[urq] intermittent ignition cutout, tach drops to zero

Tue Feb 15 19:11:52 EST 2005

Dead RPMs - classic symptom of coil drive failure.

Cheers, Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: urq-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] On
Behalf Of Ed Kellock
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 7:04 PM
To: Urq List
Subject: Re: [urq] intermittent ignition cutout, tach drops to zero

Actually, my tach needle does not bounce around.  It drops to zero and
stays there until the power to the ignition comes back.  I do not
believe this is fuel related in any way.  My recent work had to do
with vacuum leaks and I merely wondered if there could possibly be any
connection, an intersection point of some sort in a single device that
has both vacuum and power input/outputs... the frequency valve maybe?

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:49:51 -0700, Thatcher Hubbard
<thatcher.hubbard at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm I correct in the assumption that if the tach is bouncing around
> that it's not a fuel-related problem, e.g. the check valve or a
> clogged fuel filter?
> 
> The reason I ask is that this seems like a good excuse to rip out the
> CIS and go to SEFI.  I had planned on using the 034efi system that
> will do distributor-based ignition for now and going to coil-packs
> later.
> 
> But if this is an issue with power somewhere, an EFI conversion seems
> like it would make the problem harder to diagnose.  I guess I'll check
> all of my ECU connections and dash connections.
> 
> 
> On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 13:03:54 -0700, Ed Kellock <ekellock at gmail.com>
wrote:
> > LOL.  When I acquired mine, the glove box was in the trunk and the
ecu
> > was just hanging against the kick panel and partially resting on the
> > floor.  I finally remounted everything before they Park City urq
> > gathering.  I even still had the plastic cover off of the connector
> > plug from back when I was troubleshooting, pin by pin, the no-start
> > condition 2 years ago.  When I replaced the cover and then plugged
it
> > back into the ecu and clipped it down snug, the car would not start.
> > I had (have?) a flaky pin and had to remove the plug cover and make
> > sure the wires weren't streched or pinched and was finally able to
get
> > it back together and have the car actually run (bonus!).  I think it
> > may have been the pin/wire to the ignition module.  Aha! you say...
> > but I'm sitting here saying "but I didn't work in that area at all!"
> >
> > I guess I'm going back under the dash.  I know there had been issues
> > before I bought it because there were jumper wires run in different
> > places, from the fuse box to the coil, from the fuse box to
something
> > or other under the driver's side of the dash, from the ignition
module
> > to another wire on the ecu loom.  All since removed and everything
has
> > been fine.  And... I didn't work in that area at all!
> >
> > Irascible bitchcar from hell.
> >
> > Ed
> >
> >
> > On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 12:55:10 +0000, fdekat <fdekat at sentex.net>
wrote:
> > >
> > > I too had such a similar problem on my '83 urq.
> > >
> > > I've not really 'solved' the problem, but have managed to make the
symptoms
> > > go away.
> > >
> > > I would get the same tach action, or sometimes it would bounce all
over the
> > > place. And if the 'event' happened under good boost, I'd get a
most
> > > spectacular loud 'BANG' out the rear. Sort of fun, the first few
times. Gets
> > > pretty tired after a while.
> > >
> > > Anyway, if it didn't fix itself, it could be cured by a key off/on
cycle
> > > (even 'on the fly' on the highway).
> > >
> > > Eventually, it started to happen when hitting good bumps, and I
could
> > > 'simulate' the condition by beating on the right end of the dash.
I've
> > > 'fixed' it by mounting the ECU back onto the glovebox end, as it
was intended
> > > to be.
> > >
> > > (When I got the car, the ecu was sort of hanging on the end of a
tiewrap, up
> > > behind the glovebox.)
> > >
> > > I was convinced that it was a flaky connection, but no amount of
prodding at
> > > the ECU connector, or moving it around could reproduce the fault.
I'm
> > > thinking that perhaps something on the ECU itself is the problem,
but have
> > > not really pursued the issue further, as it 'seems' to be ok now.
> > >
> > > (OK. So I'm an optimist! Who am I really fooling? The Audi gods
will strike
> > > when they see fit!)
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > >  =Frank de Kat=
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> > >
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> >
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