87 5ktq no start questions

[Iain Mannix <mannix@privatei.com>]

Hi all - I have an 87 5k turbo quattro that is behaving a little
strangely.  When stone cold, it will often start, idle at 1200rpm or
so - for about 3-5 minutes.  Then it quits and will not restart again
for 2-4 hours.

When it quits, it has no spark at the plugs, wires or coil wire.  It
*seems* as though there is a temperature related loss of spark - the
car does not even reach operating temperature, it is not getting that
hot(barely warm).  

I have replaced:

cap/rotor
plugs(Bosch triple electrode)
wires(OEM)

I have tested:

Ditributor - hall sender seems to be working on both distributors I
have to work with; both act in a similar fashion.

The coil is getting 12v with the key on.

The transistor driver module checks out OK according to the SJM
page(.622v when the car is cranking); "minimum" is 0.2v.

The ignition switch test - looking for 12v between pin 35 and 18
passes; 11.9v.  Also shows 11.9 beteen 35 and 9.

The timing belt is good; maybe a touch loose, but looks good/intact
teeth.  It is lined up correctly - motor at TDC #1, cam mark is in the
correct place, rotor is pointed at mark on distributor.
  
All grounds seem solid.

The connectors down on the bellhousing are good.

It has gas - a full tank.

Fuel pump relay is good; using a known "test" relay loaned to me by a
local shop.  Both FPRs "work," in that both will run the car for five
minutes every 6 hours;).

Loosening the connection on the outlet side of the fuel filter shows
that there is gas getting out of the filter.

Now, the "hmmm" things:

The car has been sitting for about a year.  Over that time, it had no
radiator - was in light front end collision.  As far as I can tell, there
are no broken wires - I took the old fenders off, put new ones on,
found all broken wires that I could - I do not believe it is a
broken/shorting wire.

There is occasionally an "old gas" smell.  I put a can of Techron into
it yesterday, as well as a gallon of fuel - last week,
a friend was driving it
back from the body shop for me(100 yards), it "ran out of gas."  He
put gas into it, up to 5 gallons, as he left the gas can(5g) in the
car, there was a little left - he probably put 2-4 into it.  I put 6
in it today, which filled it.  Probably half the gas in it is old.
However, over the past year, the car car has ben running here and
there, has not shown any odd tendencies.  I wanted to eliminate the
possibility of "no gas," and it has at least 8 gallons of fresh 91
octane.

There is a hard plastic vacuum line which connects to a vacuum switch
of sorts(check valve?) near the ABS sensor(line runs to the
wastegate - from wastegate, it goes rubber to check valve, which has
one rubber line, one hard plastic) - the hard plastic goes up, along
the raintray from the driver - passenger side, then makes a 90d turn
down at the coil - where it ends.  Nothing obvious for it to connect
to.  Does not seem to be creating a vacuum leak when it is cranking;
cannot hear a v-leak of that size while it is running.  It has run
like that for a while; I do not believe anyone took anything off the
car.

Engine code - followed the procedure on SJM's page, get 2113 - 

"Hall sender in distributor, distributor alignment, faulty
sender(which one?), mislocated sensor & distributor."

It is acting as though the computer is retarding the timing as it
warms up - the inevitable cutout can be avoided by adding
gas/depressing the accelerator, but engine speed does not increase
appreciably.  Advancing the timing does not get the car to
restart(turning dist. counter-clockwise).  

After it has run, there is a hissing noise coming from the distributor
- fuel going somewhere - and a similar noise can be heard on the
p-side near the rear wheel; bleeding pressure into the tank?

I'm stumped.  Two distributors, both seem good, both do the same
thing.  Two coils; original should be good, spare is of unknown
origin, but both do the same thing.  Wiring seems good.  No apparent
vacuum leak(blocking plastic hose does not affect things).  Firing
order is correct.  Tried two rotors.  Has appropriate voltage
everywhere SJM's page suggests checking.

Only constant - when it starts, it sounds _great_, for 2 minutes.
Then it starts to die.  Add throttle, it will run at 1500-2000rppm for
a few more minutes, then it dies and will not restart.  

I've moved the distributor back and forth - no luck.  I am pointing
the rotor at the mark; not aliging the leading or trailing edge of the
rotor with the mark.  

Thoughts?


Iain Mannix(I bought my 4ksq almost 3 years ago, it did the same thing
- threw a big fit for the first week, has run great since.....)