200QA suddenly no start, no spark - Solved!!!

[David Michael]

Hi Ben

The two 6mm screws were tight when I removed the old coil.....

I agree that everything should be working - but it now runs, and runs well.
To  fix the AC, both LHS window lifts, rebuild the brake proportioning
valve, and replace the hood latch cable are all things I can do. But I would
rather go bike riding with my 5 year old son or skiing with my 11 year old
daughter. I have too many cars as it is, and somethin's gotta go.  It's with
a heavy heart that I say the old girl has to go, but my time is getting too
scarce, and I am not inclined to pay anyone to do the work....So I am
selling not because I want to make money or even break even. I just need to
stop working on it.....

It's got a SM chip, makes  full 1.8 bar boost in a snap, has full relayed
Euro lights, has the cargo cover, working parking brake,  etc etc. It is
well maintained, but it's a type44 after all....
I am the 2nd owner and have owned it for 12 years. But enough I guess is
enough...

Sigh

Dave




On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 4:56 PM, Ben Swann <benswann at verizon.net> wrote:

>  David,
>
> You do need to have the coil well grounded - the transistor is a heat sink
> and that is why it is connected to the firewall like that.  Probably the
> reason for premature failure is that it was not secured to the firewall.
>
> Having the car together with everything working makes it far more valuable
> than having all the little things needing repair.   Usually the cars are
> worth more to keep and drive than you will ever get out money-wise.
>
> Ben
>
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* David Michael [mailto:adavidmichael at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, March 22, 2010 1:26 PM
> *To:* Quattro List
> *Cc:* Ben Swann; psdooley at verizon.net; 200q20v at audifans.com;
> audi at humanspeakers.com; kentmclean at comcast.net; bob at chips-ur-s.com;
> cobram at juno.com
> *Subject:* Re: 200QA suddenly no start, no spark - Solved!!!
>
>   At lunch time I checked that the b+ (track 15) was 12V and it was. So
> then I temporarily hooked up my old coil (one connector, high tension lead
> and a ground clip) and the car fired right up.
>
> "course when I went to install the old coil more permanently, I totally
> forgot that the nuts on the back side of the firewall (in the plenum) are
> NOT captive, and they fell off and rolled under the blower. Fortunately we
> have a metric screw cabinet at work..
>
> While I can't be sure its the actual cause I suspect that, as a few folks
> had postulated (along with Scott M's website), the transistor triggering
> unit went bad. Ironically, it's a new unit I installed prophylactically
> about 4k miles ago. Infant mortality.....
>
> BUT, I this is the last straw. It's time for her to go. I no longer have
> time to keep up. Car runs like a freight train, but needs some peripheral
> work (window lifts, A/C, etc) and I no longer have time and don't want to
> spend the money. Anyone have any idea what a 200QA with 235k that is running
> extremely well but needs work is worth?
>
> Thanks again to everyone for your help with this, and many other
> problems.....
>
> Dave
>
>
>
> On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 8:14 AM, David Michael <adavidmichael at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Thanks for all your suggestions. Based on what you all have said, I need
>> to back the diagnosis up a step and 1st make sure the coils is powered.
>> SJM's website suggests that it if the ignition switch can fail and stop
>> powering the ignition circuit of the ECU.
>>
>> In any case, I will check 12V and use my LED tester to verify that the ECU
>> is sending coil triggering pulses to the coil. Though it will have to wait
>> till Monday - car is still sitting in the parking lot at work
>>
>> Folks on this list are great. Only way I could have gotten to 230k....
>>
>> Dave
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 3:17 AM, Huw Powell <audi at humanspeakers.com>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If what you mean is the coils don't fail that much, but the POS
>>>> (transistor) does, then
>>>> that is correct. The problem is probably not the coil itself, but the
>>>> Darlington
>>>> Transistor that is mounted on the coil, but generally the assembly is
>>>> referred to a the
>>>> coil by most
>>>>
>>>
>>> The transistor failing is not the coil failing. Coils are incredibly
>>> simple. Measure both sides. Good? then good. I'm running an old audi coil on
>>> my '57 Trojan loadster. Made homemade ballast resistor. Works great.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Huw Powell
>>>
>>> http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi
>>>
>>> http://www.humanthoughts.org/
>>>
>>
>>
>