[urq] intermittent ignition cutout, tach drops to zero

Tue Feb 15 19:39:32 EST 2005

That sounds very definitive, which is good, but I'm not sure what it
means exactly.  Bad coil?  Loss of trigger signal, power, or other
input to coil?

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 19:10:06 -0500, Michael Hopton
<Michael at siliconoptix.com> wrote:
> 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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