Car started to miss, now won't start

[Evan Parker]

I'm still banking on faulty fuel pump ;)


-----Original Message-----
From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com on behalf of Mike Arman
Sent: Fri 11/4/2005 7:44 PM
Cc: Teresa, F.; quattro at audifans.com
Subject: Car started to miss, now won't start
 
>
>
>"Teresa, F." <teresafloydtf at adelphia.net>
>Subject: RE: Car started to miss, now won't start
>To: <quattro at audifans.com>
>Message-ID: <02ba01c5e0bf$4d697760$c7f03218 at CrazyRalphFilms>
>Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
>
>Hi all,
>
>Bright and early the tow truck arrived to take my car to the garage.  I
>didn't even get a chance to check for spark.  I did try to listen to the
>fuel pump and couldn't hear anything but then again, my hearing isn't
>the best.  
>
>When the tow truck driver tried to start it he said "it sounds like the
>starter".  So okay, not a huge deal.
>  
>

Error #1 - the tow truck driver isn't a mechanic - and he *certainly* 
isn't an Audi mechanic. If he knew anything, he'd be fixing the cars, 
not just dragging them in for minimum wage. His opinion is probably 
worthless, even if he thinks he is trying to help.


>This afternoon the garage calls.  The guy who usually handles my car was
>out injured(didn't know that ahead of time)and the guy who was there
>isn't nearly as experienced.  He said he did a compression test and
>there is no pressure and because of that, he feels the timing belt
>jumped or broke.  The timing belt has about 30K on it.
>
>  
>
Error #2 - the inexperienced mechanic's opinion has about the same value 
as the tow truck driver's. He has no clue what he is looking for. If the 
engine won't crank, there won't be any compression - period. If it *is* 
the timing belt (which, from your description, it isn't), he just made a 
lucky guess, nothing more.


>I've had a timing belt go out before and when it happened, my car died
>fast and hard.  This just didn't seem the same.  Going to work yesterday
>morning my car started to miss.  I've had no problems with this
>previously.  I pulled to the side of the road for a minute or two to let
>traffic pass and then it cleared up.  After work it started up fine and
>I drove about 2.5 miles and when rounding a curve it started to miss
>again.  I pulled off and waited a minute and it cleared up.  I came
>home, turned off the car and went inside.  About 1.5 hours later I went
>to drive in town and it wouldn't start. 
>
>  
>
If it was the timing belt, it would stop cold, dead, period, and not 
even cough when you tried to start it - and it would never re-start and 
run a little more.

>I'm going to have the car taken to a new garage to have it checked out.
>I'm just lost as to what this could be.  If it is the timing belt, I'm
>probably screwed and will be in the market for a new(new to me,
>haha)car.  Or maybe I'll just jump off a bridge.  It would be less
>painful.
>
>  
>

Find a mechanic who knows something about Audis. Any car has to have 
fuel, spark and compression to run. Try starting it up, and then pull a 
few spark plugs - see if they are wet with gas or dry. See if you have a 
spark. Find someone to crank the engine while you put your finger over 
the spark plug hole - if it blows your finger off the hole, you have 
compression and the timing belt is good.

Most incompetent mechanics fix things with the shotgun approach - they 
just change parts until the car runs again, and they always seem to 
start with the most expensive parts - it is "always" the ECU or 
something like that. When that doesn't work, they make another guess - 
and you pay for each and every one of their wrong guesses.

I'd look for water in the gas, a bad fuel pump relay or possibly a fuel 
pump, or perhaps a bad load reduction relay.

If the engine cranks, that clears the battery and starter - the idea 
behind listening for the fuel pump is that you can hear it running - if 
it is dead silent, check the pump relay first, then the pump itself - 
they do die . . .

Don't go jumping off bridges just yet . . .




>Thanks again,
>
>Floyd
>

Best Regards,

Mike Arman
90 V8Q
It isn't a car, its an ADVENTURE!

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