she starts, she won't run - 1990 200QA

[urq]

... its a bit tough to know how long the engine runs after you release the 
ignition switch ... could that be the culprit?  Are you sure that it is a 
lack of fuelk that is causing the stall?

I know that you said that they looked for vacuum leaks ... does your car 
have the funky cast rubber piece down at the crankcase vent (down low toward 
the back of the engine on the spark plug side)?  That thing caused an 
immediate engine stall when it deteriorated and developed a big hole in the 
side.

If the car is starting at all I'm a bit skeptical about the fuel 
distributor.  What are they seeing for system and control pressure?  I had 
an obstruction in the return line to the fuel tank on my former Audi Fox GTI 
... turned out this allowed the engine to run for a short time until the 
backpressure built up and made the control pressure go through the roof.

Good luck!
Steve B
San Jose, CA (USA)


> Well, after 12 years of owning a type44, the love affair may be ending. 
> Our
> beloved 1990 200QA is seriously misbehaving. When cold, its starts
> immediately, and then just as quickly dies.
>
> I ran through the archived, and found a posting  from someone who had
> exactly the same problem. Turns out that someone was ME - about 8 years 
> ago.
> The problem then was a vacuum leak through the valve cover gasket.
>
> Unfortunately, not so easy this time. I rpeaced the gasket last year.  The
> car has been at an experienced Audi mechanic for three weeks. They have
> checekd all the sensors, all the pressures and all the control signals,
> found no vacuum leaks and they said they all  checked out nominally. What
> they told me is that there seems to be something in the fuel distribute 
> that
> is creating too lean a condition, but the only way to be sure was to 
> replace
> it. At which point I said stop. This all came on rather suddenly - the car
> started fine through the 8 winters an  all through the summer and fall. 
> But
> when it got below 30 (finally), then it started misbehaving.
>
> I am not really asking for advice hear, since I no longer have much time 
> to
> got out and fiddle with the car. I will check the valve cover gasket 
> again,
> since but short of that, I am stumped.