Coil Problem, 1.8T was Re:audi bashing in Boston Globe

[Wylie Bean]

Here's my .02 on what's happening from dealing with it regularly, not from
interpreting some column.  First, VW/Audi has done wonders to improve it's
brand image over the past 20 odd years since the UI debacle.  Three years of
all time record sales for Audi and more repeat and convert business for both
VW and Audi than ever should at least tip you off to that.  After the issue
with the A6 fuel senders almost ruining all that effort back in '98-2000,
you can bet the last thing they want to happen is something like this.
Simply put, the A4 1.8T is the hottest seller to wear the Four Rings.  The
Passat 1.8T was rated the overall Best Pick by Consumer Reports.  Why on
earth would they knowingly put any car on the road with a problem
potentially far more damaging than the A6 sending units was?  If you believe
that for one millisecond you need to have your melon examined.  As far as it
being a recall issue....well, I'm not sold on that either.  If I owned a
2002-2003 M3 and its engine was going to grenade or throw a rod, (of which a
far higher percentage based on numbers sold actually HAVE,) then, well
maybe.  But to go into limp-home mode and run on 3 cylinders, not quite.  I
say that because the likelihood of more than one of the coilpacks failing at
the same time is quite small.

Contrary to the author's sources, the replacement parts are NOT the same as
the faulty ones, and despite what the "Internet" says the problem is not in
the ECU.  I wonder what brace-toothed 18 year-old on Audiworld or VWVortex
concocted that?   I can speak from firsthand visual experience.....can you?
I wonder if either of you actually know the cause of the problem within the
coilpack itself, or the correction?  I do.  Do you or does he own one of
these cars with the potential issue?  I don't, but a few of my customers
have had it happen to them.  No, they're not happy about the issue, but they
are usually pleased when I hand them a key to an Audi or VW loaner and
assure them that VW/Audi has sourced the problem and the re-engineered parts
are in sufficient supply so as to not cause a major delay in getting his/her
car back on the road.  Before you start trying to disguise your opinion as
fact, you need to at least get the parts that are actually "fact"
straight....It might go a long way in helping  your "opinions" garner a
little more respect.

A. Wylie Bean
Audi Brand Specialist
Flow Motors, LLC
425 Silas Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem NC 27127
1-800-489-3534
TheRingmeister at triad.rr.com
abean at flowauto.com
90 coupe quattro
99..5 A4 1.8T Avant quattro


Not from what I read.  Audi is doing what it always does, puts a Band-Aid
on the problem (replace the ONE bad coil), has NOT instituted a recall of
any kind, and based on their past performance on such issues, will be
replacing the coils one by one till the cars are out of warranty.
Typical of what Audi (and other manufacturers) do almost all the time.
It wouldn't surprise me if the new coils aren't exactly the same as the
ones that are failing...just keep changing them with the same thing until
the cars are out of warranty.

If Audi had really changed it's stripes, it would have announced a
complete recall to change all the coils, explaining the supply problems
to owners and advising them that they would receive notices to bring
their cars in for coil replacement as the supplies increase.  (GM did
this with engine sensor problem on some of it's S10's a while back.)
Someone who has gone out and bought a VAG product shouldn't have to learn
about something like this from a tow truck driver or a newspaper article.
 Audi/VW probably knew about the bad coils when the cars were still on
the production line, weighed their options, now customers and dealers
have to deal with it.  Their biggest mistake was probably figuring the
coils would make it past the warranty period before failure.

BCNU