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

[Shawn Head]

It could be the ignition control module that is just below the piece of
plastic that comes off of the airbox.  It has a little vent.  Just pop it
off and you will see a little ceramic block there with a connector going to
it.  The only way to see if it is it is to swap it out with another one.
What year is your car?  Try to find someone else with the same year and swap
them out.  If their car runs fine with yours then it isn't it, but if the
problem switches to their car then it is the ignition control module.

BTW: it is like $450 bucks for it.  Better make sure before you buy one...
Luckily mine was replaced by the previous owner under warrenty.

And the VAG COM cannot find that problem.

Shawn Head
'97 A4tqsm Laser Red

-----Original Message-----
From: a4-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:a4-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of
Andy Hellmann
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 8:21 PM
To: a4list
Subject: [A4] And then there were three....

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
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