Santa Claus ?

66Beetle

A2OC Donor
Is the fabled " local member with a VCDS Scanner " just a myth ? Or does he, or she, only turn up once a year like Father Christmas ?

Someone we would really like to believe in but we all know really is not out there at all.

I've been waiting for them to turn up and find out why my Engine keeps Cutting Out since April !

RAC and local VAG Independent cannot diagnose any fault so I supose " local member with VCDS Scanner " would not be able to fix it anyway, even if they existed !
 
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Well. I'm not that local to you but I do have full VAG COM. Considering I have the same issue as you and my car is still under diagnosis I'll let you draw your own conclusion as to whether or not it makes sense to scan it However if you fancy a trip to Edinburgh and a chat i would be more than happy to scan your car and provide some T and biscuits
 
Thank you for the offer mrbroons. You're right 170 Miles and back is not very local. We do take the A2 and A6 60 Miles to Carlisle for Servicing at Harpers Cumbria though. Like the RAC they cannot diagnose the A2 either, as there are no faults recorded.

We will not be up your way until end of October on our way to Cairngorm and back a week later. That trip will be in the A6 though. I may have some parts to collect for my '72 VW Type 3 from Ratho Station on that trip. Rhod Grubb is looking through the John Forbes Automotive Parts collection for me.
 
what is it, a petrol?

If there's nothing in the errors, then it's the cam sensor at the back of the engine..... everything cuts out and restarts, no intervention needed, and the rev counter will hit zero before bouncing back.... there will only be errors listed until you turn the engine off.

- Bret
 
That is exactly the problem. Have you had this before? We have replaced the crankshaft sensor but not the camshaft sensor.
 
wait, what?

There are two sensors - I've posted in the other thread - one is at the top of the engine and the other is at the back, over the top of the gearbox. I believe the cam is the one at the top and the crank is the one at the bottom.

Numbers: 036 907 601 E vs 030 957 147 H or so. Which one was replaced? I'm on my third 030957147, it's now an index I, I believe.

- Bret
 
I have fitted a new Crankshaft Sensor and a new Camshaft Sensor. Made no difference. I have put stuff back on the other thread " Engine Cutting Out " in Diagnostics. Cleaned and greased the main Earth behind the Left Headlamp, and the one on top of the Cambox Cover. Tried taking interior trim off to get to the ones at the bottom of the A Pillars but bits started breaking. No idea how to remove any of that trim without breaking it. The VARTA Battery is the one my A2 left the factory with in 2003. Never let me down. Always full of life even at - 18 C. I thought the Battery was out of the system when the engine is running. The Alternator is going all the work then. You could take the Battery off once the engine was running on older cars, or start them with the Starting Handle with a totally flat Battery. If anyone could definitively tell me a new Battery would fix it then I would buy one straight away though ! Remember all this only started when the RAC Breakdown man fitted a new Ignition Coil to Number 4 Cylinder. The Engine had never cut out before that in 100,000 Miles !
 
Battery has to act as a buffer when the system is running. We have seen issues where low voltage causes inconsistent issues.

Did you already re-replace the coil with an original one? It's quite possible it's throwing electrical interference back into the electrical system. I have heard a case where a cheap chinese headlamp screwed a complete car's electrical system up. They found it very hard to believe, too, but replacing it fixed the issue in that case.

The A-Pillar trim at the bottom is tucked in behind the carpet and is keyed in at the B-pillar base to that plastic. You will not break anything as long as it's above 20C or so. You *must* get behind there, preferably to the passenger side, as that is the earth for the engine ECU and the CCCU, and that's your immobilisier and control unit for everything.

- Bret
 
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Bret, apologies I called you Bert !

Number 4 Cylinder Ignition Coil fitted by the RAC is a Genuine Audi / VAG Part.

The full story, if you go back to the beginning of " Engine Cutting Out " in Diagnostics, was the Engine started running on only 3 Cylinders as I arrived at work for a Saturday Night Shift on April 9th. Called RAC as I needed A2 to get me home in the morning. RAC sent a sub contract Breakdown Service. They diagnosed Number 4 Cylinder. Ignition Coil. Fitted a Coil. All seemed OK. A2 got me home. Mrs went out in A2 In the morning after I had gone to sleep.. Started only running on 3 Cylinders again. Got a real RAC man out next. He diagnosed Number 4 Cylinder Ignition Coil to be the fault. Took it out and found it was not a new Coil that the sub contract breakdown service had fitted but a used one. Real RAC man fitted a Genuine Audi / VAG Ignition Coil to Number 4 Cylinder. Engine has been cutting out repeatedly whilst driving ever since. Got a Real RAC man out again. Found no fault. Trusted independent VAG Garage who Service my A2, previous A6 and current 2014 A6 can not find any fault !
 
