[A4] And then there were three....

[Andy Hellmann]

This afternoon, driving down Hampton Blvd, the A4 lost a cylinder.  I noticed it accelerating away from a light, it was shuddering and making less power.  No noise, no fuss, it was just gone.  "OK", I think, "I've been hit by the dead coil pack bug".  I got home and once the car cooled down a bit, I did some troubleshooting.  Pulled off the connectors from teh coil packs one at a time, and there it was, #2 cylinder.   So I pulled the #1 coil pack and swapped it with the #2.  Problem stayed with the #2 cylinder.  I pulled the spark plugs from both 1 and 2, and swapped them.  I also noticed that the #2 plug didn't smell gasoliney, and was dry as a bone.  Not all that suprising being as the engine is very warm, but you'd think there would be a little gas on it.  Problem stayed with #2 cylinder.  I broke out the book and the voltmeter, and found that the connectors for both #2 and #1 had 12 volts on the outside pin, a good connection to ground on the inside pin, and teh same milivoltage on the other outside pin with the engine running.  So I guess teh wiring is good.  
  Turned my attention to the fuel side.  I could the #2 injector clicking, and it noticeably stopped when the connector was pulled.  So I pulled the whole rail off and switched the #1 and #2 injectors.  Success!  the misfire switched to the #1 cylinder.  Now, this is what's interesting. Oh, by the way, a single injector is $150.  Crazy, aint it?    I pulled the #1 injector out, sprayed some carb cleaner into the orifices, blew them out, shook it, tapped it, caressed it and sweet talked it.  Reinstalled, started engine, guess what?  Problem is back on #2 cylinder.  I don't have my compression gauge, that would be my next check, but the plug looked fine and there wasn't any indication of any mechanical problems, I.E. clanking, clattering, etc etc.  Engine sounds exactally the same as it did before, except for having a misfire.  Anybody got any ideas?  I put VAG-COM on it, and the only trouble codes were for misfire #2 cylinder, random misfire, and open injector circuts on #1 and #2 cylinders, not unexpected as I was pulling the connectors off.  Cleared codes and restarted, the first two codes returned.  Nothing else.....


Any ideas?


Thanks in advance,

Andy
"A little nonesense now and then
is treasured by the wisest men"

Andy Hellmann
VA Beach VA