Resolved:93 90 - Not Starting

[Schoenly,Michael]

Prelude:
Throughout the time I've owned the car it has blown fuses for the dash
lights fairly regularly, and not wanting to research it, just popped new
fuses in. It seemed to work for a while before popping another one.

Here's the story:
After not driving the car for a few weeks this past winter, I started it
up and not knowing at the time, had a fire. I thought that it was that
the defroster had gotten too hot from having snow pack on the rear
window. So I turned it off and the burnt smell stopped getting worse.
Everything seems to work, so I was happy and started driving the car
regularly.

Months later.....
I get in the car and drive to Denver (~60 miles). Come home from Denver
and the 'check engine' light comes on. Didn't think much of it at the
time since the car was running just fine.

2 Days later.....
After not driving the car for 2 days, I get in the car to go to work. We
load up the wife and kid to go to daycare. I put the key in the
ignition, turn it and nothing, no dash lights, no check engine light,
etc - dead car. Not having time to check it out (already late for work)
I yelled some (many) obscenities at the car, unloaded everyone, loaded
up the truck and took off to daycare. When I get home, I pour myself a
beer to relax before I start to operate. I find a blown fuse to the ECU.
I replace the fuse and the car starts right up.

Next Day....
Next day, me, with a big grin on my face, says "Hun, let's take the car,
I fixed it last night." I put the key in the ignition, turn it and
vroom, the engine roars to life. We get everyone in loaded in the car. I
go to back the car out of the garage and I can't get it out of park.
Again, not having time to check it, I yelled many more obscenities at
the car, unloaded everyone, loaded up the truck and took off to daycare
grumbling all the way.

Solution:
I get home and start emailing Elliot Potter back and forth (what a
knowledgeable guy - check out www.12v.org), he gives me a how-to on
getting engine codes (indication - check engine light coming on). I give
him the trouble codes 2411 and 1111. Elliot explained to me that the
2411 indicated a wiring problem and that I should look at the wiring
harness going from the driver's side trunk - in front of the tail light
to the trunk lid. He was exactly right. This is when I discovered that
months ago I had a fire. The harness behind the trunk carpet was so
fried that I could see all of the copper wire for all of the wires that
led to the trunk. The harness literally fell apart in my hand, at this
point I was wondering how the car could have been functioning, not to
mention how lucky I was the car didn't blow up. I evaluated the wires
and could almost recognize the wire colors so I thought that I should
reconstruct the harness. Any way, get home Friday night and wifey wants
to take Zach (son) to see "Spirit" (kid's horse movie), working on the
car sounded like a good idea to get out of seeing "Spirit". So, two
hours later - some trial and error with colors, a solder burn on my hand
a small solder burn on Zach (he likes touching hot things for some
reason) and viola the Audi is back in business.

Morale of the story:
I guess the car had some electrical problems for quite some time (since
before I bought it). I was a little taken back after the "new" wiring
harness was complete. I didn't have to wait for the door lock cycle to
completely finish before I could unlock the doors and there was a beep
(horn) sound when you lock the doors?! I think I will research the next
car purchase to find out the quirks before I purchase and check the car
over.

The End.....

Ah the joys of Audi ownership.....

Michael Schoenly
90s 118K miles