tech session report (long)

[Ed Kellock]

I second Brett's comments about the value and enjoyment of these tech
sessions.  The Rocky Mountain Chapter has held a few now, splitting
them (fairly evenly ;-) between Denver and Colorado Springs.  The
first was for the RS6 at Prestige in Denver.  Nice.  The new A8 tech
session was held in the Springs and there were few enough people there
that we all got to drive it.  I think I've only missed one so far. 
Keep up the good work.

Ed

P.S.  Non-members are always welcome as guests also.

On Thu, 9 Sep 2004 01:43:25 -0400, Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net> wrote:
> Just got back from the tech session and there was plenty of fun to be
> had.  Please note this is all from memory- if it comes down to me vs.
> some article on the web or audi press release, trust them, not me :-)
> While I've spent a good hour or two on this writeup, it's not going
> to be perfect.
> 
> Due to incompatibility with catalytic converters(exhaust gas temps
> get too low is one problem), the FSI system will not use the special
> lean-burn "stratified" mode (where a tiny pocket of ideal-mixture is
> ignited dead center); in the US market FSI will stand for Fuel
> Straight Injection- Europe, Fuel Stratified Injection.  "To avoid
> confusion".  Uh...right :-)  There is the possibility the 2.0 FSI
> block will use stratified mode since it is apparently able to
> generate the higher exhaust temps needed for proper cat function.
> And no, Europe won't get stratified injection in their V6 either;
> market has little to do with it.  No, you won't be able to "turn on"
> stratified mode; the piston heads are different, since
> stratified-mode bounces the fuel charge off the center of the piston
> to pool it around the spark plug.
> 
> It's a sleeveless aluminum block using eroded silicon casting that
> sounded similar to how the 944 block is made(I believe aluminum is
> chemically removed, leaving a denser silicon layer).  Graphite is
> used somehow; I didn't hear clearly.  A small actuated vane (in the
> head, I think) moves varying with RPM for different effects on the
> flow into the combustion chamber to make sure FSI works properly, and
> a valve further up the intake path in the manifold is used for
> variable intake.  The 3.2 FSI is a 24V engine NOT 30V, the flow
> patterns of the 5V head (designed to give a turbulent airflow to mix
> up the fuel/air mixture for traditional injection) did not suit FSI,
> which doesn't need help atomizing the fuel at well over 1,000 PSI...
> 
> Compression ratio is pretty high- 12.5:1, "So this will NOT run on
> cheap gas."  Fuel delivery is via an ECU-managed, variable speed low
> pressure pump, coupled with an electronically controlled,
> cam-actuated (passenger side, I think) high pressure pump that puts
> pressures into the 1200PSI range; pressure varies like any other fuel
> injection system and is directly measured at both stages by the ECU;
> no mechanical fuel pressure regulators.  Hitachi-made injectors
> sitting in the head inject fuel right between and underneath the two
> intake valves, and are driven at 65V.  The diagram did not show a
> return, I believe.  Someone asked if hard lines were used throughout,
> and the answer was yes.  The presenter also cautioned that the system
> was much more dangerous to "tinker" with or repair.  The same
> concerns exist as with diesel; pressures are high enough that leaks
> themselves can inflict injury and cause fuel to penetrate the skin at
> close distances.
> 
> The car is a nightmare of electronic modules- something like 50 of
> them; everywhere there are interface modules (control stalks and
> steering wheel for example) and command modules that drive
> motors/actuators and report on their condition and have associated
> sensors.  Power doesn't flow directly from the wiper stalk to the
> wiper motor; the rain sensor and even the hood sensor get in on the
> action; wipers won't operate with the hood open.  The
> audio/visual/nav stuff is all tightly integrated, and yes, the car is
> bluetooth compatible.
> 
> That's great for wire savings, function integration, and
> troubleshooting for people with the right tools; however, VAG-COM or
> ProTools (along with factory repair manuals) will be an absolute
> requirement for people like us who want to own them outside their
> warranty period, because it's simply not going to be possible to
> troubleshoot otherwise.  Of some concern is how much of the coding
> information will be made available even to those who buy the factory
> repair manuals.
> 
> CAN is used predominantly, along with a special media-only,
> fiber-based ring-topology.  Yup- if a module dies, it takes out a
