(no subject)

[Chris Hall]

Couple months ago, I had the whole "tach straight to 0" stalling 
problem.  Eventually popped in an Ignition Control Module from my old 
83... fixed the problem.

Month ago, the car would randomly run like garbage, then run fine... 
popped open the two fuel pump relays I'd been switching between when 
trying to trace the first stalling problem... both had cracked solder 
joints.  Fixed them, put one in, car ran great for about two weeks.

Last week... accelerating from a light AS I thought "nice to finally 
have fixed those problems... glad that's all over with", huge 
hesitation that lasts 1/4 of a second, followed by another quick engine 
cut-out.  I pull off to the side, everything seems normal, then it 
happens twice more while driving.  This is 15 minutes in to driving.  
Same thing happens on the way home, about 15 min in to my drive (so 
yeah... I'm thinking HEAT related).  Happens a couple more times, one 
time the car stalls and I actually have to restart it and it's kinda 
hard to, but once it does it's fine the rest of the drive.

So this morning, I look in the engine compartment with engine running, 
and notice my "sort of collapsing, but inflates under engine 
acceleration so I'll get to it next week" 4 way breather hose is 80% 
collapsed and stays that way now when engine is revved.  I yank a 
spring out of a flashlight and reinforce the hose (well MOST of it I 
discover later).  I put it back on, let the car idle for 15 min (hose 
stays open), then drive it on the highway for another 15... no 
stalling.  Of couse I think "problem solved!".  Sits 20 min, then I go 
to work (20 min drive).  Close to work, engine quickly cuts out and 
back in... 5 min later at a light, it stalls and is hard to start. 
Start, and it stalls again.  Start again, fine for the next 10 min I 
spend looking for parking.  Pop the hood, notice that the middle of the 
breather hose is collapsed between spring coils I used to reinforce 
with.  I think "ah ha!  Hose gets warm, softens, collapses, that's it!  
The spring legnthened the time I can drive before the hose collapses... 
time for a better spring!!!"  SO, after work I buy a spring strong 
enough to stand on (select-a-spring #172 or 174...can't remember), 
slide it in to the hose (perfect legnth and diameter... hose is as 
stiff as a lead pipe now, good trick!) and think "yes!".  Drive home... 
and of course, 15 minutes in to my trip, engine quickly cuts out and 
back in a couple of times (first time it happened was under WOT).  Pull 
off, idle... cuts out a couple times, dies, hard to start, starts... 
fine.  Get home 5 min later.  Car stalls out again.  

I pop hood and notice that I'm a couple inches low in the coolant 
reservoir.  So now as my engine cools, I'm wondering if maybe the ECU 
thinks I am over heating and it's trying to shut off the engine?  I'm 
not quite sure if the engine was overheating though, because the 
coolant gauge in dash can go almost all the way up to the top on cool 
days and sit in "normal" on a 99° day... (ever since the day I yanked 
the rod out of the Vac pump and at the same time yanked the guages out 
for a little odometer repair, whoops) so I haven't really trusted it 
when it's high... 

The tach seems to be shooting straight to 0 again as the engine cuts 
out and back in (as it did when the 1st ignition control module was 
dying).  As far as I can tell, the hall sender and it's wiring are 
good... the relays I use for the fuel pump have freshly repaired solder 
joints, the temp sender for the ecu is good (as far as I know, although 
a PO installed a resistor in the wiring to fool the ECU in to thinking 
the engine's always cold, dumping more fuel in to the engine for "uber 
power... I gotta remove that thing... but I doubt it's causing this 
problem since it's been there the whole 2 years I've had the car).  

It just seems crazy that I'd have the problem with the ICM, then the 
fuel relays (then again, all that yanking them probably caused the 
cracks in them...) and now this seemingly new problem...

Maybe the ignition switch is getting hot as power runs through it and 
is cutting power to the ignition?  Maybe my 83 ICM is now failing... 3 
weeks later?  Maybe the coil?  Maybe I just need to take it to my damn 
Audi tech?  

If anyone's somehow been down this SAME road, can you please tell me 
what seemingly heat related stalling problem you had and how you solved 
it?   Thanks for reading...  (I need an editor)

Chris Hall
bad_comrade at megsinet.net
"making girls cry since 1974"
Chris Hall
bad_comrade at megsinet.net
"making girls cry since 1974"