88 80q shutting off, work your magic.

[Jim Dupree]

My initial thought is the electrical portion of the  ignition switch. Common
failure item and often works agaun after turning key off and on.
jim
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Megan Bigelow" <megan at meganbigelow.com>
To: <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 10:25 PM
Subject: 88 80q shutting off, work your magic.


> Howdy! After spending $1200 at the mechanic for a new alternator,
> battery, timing belt job, and etc., I figured I could shove myself
> further into the national pastime of massive credit card debt by
> pursuing this problem my girl seems to have.
>
> It's the needle-in-haystack variety for you puzzle solvers out there.
> Or is it? I'm hoping this is a common ailment I'm unaware of, and
> someone will simply tell me to replace the hooseyhwatzit and tune the
> whatchamebob and all will be fine.
>
> Ok.
>
> I am having a problem with my dear old 88 80 quattro. We're driving
> along (or idling at a stoplight, since this happens at all motion and
> engine speeds) and suddenly my car shuts off.
>
> Nothing dramatic, no heroic sputtering or noises attempting to maintain
> the engine running, she just shuts off.
>
> If this happens at a stoplight, I know it is about to happen because
> the pitch (noise) of the fuel pump will increase for about a second
> before the engine cuts out (the sound is higher). Then the engine loses
> power quietly and the dash lights come on.
>
> If this happens while driving at 70 MPH, I know the car has shut off
> because I can feel it in the gas pedal, it clearly is doing nothing
> enginewise as I push on it. THe dash lights do not come on immediately,
> but after a few seconds they do. One solution I have found is to
> quickly flick the keys from the DRIVE position (as they were before
> engine cut out) to the OFF position and back to DRIVE again. The engine
> seems to recatch, but without the use of the START position (before the
> dash lights come on. If they are already on, I must use the START
> position to start the car normally (if starting your car while driving
> 70 mph can be described as normal--only here.)
>
> Sometimes, this happens rapid fire again and again (car turns off, I
> turn it on, car turns off, etc., I pound the dashboard, curse and
> mutter, then turn it back on.) Usually when this is the case the check
> engine light comes on. Tonight I pulled the codes and got a 2123 (full
> throttle switch closed or bad wiring) and a 2132 (a
> broken connection between the fuel and ignition computers). Great.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. What do these codes mean? Are they related to the shutting off
> problem?
>
> 2. Do you have any suggestions as to what to fix NEXT so I can have a
> car that does not shut off on the highway at 70 mph, in the city
> traffic, on the back open roads, or basically anywhere motor vehicles
> may traverse? :)
>
> 3. What happens when the WOT switch is bad or closed? What happens when
> it's open, for that matter?
>
> I replaced the ignition switch last summer, the fuel pump relay this
> past winter. The mechanic has replaced the coolant temperature switch
> at the bottom of the engine radiator hose (the pluggy one) and the ISV
> hoses (which were collapsing) this week, to no avail. I am using a
> general foreign repair shop right now that I don't want to trouble with
> a very specific problem on an old tired Audi. :)
>
> Any suggestions? I'll send cookies.
>
> Megan
>
> 1988 80q
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