to have gone about tackling it in a very systematic way.
If it's still got a separate ignition amplifier on a '00, then it must be an AGU engine - all the other nine [yes; nine on that year alone!] versions of the A3 1.8T had direct fired coilpacks. That could be very, very, significant - one of the reasons I'm always bothering people for VAG engine codes.
Ignition amplifier failure on one cylinder is very common on these; scoping it's four outputs soon shows the duff transistor. As it's output is not monitored from the ECU, they never post a coil code - and a misfire code only sometimes.
Hopefully that's all it is - although those amplifiers are not cheap from the dealers.
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Sounds a hopeful possibility....Thanks for your reply (AGU engine 'oo W reg)
Lets hope the dealers don't spank me...!!!
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The coil driver module is screwed to a heat sink on the air filter housing.It is a Bosch device and if found to be faulty expect to pay from £120 upwards for the part.The last time i needed one of these they were unavailable thro VAG group (back order)and managed to source part from Bosch USA.hth
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That sounds about right given my luck with cars over the last year!! :-/
Fingers crossed for something simple.
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i have a mk4 golf gti 20v turbo wen i got it it was misfiring so i changed all 4 coilpacks and spark plugs . it still keeps misfiring but if i put my foot down it seems to clear up then it just goes lumpy again . i have had it in 4 the diognostic test and nothing showd up. this sounds very simeler to the audi a3 any ideas??????
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I had the same problem on my 2000 golf1.8t, turned out to be the ignition amplifier which is screwed on to the air filter box, i priced one at the dealer £150+. Picked one up from GSF german swedish french car parts for £55.Hope this helps.
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Hi Folks,
Audi finally called me back...after 1 week. They 'appear' to have identified the problem in relation to:
" 1.8T started juddering and shaking as I was sitting at some traffic lights. I took it slowly home, but the car was losing power and juddering all the way, there was no EML light..."
Thay say it is a faulty injector...but with rental car bills mounting up day on day they claim to have none in stock, and that it would take 7-10 days to order one...What! I am in Reading, does any one know where i can get one asap?
1.8T A3 AGU engine (2000) w Reg
Thanks folks.....
No need to start a new post - the old 'un will do. NO NEED TO SHOUT
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 24/01/2008 at 18:32
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clach
Reading between the lines; you dealer doesn't appear to have anyone competent in diagnostics left. [Common situation now.] They've taken a full week to "appear" to think it's an injector - and now it's 7-10 days to get one?? Is that a subtle way of saying "take it away - we don't know what's wrong with it?"
Faulty injectors [and I've never once changed on on these] usually leave codes. You should be able to get one from a Bosch agent.
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My hands are tied I am afraid mate, and the injector suggestion was a surprise to me!!!
thanks for your reply!!!
Edited by clachnacudden on 24/01/2008 at 22:59
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Hi
Just a thought but have you checked the HT leads? I have previously had this symptom with no engine management light showing and a new set of HT leads (£45 & fit them myself) cured the problem. I think the problem these days is everyone tends to suspect the most expensive/ complicated things first (e.g. ecu, coil pack, injectors etc). May be worth a try for the small amount of money in comparison to other cures!
Regards
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Thanks for this...
I will question the diagnosis if it fails to cure the problem - as promised by the dealer - on Monday. Will update then..
Thanks again,
Edited by clachnacudden on 26/01/2008 at 19:48
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clach
Your best move is to say; "Well; if you're absolutely sure it's not the ignition amplifier, then go ahead and order the injector."
Then when it isn't the injector; you've got them for not properly checking the amplifier. VAG's GFF [Guided Fault Finding] system is not as idiot-proof as they think it is. In fact; nothing is - from a sufficiently-talented idiot!
[No HT leads on these - coil-over-plug set-up.]
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Done this already,
I questioned their diagnosis. I specifically mentioned the injector amplifier to them. His reply, "I have confidence in my diagnosis man".
We shall see, I am picking up that car this afternoon.....
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Hi again,
Having spent most of the afternoon at Audi, the new injector (clylinder 3) failed to make any difference when fitted. I again mention the Injection amplifier and they went away for 15mins. and came back to say that it was a possibility and would order one in overnight!!!!
The saga continues...
Also, the only information they gave me was that it was only cylinder three that was showing any codes for a misfire!!!????
Thanks for listening,
Clach
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Clach
BOYS!!!
So that's another dealer that hasn't anyone in the workshop who can find the cause of a single-cylinder misfire sitting right in front of them - how on earth are they going to find a difficult one?
If a faulty injector is suspected; just squirt a dash of brake cleaner down the MAF. If it doesn't then run on 4; then it isn't short of fuel on that cylinder. It's not rocket science.
So they have made no attempt to test the outputs of the amplifier with an oscilloscope? They're just going to plug a new one in and hope? Rank amateurs!
I'll bet that you wish you'd left it with your own man now. He was 95% there just using his brains and without the priceless benefit of the dealer's access to every bit of data and equipment.
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Thanks for your help, will keep you updated....
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Thanks for the replies...
Firstly, a huge thanks to screwloose excellent call on the part....MAGIC!!!
Secondly, it is great to be back in my car, nothing compares to the quality of my 1.8ts for me, anyway...haha
Thirdly, the Audi dealers charged no labour and the Injector amplifier was covered by private warranty. Moreover, injector no.3, which was fitted was done at their expense and no charge for that...only £150 for diagnosis...which I find hard to swallow as it was me (or screwloose) that told them to check the amplifier... Add to that £450 for a rental and it adds up big time....
All in all, a trying event and hugely disappointed by the dealers which I will tell them shortly...
Also, does anyone know of any good VAG specialists in the Berkshire area?
Thanks for listening
Edited by clachnacudden on 29/01/2008 at 20:08
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Clach
Thanks for the update; did the service manager say whether he still retained his "confidence in his diagnostics man?"
A sorry tale indeed; but it proves how good your own man is [with access to a tiny bit of info he was there...] and how more and more dealers have lost their diag techs.
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hi mate i see you had a problem that sound the same as a problem im now getting, so you say it was the ignition amplifier in the end. because iv been advised that its the coil packs as they are prone for failing in these engines i have a '99 s3 by the way. i was also advised that audi should replace the coil packs free of charge as a good will gesture because so many of these end up failing(anyone know if this is true, i will find out tomoro when i go down audi).
so is it worth mentioning the igition amplifier to audi when i see them??
any help on this matter would be apprecated; )
chris
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Chris
What's the engine code on yours?
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Hi guys i hVe exactly same prob with my audi a3 1.8t 1998 any ideas what could be causing it cylinder 1 not firing,my engineer said poss blown valve hes gonna compression test it next week, does this sound correct? Im in maidenhead berks,pls help me chaps im at my wits end with my beloved,thanks
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