So... my Audi just went dead...

[Tomas Gardström (ECS) <tomas.gardstrom@ecs.ericsson.se>]

Hi all,
I was out driving this Saturday and suddenly my Audi just went dead during
downshift. I managed to get it running again by releasing the clutch but at
the red lights, about 200m further, it stopped again. This time I got it
started using the starter, just to se the car go completely dead in another
couple of hundred meters. As this scenario is exactly what I don't want to
happen, just before the same drive this day I had replaced the distributor
and rotor as a maintenance precaution. So I figured something was bad with
the installation or with the new parts and I started to check it/them again
at the roadside. I didn't get the car started again so eventually I got the
car towed home. The car is an Audi 100cc -87 with 2.2l HX engine.

Well in the garage I investigated the ignition system and I didn't find
anything suspect. I even connected my strobe light and activated the starter
and the strobe light flashed with a regular pulse on all five cylinders. I
assume that this gives that the ignition system is working.

When pulling the spark plugs after a lot of unsuccessful start attempts, I
didn't smell so much fuel as I think should be normal, and the plugs seemed
rather dry. Does this point out a fuel supply problem? (I think
so...right/wrong?)

Thinking it was a fuel supply problem I bridged the fuel pump relay and
listened to the fuel pump roaring. It didn't sound well but every time I
started it I heard a distinct "click" somewhere in the engine compartment
that I suggest is some kind of pressure regulator sounding, right/wrong?
After the "click" the fuel pump sound changed a little. Anyway, I think that
the fuel pump works OK, but what is the best way of assuring this?

My next approach was to remove the air duct and check the air flow sensor
plate in the air cone. As this was the first time I checked this out ("Don't
fix it if it ain't broke" philosophy) there were some dirt in there and I
wiped it clean and centralised the sensor plate as described in the Haynes
manual (I don't have a Bentley, and I have never seen one here in Sweden).
When raising and lowering the air sensor plate, I felt some resistance in
the upward movement. I had to take a firm grip of the nut to raise the plate
without slipping. The plate could be moved downward easily, but the plate
didn't come to the proper rest position every time. What gives? Is the
control plunger in the fuel distributor sticking? The Haynes manual states
"If the sensor plate ... has a strong resistance to upward movement, the
control plunger is sticking". What is "strong" in this sentence? Shall the
resistance in upward and downward movement be approximately the same?

Assuming the problem is that the control plunger is sticking, any BTDT:s?

Thanks in advance,
/Tomas Gardström