[s-cars] '95.5 'miss' issues

[Calvin & Diana Craig]

Paul,

The reason the miss goes away is because the "load" on the spark plug gap is
not as great.  In other words the more pressurized charge of air you have in
the cylinder the harder it is to get the spark plug to actually create the
arc and basically break down the charge of air.  The amount of voltage
required actually linearly increases with the gas density.  That is why with
less boost the coil pack still works.

It is really not that bad to swap out whole ignition "plates" if you will.
It is just 4 connectors (2 for positive wires and 2 for the negative sides)
near the firewall and probably clipping some wire ties.  Just be sure that
you get the connectors hooked back up correctly or else you will be firing
cylinders out of order.  If you go to replace coilpacks I highly recommend
photographing the plate with all the packs on it before disassembly for
later reference; as well as labeling wires as you clip/splice into them.
Each coil pack requires a little different length wire as well so just
measure twice and cut once for each coil pack.  It is a very conceptually
simple procedure but one in which it pays to be meticulous.

--Calvin


-----Original Message-----
From: Krasusky Paul (WQQ2PXK) [mailto:pkrasusky at ups.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 6:59 AM
To: Calvin & Diana Craig; s-car-list at audifans.com
Cc: kcquiros at hartfordfinancial.com
Subject: RE: [s-cars] '95.5 'miss' issues




Calvin-

Thanks.  We were going to swap covers with my car a while back and hope to
rule this out, but it looks to be a REAL PITA, whatwith the way the wires
are all routed through the cover channels and all, not to mention the
connectors.

Any tips on an easier swap than it appears?

We've yet to dump codes, hope to borrow local VAG-COM ASAP.

Thanks, keep the ideas flowing.  Still find it funny how the miss can seem
to "clear up" once you back off slightly...

-P Audi Gods stay away from my car K.



-----Original Message-----
From: Calvin & Diana Craig [mailto:calvinlc at earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 8:57 PM
To: Krasusky Paul (WQQ2PXK); s-car-list at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [s-cars] '95.5 'miss' issues

I'm going to go with coil packs again on this one too.  It is interesting to
me that a lot of people are all of a sudden starting to have problems with
these.  I think it may be that all of our cars are relatively the same age
as far as mileage, etc. and that we may be seeing the life expectancy of
these things hitting right about now.  A couple of years ago I don't
remember much talk about coil pack issues.
--Calvin


-----Original Message-----
From:  Krasusky Paul
Subject: [s-cars] '95.5 'miss' issues

Hoping the collective graymatter here might point y buddy Kevin in the right
direction.   His '95.5 developed a notable miss soon after installing MTM 1+
"type" ;-) software recently.  Here's what was done:

-chip ruled out after ECU swap

-new plugs, boots

-2 new coils

-new fuel filter

No boost gauge to diagnose psi levels.  Here's what it's doing:

Just had a better chance to drive it (read: open up and whomp).  Miss is
rather subtle, not like other misses I've felt.  Miss is throttle position
dependent, NOT rev dependent as I would have assumed.  Off the line in 1st,
it begins to miss right when it gets into the boost.  Same for 2nd & 3rd.

Here's the funny thing:  back off the throttle just a hair, the miss
disappears and the tach sails to redline nice and normal, pulling HARD,
repeatedly.  WTF?  That's good, I suppose, but weird.  4th & 5th this trick
works a bit less, but still helps.  Otherwise, the car drives fine around
town, idles fine, even cruising is great.  Just stay out of the boost, or
not in it too hard.

The miss is unlike my car needing new plugs and "kicking" under load / boost
in 5th, whereby you'd feel the kick through the drivetrain.  This is more a
slight "sputter".  And I'd think POS symptoms would be different.

Bueller?  Any insight of course appreciated.  Very frustrating!  Well, for
Kevin at least 8-).  Maybe this is Edweirdo Walsh's Avant's long lost soul
mate Sedan?  Ed, did YOU install Kevin's parts???

-Paul
CT
'95 //S6 not missing and CMG / LWFW installed next week whoo hooo...