> good chunk of the ring.  So if your TV tuner module (I kid you not)
> goes on the fritz, your radio, nav, etc could go bu-bye until it's
> fixed.  I didn't think to ask if the connectors were designed to be
> set up to bypass a disabled module by plugging them together, but I
> seriously doubt this is the case.  Automotive engineers have yet to
> learn the lesson IBM did with Token Ring 20 years ago- and even token
> ring had some pass-through.  It'll also be fun if the fiber starts
> breaking; glass fiber doesn't like vibration, although that's
> armchair-engineering-supposition on my part.  The highly integrated
> audio/nav/vehicle control will also make aftermarket audio equipment
> virtually impossible to install.
> 
> The presenter warned that with the increase in control units would
> come the potential to cause damage (I could imagine some fun
> fireworks possible with the FSI system if you're a dolt and go
> messing where you shouldn't) or interoperability problems when
> untrained people "recode" units; with 50 units, a recode in one
> module could affect at least one other module and cause all sorts of
> problems.  Audi/VW have discovered what system administrators like
> myself have had to deal with for a decade plus- software version
> compatibility problems.  Dealership techs will have the ability to
> get electronically info from Germany about what software versions on
> all the various modules are known to work together, and get new
> updates.  And yes, even the tail lights can be coded to one of three
> region settings for regulatory compliance.  Oh boy...
> 
> Enough with the pessimism.  Our hosts were very friendly, and the
> session was not rushed along; I was late by almost an hour and a
> half, and I still felt it was a great event; even if it had been
> twice the drive I still would have enjoyed it.  From when I arrived,
> they had finished up a tour of the classroom/garage areas, and people
> were eyeballing the cars and socializing.  We watched a few Audi
> movie clips that were pretty nice; one in particular featured a ton
> of old racing and rally clips- but unfortunately internal use only,
> so no copies for us.  Doh.
> 
>  There was something for everyone- a couple of dealership customers
> were there (dressed better than the rest of us so easily picked out
> ;-), and they wandered off to the back of the classroom/garage area
> to kick the tires so to speak with a salesman while the rest of us
> checked out an accelerated walkthrough of part of the A6 training
> presentation dealership techs get.
> 
> Safety features were covered comprehensively; the seats feature
> cantilever headrests for whiplash protection like the Saabs and
> Volvos; airbags are dual-stage and trigger more quickly if the
> control unit doesn't sense the seatbelt being worn, so that you are
> not too close to the airbag when it goes off if you're not belted in.
> Deployment consists of single-stage in a minor accident followed by
> activation of the second stage after the head is clear, to prevent
> "presenting rescue crews with a live airbag charge".  A more serious
> crash will activate both charges at the same time (or more closely in
> sequential fashion, it was not made clear).  A pressure sensor
> determines the weight of the person in the seat, and if it's under
> 55lb or so, the airbag is not activated.  Additionally, a tension
> sensor on the receptacle-side senses if the belt has been cinched too
> tight, ie for a child seat, and also will deactivate the airbag
> (makes me slightly uneasy, as it's standard practice for many DE
> attendees to tighten the belt and move the seat forward to secure
> yourself tightly in the car.  Also, what about when harnesses are in
> use?  Ugh).   Deactivation flashes a passenger-visible light in the
> cluster, and a bright indicator in the driver's door for them.
> 
>  Following that were some quick words about the A6 design changes and
> what they were intended to do for the car stylistically. I will
> refrain from comment on this area as my view on the A6 styling is
> rather pessimistic.
> 
>   Scott Downs and I of course had to poke around, and we picked the
> most obscure place in true Audifans spirit; the trunk!  It uses an
> electronically actuated latch (bah, humbug) although there was a
> keyhole- upside down next to the handle.  Under the floor cover is
> where you will find an ENORMOUS battery (12v, no exotic 48V system
> yet) way down in the bottom of the trunk.  The real fun, however, is
> a pyrotechnic disconnect on the positive side which disconnects power
> to the starter and alternator if the airbag control unit thinks the
> crash is bad enough to move the engine- and thus risk the starter or
> alternator positive terminals contacting bodywork and starting a