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im loaning a engine harness to another member who needed a ECU and key set as his was supposidly fried so Audi told him, just incase theres a bigger issue hes taking the loom too, your more than welcome to have it sent to you instead of back to me if he does not need it, just incase its a wiring issue youv got, it takes about 1.5 hours to swap id imagine as runs from the ECU under the floor pan and wires up to everything on the engine.

Regards Gary
 
Bert, the Number 4 Cylinder Ignition Coil fitted by the RAC is a Genuine Audi / VAG Part.

The full story, if you go back to the beginning of " Engine Cutting Out " in Diagnostics, was the Engine started running on only 3 Cylinders as I arrived at work for a Saturday Night Shift on April 9th. Called RAC as I needed A2 to get me home in the morning. RAC sent a sub contract Breakdown Service. They diagnosed Number 4 Cylinder. Ignition Coil. Fitted a Coil. All seemed OK. A2 got me home. Mrs went out in A2 In the morning after I had gone to sleep.. Started only running on 3 Cylinders again. Got a real RAC man out next. He diagnosed Number 4 Cylinder Ignition Coil to be the fault. Took it out and found it was not a new Coil that the sub contract breakdown service had fitted but a used one. Real RAC man fitted a Genuine Audi / VAG Ignition Coil to Number 4 Cylinder. Engine has been cutting out repeatedly whilst driving ever since. Got a Real RAC man out again. Found no fault. Trusted independent VAG Garage who Service my A2, previous A6 and current 2014 A6 can not find any fault !

Id go for swapping the plugs and see if that does the trick first , My Gsxr regularly burns one out every 2 or 3 thousand miles and starts as an intermittent miss fire
 
Jigsaw, never had any intermittant misfire. The Engine just Cuts Out dead but re starts instantly, except for the times when it seems to have stopped but if I turn the key to off and back on the engine is obviously still running. I always try off and back on first before trying to re start as it does not like me trying to start it when the engine is still running. If when I turn the key back to on there are no Revs indicated then I can re start it.

Thank you for the offer of the Wiring Loom etc but I do not have the skills to do that I do not think.

Will try what Bret, and a lot of others have said I MUST do then see what happens.

GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT DID NOT CUT OUT AT ALL TODAY ! That was on the normal commute to work and home again this evening, with nothing changed on the A2. It's just totally random and unpredictable !

Regards,

Steve
 
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I got my car back to check what Bret has suggested also. Was going well then cut out standing still, then went all the way home without issue then after fuelling up did it within 2 mins. No further forward but lots more to check.
 
Are there any common operating conditions when the shutdown happens. EG is the car accelerating, or on the over-run with foot off the accelerator

Cheers Spike
 
Usually accelerating. It switches off at idle if left long enough also however but seldom does so whilst actually driving.
 
SPIKE. Not with mine. Totally random and unpredictable. Has cut out the middle lane of the Motorway passing 2 Artics at high speed. Slowing Down to join a roundabout at very low speed less than 30 or maybe even less than 20 mph. Starting from stationary on to an A road, halfway across the A road. Up hill, down hill. Anywhere, any speed, any direction.

Harper's left it ticking over in their workshop during investigation. It cut out after 90 minutes and then again some time later, 20 or 30 minutes I think. NO FAULTS recorded though. Only cut out once on me on tickover. Started it, drove 10 metres to front gate. Cut out while I was opening the gate. That was only the once on tickover for me though. About to drive to Manchester Airport in the A6 now. At least that will be enjoyable - 2014 A6 Avant S Line Bkack Edition.
 
Hi 66beetle and mrbroons.

Bang goes the theory - A very long shot but thought it may be possible for the cam and crank sensors to provide conflicting info to the ECU if there was a lot of slack in the cambelt. I'd expect it could only happen under accel or decal but never at idle.

This was based on reported issues where the cambelt had been replaced 'one tooth out' and the engine would not start until the camshaft sensor was unplugged. For info the engine runs fine without the cam sensor but may take a few extra revs to fire up.

Cheers Spike
 
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