Audi just shuts off

[suffolkd at aol.com]

Sure the distributor is okay?

- Scott
> 
> Message: 9
> Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:24:19 -0400
> From: Marc Boucher <mboucher70 at hotmail.com>
> To: <quattro at audifans.com>
> Subject: Audi just shuts off no warning while driving and won't
>    restart. First  time ever, in 11 years
> 
> 
> Last night my Audi just shut off, no warning, while driving.  In 11 years, this is the first time its ever done that.  Its never even run rough.
> 
> I wasn't able to restart it, in fact it didn't even kick as thought it was attempting to start.
> 
> I was going about 50 miles per hour.  It wasn't particularly hot and it had been running perfectly until that moment.
> 
> I tried to discern if the problem was electrical or fuel.  In about an hour worth of cranking, (on and off of course so as to preserve the battery), it only barely kicked over once for 1/2 a second.  That 1/2 second led me to believe that it must be fuel related.  That tied to the fact that there was no smell of gas after a lot of cranking.
> 
> Then again, the fuel pump (and filter) had been changed about 7000 miles ago.  And when the pump failed, it was kind of puttering, and would restart and run for short times.
> 
> I was far from my regular Audi garage so I had it towed to a CAA garage (equivalent of the AAA).  They later called and left a message saying that its the "Ignition Booster".  So they will call the Audi dealer on Monday, ask for a price for this part, and get back to me.
> 
> I googled "Ignition Booster" and I believe what they're talking about is generally referred to as the "Ignition Amplifier".
> 
> This morning I called a local store that sells parts for European cars at a cost far less than the dealer.   He refers to the part as the "Ignition Transition Unit" which looks like a plug, which looks like what I saw online under "Ignition Amplifier".
> 
> Car is an Audi 100, 1990, NF engine, non-quattro, non-turbo.
> 
> Here is the sequence of events:  One moment car is driving normally at 50 mph, then we hear what sounds like a backfire, at that same moment, car starts to lose power, yellow check engine light goes on, and about 1 second later the tachometer drops to zero, and we coast to a stop.
> 
> I need to make a decision as to whether I let this garage start changing out parts, or bite the bullit and get it toed for probably $200 to my usual Audi garage.
> 
> This my question is, does this sound like a probable cause (Ignition Amplifier/booster/transition unit) ?  The guy at the parts store was skeptical because he says that its just not an item that they see fail.  But I checked back with the garage and according to the receptionist, the mechanic noted that there's no spark.
> 
> Your best guess, based on your prior experiences would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> MC