[V8] 2002 A6 Quattro V8 4.2L. Starting problem

[Kent McLean]

John Zofchak wrote:

Congrats one the new ride.

> I live very in a very remote area and need better reliability than this.

Oh. An 11-year-old Audi would not be my first choice for reliability. 
But it seems you have the culprits dialed in, so here goes...

> I have purchased new Davico Catalytic converters, N 80 valve, O2 sensor.
> Also got Irridium plugs, A Vortex generator, A K&N air filter.
> Was wondering if doing the converters is a DIY job or best left to the
> pro's?

Are the converters OEM plug-and-play? Or are they generic items that 
need to have flanges welding on the fit into the Audi exhaust?  If the 
former, you should be able to bolt-it-up. If the later, find a good 
welder, as most shops won't be happy with you bringing in your own parts.

The V8 is a tight fit in an engine bay meant for a v6, so you may have a 
challenge with even simple tasks.  IIRC, your V8 has 4 O2 sensors; you 
may find yourself replace all 4 before you are through.  There are 
instructions on the web for using a cheap Ford Mustang 02 sensor, and 
either splicing a Ford sensor connector in place of the Audi one so the 
Ford 02 sensor plugs right in, or replace the connector on the end of 
the 02 sensor so it plugs into the Audi connect.

Good luck.  I really enjoyed the test drive I took a few years ago, but 
reliability issues and parts costs turned me off.

--
Kent McLean
'02 VW Beetle TDI, and lot of former Audis, including Bad Puppy