HELP! CAR SHUDDERING....!!

Clach

Clach

A3 - 1.8Ts
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Hi Folks,

Not sure what is going on, my 1.8T started juddering and shaking as I was sitting at some traffic lights. I took it slowly home, but the car was losing power and juddering all the way...I tried restarting it, but it simply judders under idle..I am also sure that I could smell burning rubber as I stepped out of thE car. No obvious smell of rubber or oil under the bonnet following close inspection....

In layman terms, how do I check the coilpacks? or could it be something else. I suppose another big repair bill!!!

Thanks folks, I hate when stuff like this happens..:sadlike:
 
Sounds to me like another commen coil pack failure......only way to tell which 1 or 1's is it is to link to car to vag com.

Or buy a coil pack hoping its only 1 thats gone and simply do a process of illimination. Very easy job to do yourself aswell.

also do you have any fault light on the dash???
 
engine light should come on if coilpack/s gone
good luck I hope its something minor...you got fuel innit? :eyebrows:
 
Feels like it...No obvious excessive movement in the engine.

Read through some threads could be the coilpack? Audi Reading cannot look at it until Tuesday of next week!!! A hire car, possible tow if AA Roadside relay won't do it, and the actual Audi fees is going to cost a mint!!! For a possible coilpack failure!!! I hate stuff like this....Sorry for grumbling..
 
No engine management light at all...The rev's are not unusual, the car just shakes and judders, especially when I touch the accelerator!
 
No it's constant....under idle, and worse with the foot on the acc.

No engine management light is concerning...!!:crying:
 
The EML should come on once you hit 30mph or more. Its worth buying a coilpack and fitting it yourself if that is the problem.
 
Dont let audi near it.

The shuddering is more than likely because your car is running on 3 cylinders, does it sounda bit subaru-ish too?

Take the engine cover off, and look at the two green plugs either side of the head near the coilpacks, spark plugs and HT leads, make sure they're both pushed in.

If they are then turn the car off, and remove a coil pack from the end, start and check if the car's worse or the same.

Do this, moving in a coil pack each time until you find the culprit.

If it's not the coil packs, then pass but i'd be surprised
 
I would ease my worry (i think!) if the EML came on, but no! I live in the country so no access to Audi dealer, one car family and all that. I suppose I will have to AA it in the morning and hope they can tow it to Audi....

Any advice on that, or this impending financial worry is most welcome..

Cheers
 
I am all fingers and thunbs with that stuff. It sounds simple enough, any additional (and simple advice for a non-mechanic mind) is most welcome.....
 
does it sounda bit subaru-ish too?

No subaru type noise either... (as you suggested)
 
There's nothign really to it, the engine cover is a few nuts to unscrew, possibly an 11mm socket but i cant remember i keep mine off as my car is 'unique' and iconstantly need to look at it lol

Not trying to sound patronising but just so you know what's what:

Coilpacks sit at the top, and you'll see a kind of black square - some need to be unscrewed, some just get levered out with a screwdriver. They'll be quite firmly in there.

Towards the front of the coilpacks you'll see 4 leads, the two green injector plugs are either side of these 4 leads(they might not be green on your model but the plugs will be obvious, square connectors)

That should give you enough to check em matey
 
Dont panic dude, I bricked it when I had my first coilpack problem but a quick trip down to the dealer and I picked a new one up for around £33. Follow Rodenal instructions and you cant go wrong. Honestly you can replace it yourself, dont let the dealer bend you over and charge you for the privledge...

AA should be able to diagnose it for you and if your v-lucky they may even carry a spare coilpack.
 
both RAC and AA carry coilpacks, and if they dont have one, they'll go to the dealer to get one.

They should fit it also as part of your cover - you should only be charged for parts.

The problem may be more down to your cars location and your cover. If your car's at home, you need home-start, or else they wont even bother.
 
Without a doubt thats coil-packs happeend on my car a while back.

It sounds like a scooby too!

Change the coil-packs matey!

Jason
 
***UPDATE***

The coilpacks were texted and changed from a reputable local garage. Did not make any difference! The disagnostic test showed various problems with Fuel injectors, MAF etc...However, and this is the important bit, no engine management light appeared. He reckons that it is either the injector, but most likely a problem with the ECM unit. In which case he told me to go to Audi as they were the ones who have the tools to fix this type of problem in the area (re-progam etc).

He was so sure it was the ECM that he never charged me, He unplugged the third injector that seemed to be part of the problem and I chugged the few miles to Audi. These Audi guys are obnoxious idiots, but that is another story...bascially a new computer is going to cost a mint...and Audi can't look at it at least until next week wed-thu.

I am bricking it!!! My first Audi, and it is costing me a ton! :bye:
 
when was the fuel filter last changed?

also, it might be the fuel pump on its way
 
Possibly mate....I hope that is all it is!

Still no engine management light on, however, and fault code was all over the place...fuel injector, MAF Sensor, etc and the guy indicated a defo problem with the third fuel injector:think:
 
Another hopeful possibility!

"""If it's still got a separate ignition amplifier on a '00, then it must be an AGU engine - all the other nine [yes; nine on that year alone!] versions of the A3 1.8T had direct fired coilpacks. That could be very, very, significant - one of the reasons I'm always bothering people for VAG engine codes.

Ignition amplifier failure on one cylinder is very common on these; scoping it's four outputs soon shows the duff transistor. As it's output is not monitored from the ECU, they never post a coil code - and a misfire code only sometimes.""""

Hopefully that's all it is - although those amplifiers are not cheap from the dealers
 
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