S3 2003 Heavy missfire! HELP!!

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S3 AJ.X

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Hi im new to this forum. Forgive me if i make a mistake or offend any1.

I have literali just bought a audi s3 2003 265 (approx) nott even 6 weeks ago, the car is cost me just under £10,000. After buying it i got it fully serviced. driving it home frm uni last week i realised the car was mifiring when it was idling. straight away i took it to the garage. He said a comon problem was the coil packs, so i go and buy 4 brand new coil packs from audi costing me £140. This made NO difference. I then went around to different mechanics, all of them connected it to the VAG COM, they all found all 4 cylinders were missfiring. I was shyting myself, i found a VAG specialist in leighton buzzard called TOTAL VAG. A guy named gregg is currently taken a look at the car and has done a compression check and found no problems. Now the car only has 67,000 on the clock and full service hitory. I am really upset and panicing:slapped:. Can any1 help me.
 
Could be something like your Spark plugs or HT leads....
 
Or in my case when I had my remap and it started missfiring.. No errors in VAG-COM ... ended up being the fuel pump! (not pumping enough fuel to cylinders and thus missfiring!) Check this by seeing if ur car is running really hot which it will do if this happens by popping bonnet after run. Yes they usually are hot but in my case it was ridicously roasting... These guys diagnosed and fixed it for me, very professional. http://www.autops.co.uk/ Cheers
 
S3 AJ.X said:
i realised the car was mifiring when it was idling. straight away i took it to the garage. I then went around to different mechanics, all of them connected it to the VAG COM
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S3 HODGE said:
Could be something like your Spark plugs or HT leads....
Click to expand...

Wouldnt the Mechanics no that from first check??

Does sound like a fuel problem to me
 
Would it be that maybe when the car was mapped it was using high octane fuel and hes putting normal unleaded in? Heard someone else have a simular proplem and it was down to that....
 
Thanx 4 da kwik reply.

I have changed the coilpacks which are normally faulty and the sparkplugs. so its deffinently not that. And i ddnt remap the car the previous owner did, and since i have had it i've only used shell v power. And the car was consuminf far 2 much fuel i fueld it with around 30 litres it only gave me around 100 miles. is that normal?

I also got an update from gregg earlier, he said initially it may of been some faulty wiring and some loose pipes close to the induction pipes. He has sorted all that out and is still confused and has no idea what it could be. He only guessed over the fone that it may be that the car was involved in an accident and was repaired poorly and bits and pieces may of been taken into the engine.

But i will tell him tommorow to take a look at the fuel pump. Has anyone else ever had a problem similar to this?

AJ
 
Mine started missfiring after i had stage 2 map put on. No faults on vagcom. I ended up changing all the coilpacks and the MAF sensor and then my mate reset it on vagcom and problem solved
 
Finger mouse and swatchuk thanx for that. Im not really sure wat a MAF is could you tel me what it does and where its located and roughly how much a new would cost. Swatch uk i have changed the coilpacks so im gona take ur advice and fran s3z. Cheers guys. if any1 else has any input plz share:sos:.

thanks every1 for ur help

AJ
 
as said,sounds like your MAF other than that could be your ECU or a sensor but would put my money on the MAF
 
MAF - Mass Air flow sensor. Its the one at the side of your airbox. Think i paid about £60 exchange for mine. Youd be suprised how many problems this sensor can cause. After you change it though you need to reset it with either vagcom, or disconecting your battery. Dont quote me on the battery method though
 
cheers 4 dat info will definently try that it worth doing. An no i wont hold u against tryin da battery dont think datll work. cheers
 
Just disconnect the maf (pull out the connector plug) and see it it runs better. Don't drive far, just a 1/2 mile or so. If it smooths out, you know it's the maf
 
might be worth getting it cleanened first and go from there,sometimes it works sometimes it dont but could save you a few quid.also check the wiringto the MAF and spray the plug contacts with wd40 might just do the trick
 
also try just running the car with it disconnected, if the car runs better you have found the cause of your problem or so I am led to believe :)

[EDIT] beaten to it lol
 
LOL!!!