> fire.  Yes, power is maintained to locks, lights, windows, and
> necessary control units.  Different cables, ie no under-floor-Y like
> on the type 44.  On the negative side of the battery between the
> ground strap and the body is a large module which turned out to be
> exactly what I thought it was- a current sensing module.  The
> alternator is managed now by computer control- so the car presumably
> knows state of charge, not just battery voltage, and exactly how much
> power needs to be put into the system by the alternator.  Clever-
> laptops have had this kind of ability for a decade; it's about time
> cars did.  Oh, and guess what- the car uses 20-30 Amps just sitting
> there with the key in the ignition, engine/headlights/etc off.
> YIKES.  Alternator is 195 amps(!) and I would guess it's almost
> certainly water-cooled; it'd have to be at those power levels.
> 
>   After poking around we heard a loud clunk.  "What was that?"  "I
> dunno, but you're the one holding the cover up, I think it's your
> fault!" :), and we ran off to join everyone for food; Audi provided
> free sodas/coffee/tea etc, the club provided sandwich fixin's.
> 
> Peter Schulz commented that the whole car is loaded with explosive
> devices.  Two igniters per front airbag.  Two side airbags up front,
> optional in the rear for two more.  Pyro seatbelt tensioners.  Pyro
> battery disconnect.  Peter's point was that the number of parts that
> require special handling/shipping keeps going up up up...
> 
> Last goody of the evening was a ride in the prototype 3.2 FSI.  With
> four people, no luggage, mostly full tank- it was decently quick.
> 255hp and I think 244 ft-lb, I think?  One of the presenters said
> that the FSI was "noisy, you can hear the injection", but you could
> have fooled me; sounded fine, though I have admittedly not rode in
> many new Audis lately.  The prototype is reportedly getting around
> 28-29mpg on 'spirited' highway driving; the 4.2 gets more like 23-24.
> Both are decently impressive, though one does seriously wonder if
> they'd be much better without all the electronic dodads that require
> the 195A alternator...
> 
> As for the dynamic oil change functionality- there's a sensor in the
> oil pan which senses oil flow(or viscosity, sorry- I forgot) similar
> to how a mass airflow sensor works; a heater feedback loop.  Based on
> that and fancy figuring based on driving pattern, the ECU decides
> where between the min+max settings to pop up the change-my-oil light.
> US cars come coded with min+max set to the same value, so the oil
> change light comes on at the fixed interval.
> 
> All in all, a good evening, and thanks to Chris Miller for setting it
> up and making it happen; this is exactly why we wanted people like
> him on the national board.  Two things of note.  The presenter guys
> were very interested in whether we liked the evening, and everyone
> said they did; they're keen on doing more, but keeping them at a
> reasonable size, as that lets them do things like take people on
> rides and generally be more one-on-one with people, talk with them in
> small groups and so on.  So if you want to see more of these- talk
> with your ACNA board member (people like Chris), talk with your
> dealer, etc.  Having enthusiasts and club members writing in gives
> ammunition to support further events like this.
> 
>   Second, during the drive Scott mentioned we needed more
> stickshifts- and the response was that AoA staff in Michigan have
> been leaning heavily on Audi to bring more sticks into the country,
> but not much noise comes from customers, and stickshifts end up being
> hard to move, supposedly- so Audi says "you're not getting 'em"
> except in models where it's been proven they'll move.  And yes, a
> manual DOES have to be crash tested, emissions tested, etc separately
> from an automatic model; every drivetrain is considered different.
> So- if you want more manuals, you need to start writing letters to
> AoA so they can bang on the door in Germany and say "yes, we have
> people who want these cars, in numbers great enough to justify going
> through the expense of federalizing them".
> 
> Oh, and while you're at it, beat on the door of your congressman so
> they understand that Euro-NCAP testing is just as good if not better
> as the crash testing done in the states, same thing for emissions-
> it's time to get over this petty BS protecting the US auto industry
> and let european makers bring in cars more easily.
> 
> Phew.  That's all for tonight.  I have some photos I might post
> tomorrow(er, later today? :-)
> 
> Brett
> --
> "They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/
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