Audi Heal Thyself!

[Huw Powell]

> My CGT has had a problem with pinging since the day I bought it, or
> at least it sounded like pinging to me (others have suggested it
> could be distributor rattle). And I have been getting an intermitant
> CEL. It always goes away with a restart and the engine seemed to
> behave the exact same way with the light on or off.

The CEL indicates that the ecu has seen fit to fully retard the
ignition, so, yah, you were probably hearing pinging.  If it always ran
the same way, you're probably running around 12 degrees retarded from
the static timing, and probably on the "regular" fuel map as well...
these are all semi-informed guesses....

> No vacuum leaks, fresh tuneup, checked ignition timing ,
> checked cam timing....

That's what confuses me.  My theory was that the cam, and thus
distributor, timing was off, too far advanced.  Then when the TB was
installed, they set it right.

> Anyway, she's no longer pinging, and seems to
> have gained a significant amount of power. She running faster than
> ever before. Sort of like a scalded cat.

And now you are enjoying the full 130 hp... I have an 87.5 rustbucket
waiting for legal tires and plates out in the parking lot, and some
little preliminary tests after replacing the tranny indicate that they
should, indeed, give the 'scalded cat' effect.

I don't buy the "loose knock sensor" theory much, since the torque on
them is really light.  Though in general, it is possible that something
that was not right was accidentally (or intentionally, but they would
have mentioned it, right?) "fixed."

Are you sure that previously, the ecu fuses were in place, the grounds
were good, etc.?

What *was* the ignition timing before and after, at idle, with fuse
inserted in fuel pump relay?

And how did you check the cam timing?  before, and after?

--
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/