Thaanks guys im gona knok off 2 bed got a minor exam 2mro but more importntly get to hear it runnin bak 2 normal (oh god plz be the maf!!).

i will update all of u 2mrw.

thnks again:salute:
 
AJ, good luck for your exam, ease up on the text talk (its frowned upon in here...lol)

Did you do any checks on the car before you got it, to see if it was involved in any crashes, as per the eariler comments, just curious about that???

Also the MAF gets a vote from me too, too, too, too, too..... (echo) :undwech:
 
Cheers for that nilz. Yeh im still in the learning process i guess. lol.

As far as previous checks i did do a hpi check and got a freind who knows bit about dodgy motors to come along and it all came clear.

And yh i did call gregg (mechanic) in the morning today and told him everything i learnt yesterday. I just called him again and he has checked the MAF and Fuel pump. Unfortunately that isnt the problem. Hes put it on vag com again and has no luck, it has no faults appearing on there.

He has given me the worst case scenario as there being a problem with the head. i am able now to give a better description of the problem.

The Problem is the s3 runs beautifully pulls like a dream when its over 3,000 rpm, and there is no problems slowing down with the breaks which work fine only when its over 3,000 rpm. but when its idling the misfire is loud and the brake pedal becomes solid a stiff, its just how when you push the brake pedal when the car is stationary and not got a key in the ignition.

Can any1 help or give advice as cost is rising gregg wants £150 for the labour he has done but it doesnt seem its worth the money as the car is not any different from before.

all i wanna do is just scream Helppppppp!!!!
 
Is it something to do with the vacuum pipe for brakes being blocked or leaking? This may cause lumpy idle too? Didn't realise you had a brake issue aswell!

I doubt its something major if it works ok above 3k revs.
 
if hes checked the maf/coil packs/temp sensors/vacum pipes etc they all relate to a misfire like i say other than that could be a problem with the ECU but you say its not showing any fault codes????

Not sure if the pedal issue would be linked to the misfire?have him check the brake servo/master cylinder and vacum pipes/valve and the inlet manifold not sure if they have a vacum sensor on the servo of the S3

also they have abs ECUs but not sure it would relate to the problem?
 
Maybe two separate faults then? I don't think he has checked vacuum pipes or I haven't seen it written above at least. Sounds like one of those annoying faults to diagnose.
 
ianysm said:
Is it something to do with the vacuum pipe for brakes being blocked or leaking? This may cause lumpy idle too? Didn't realise you had a brake issue aswell!

I doubt its something major if it works ok above 3k revs.
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The brakes and the car run absolutely fine when its over 2,000 to 3,000 rpm, but as soon as the needle drops below that the misfire can be heard and the brakes get stiff.

I also do hope 2 its not anything major. At first it was showing that there was a misfire in all 4 cylinders on the VAG COM, and from speaking to him now he has said there is no other codes. at the moment he dont know what it could be or where to start. Gregg ha said that it has to be mechanical.

The vacuum pipe im not sure if hes cheked properly because hasnt actualli said he has other than that he has sorted some pipe and wiring out.

AJ
 
did you have the brake issue before he did the wiring/pipe work?
what wiring/pipe work has he done?
 
He probably has checked it then. Its a wierd fault. Have you tried searching this forum for anything similar to give some ideas? I've not heard of it on any vehicle. Make sure you let us know when it is solved!!

I'm sure it won't be a big problem, its just time consuming to find....Time is money!
 
Brake issue pretty much started the same time it started misfirring. And the pipes he said he sorted out were connected to the induction and thw wiring was connected to the sensor in between the throttle body and intercooler. but yeh i willl keep all of you posted.

And yh i'v searched the forums for misfires it comes back down to coilpacks and MAF
 
i'm having a similar problem with mine but my trouble is when the car is running and between 3,000-5,000rpm in 4th, 5th and 6th its labouring abit.

