Vibration @ Idle and speed, help, stranded 4 states away from home. Colorado?
06-12-2009, 06:43 PM
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Vibration @ Idle and speed, help, stranded 4 states away from home. Colorado?
First off, are any of you located in or near Colorado? I was driving my S6 through the rockies yesterday, and it was bliss. Pure bliss. Today, I had to go down some unpaved gravely washboard roads, and then parked it. It was still running fine. Then, I descended black canyon (1800ft) and came back up, and drove off. Again, washboard roads.
Now... my car idles kind of rough, and seems to lack power. It's almost like it's running on four cylinders... when I put it into nuetral and coast at high speeds, it's smooth again. Is this a dreaded coilpack issue?
Let me know, I'll be checking this thread out very VERY often, as I'm currently stranded at a Best Western in Delta, CO. It does drive... I just don't like driving it like this. It can't be good for it.
Now... my car idles kind of rough, and seems to lack power. It's almost like it's running on four cylinders... when I put it into nuetral and coast at high speeds, it's smooth again. Is this a dreaded coilpack issue?
Let me know, I'll be checking this thread out very VERY often, as I'm currently stranded at a Best Western in Delta, CO. It does drive... I just don't like driving it like this. It can't be good for it.
06-12-2009, 06:58 PM
#3
AudiWorld Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Could be a coil starting to fail, but if you are running stock coils it could also be the wiring to a
coil is brittle and cracked and allow it to arc to the cover (ground).
Although you probably have no spare parts and limited tools you should be able to purchase an
allen wrench and electrical tape easily. I'd recommend you start by removing the coil cover and
carefully examining all of the wiring, if you find a crack wrap it with electrical tape to keep it from arcing.
HTH
Chris
coil is brittle and cracked and allow it to arc to the cover (ground).
Although you probably have no spare parts and limited tools you should be able to purchase an
allen wrench and electrical tape easily. I'd recommend you start by removing the coil cover and
carefully examining all of the wiring, if you find a crack wrap it with electrical tape to keep it from arcing.
HTH
Chris
06-12-2009, 07:09 PM
#4
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks and gorgeous S6 pictures in Colorado
Could be a coil starting to fail, but if you are running stock coils it could also be the wiring to a
coil is brittle and cracked and allow it to arc to the cover (ground).
Although you probably have no spare parts and limited tools you should be able to purchase an
allen wrench and electrical tape easily. I'd recommend you start by removing the coil cover and
carefully examining all of the wiring, if you find a crack wrap it with electrical tape to keep it from arcing.
HTH
Chris
coil is brittle and cracked and allow it to arc to the cover (ground).
Although you probably have no spare parts and limited tools you should be able to purchase an
allen wrench and electrical tape easily. I'd recommend you start by removing the coil cover and
carefully examining all of the wiring, if you find a crack wrap it with electrical tape to keep it from arcing.
HTH
Chris
I have a ton more. Will post tehm when I get home, IF I get home. I almost died today in black canyon. No ****. :|
06-13-2009, 02:55 AM
#6
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Since it is occurring both at idle and at speed, I would suggest it is more likely to be a POS.
If it hasn't been already used, you can swap the connections around and use that spare channel.
It can definitely be done in the field too. I had to do it last year when we were going to Portland, Maine for some Black Friday shopping. Had the laptop out (to read the procedure again) and made the swap under a light post in the parking lot of the Augusta Fairfield Inn. Good times.
If it hasn't been already used, you can swap the connections around and use that spare channel.
It can definitely be done in the field too. I had to do it last year when we were going to Portland, Maine for some Black Friday shopping. Had the laptop out (to read the procedure again) and made the swap under a light post in the parking lot of the Augusta Fairfield Inn. Good times.
06-13-2009, 03:35 AM
#7
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
By disconnecting your injectors, one at a time, at idle, isolate the bad cylinder, and don,t reconnect it. That way, you can still drive your car, but it won,t throw gas in the cylinder each cycle. HTH. good luck.
Trending Topics
06-13-2009, 03:38 PM
#8
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Winter Park, CO.
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you have either coil issues or a POS problem, I have some spares I'd be happy to get to you next day. I live in Winter Park, about 6 hours from you.
The wiring or POS sounds likely to be the culprit, however check connections all over the engine compartment, as washboard roads (everywhere out here) are real hell on all cars, let alone older cars.
The wiring or POS sounds likely to be the culprit, however check connections all over the engine compartment, as washboard roads (everywhere out here) are real hell on all cars, let alone older cars.
06-13-2009, 08:33 PM
#9
AudiWorld Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,638
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
POSs or Coils.:
If it's from the POSs.you need to identify first which cylinder have the bad misfiring.the # 1,2,3 from the first POS.#4&5 the second POSs.You can
have a look on the wiring 4wires is for Cyl # 1 2 3 and another 3 wires is for Cyl # 4 5.Get some small hammer or anythings that could be knocked on the POSs.leave the car idle and try mildly knock on the POSs.If the misfiring has been changed as your knocking.It's the POSs.Get swapping to the spared Channel.
Normally,if the coils are just "getting bad".the idle is fine.the symptom will come out only "under high boost" condition.
I noted that the stock coils will have some small cracks on the housing.As the coils were located under the cover with the heat inside.Unsurprisingly,there'll be a crack on the 10 years coils.the carck or bad wires will end up with short on the ground.In this case,there'll be
some slightly misfiring on the idle but not that bad.
If you tried the first testing and found that the symptom has no any changes.I'd assume you're having the bad coil.you still can drive a car with slightly loss of power.please keep in mind,please note which cylinder
is bad.and unplug on the injector connector wire.As the unburnt gas will
come into the chamber which have a bad coil all the times.my friend's car is in fire as the bad coil.
If it's from the POSs.you need to identify first which cylinder have the bad misfiring.the # 1,2,3 from the first POS.#4&5 the second POSs.You can
have a look on the wiring 4wires is for Cyl # 1 2 3 and another 3 wires is for Cyl # 4 5.Get some small hammer or anythings that could be knocked on the POSs.leave the car idle and try mildly knock on the POSs.If the misfiring has been changed as your knocking.It's the POSs.Get swapping to the spared Channel.
Normally,if the coils are just "getting bad".the idle is fine.the symptom will come out only "under high boost" condition.
I noted that the stock coils will have some small cracks on the housing.As the coils were located under the cover with the heat inside.Unsurprisingly,there'll be a crack on the 10 years coils.the carck or bad wires will end up with short on the ground.In this case,there'll be
some slightly misfiring on the idle but not that bad.
If you tried the first testing and found that the symptom has no any changes.I'd assume you're having the bad coil.you still can drive a car with slightly loss of power.please keep in mind,please note which cylinder
is bad.and unplug on the injector connector wire.As the unburnt gas will
come into the chamber which have a bad coil all the times.my friend's car is in fire as the bad coil.
06-14-2009, 12:25 PM
#10
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update, replaced POS, better, but still bad
I found a guy in Denver who had an extra POS, and who knew the car well. We replaced it, and the engine is running better, but it is STILL running rough, and down on power. Any other ideas? I do not feel comfortable driving it back across 3 states like this.