1st, 2nd and 3rd are amazin and it pulls like a train but its like an intermitting fault. its been on vagcom and the only fault was the secondary air intake. i've reinforced the turbo intake pipe as they dont sell silicone ones for the early s3, changed the turbo hoses, replaced the MAF and i've got a new N75 solenoid on order to be picked up in the morning so hopefully this might sort it cos am gettin freaked out now haha.

any1 have anymore ideas??
 
also it was mentioned to me that the s3 models with esp, a brake swith sensor can cause major problems aswell
 
Woo. dats dangerous. but i hope it is dat sensor otherwise u could be stuck like me. lool

im gona give a look at the induction as u have mentioned and so have other members as it sounds like that could be only other fault other than the head,

good luk wit urs though, i'll ask my mechanic if he can shine any light into ur problem.

and i will get an update 2morow hopefully with some good news. otherwise:Flush:
 
Speaking of vacuum pipes, just reminded me, there is a vacuum pipe that is attached to the intake pipes on all cars, im pretty sure its for emissions but if you unplug it, the car start running like ****, when i fitted my induction kit i simply put a screw in it, as it does absolutly nothing and it runs like a dream. Check over all your pipework. as far as £150.. if he solved the problem then id think about paying him, but what difference has he made? What a joker.
 
jus replaced my N75 solenoid and woo!! no flat spots hopefully it will run better now but there does seem to be a strange problem. Now that the solenoid has bee replaced the car seems to be running at its standard power again, but its been mapped and the acceleration doesnt seem to be as quick as it was????
 
munchman s3 said:
i'm having a similar problem with mine but my trouble is when the car is running and between 3,000-5,000rpm in 4th, 5th and 6th its labouring abit.

1st, 2nd and 3rd are amazin and it pulls like a train but its like an intermitting fault. its been on vagcom and the only fault was the secondary air intake. i've reinforced the turbo intake pipe as they dont sell silicone ones for the early s3, changed the turbo hoses, replaced the MAF and i've got a new N75 solenoid on order to be picked up in the morning so hopefully this might sort it cos am gettin freaked out now haha.

any1 have anymore ideas??
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Diverter valve? Is it standard or uprated? If standard diaphragm might be ****** (any fluttering when letting off the gas?).
 
To the OP - i'd get your car to a recognised and reputable VAG specialist. Might have missed this in the thread, but let us know where you are and then we can recommend one.
 
Munchman i feel for you, you must be anoyed but atleast you can drive it, but i would definently get it checked out. Hopefully it'll move like a train in NO time.:arco:

With my car im still in the dark, i'v spoken to the mechanic and told him im trying to get help from the forum, he just said yeah, in a unhopeful way. Im awaiting his call with hopefully some good news, or jus to say come take the car, because i dnot really know what im going to pay him for because the car is not any different to when i gave it to him, the only thing really i think paying for is the time hes spent on it. i will keep u all posted...
 
S3 AJ.X said:
Munchman i feel for you, you must be anoyed but atleast you can drive it, but i would definently get it checked out. Hopefully it'll move like a train in NO time.:arco:

With my car im still in the dark, i'v spoken to the mechanic and told him im trying to get help from the forum, he just said yeah, in a unhopeful way. Im awaiting his call with hopefully some good news, or jus to say come take the car, because i dnot really know what im going to pay him for because the car is not any different to when i gave it to him, the only thing really i think paying for is the time hes spent on it. i will keep u all posted...
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Is this mechanic familiar with VAG cars and in particular the 1.8T? If not as per my post above get your car back and take it to a recognised VAG specialist. Again - where are you so we can give some recommendations?

Edited: just re-read opening post about this being a VAG specialist!! Sorry - i'd suggest trying somewhere else. What about APS in Brackley? 35 miles or so from Leighton Buzzard. Really know their stuff, and not overpriced. Give Ed a ring and i'm sure they'll be able to help - website http://www.autops.co.uk/html/contact_us.html
 
Bantam im based in luton, and the guy i've give it to has a company called Total VAG. And yeah if you could help i would do it.
 
S3 AJ.X said:
Bantam im based in luton, and the guy i've give it to has a company called Total VAG. And yeah if you could help i would do it.
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Sorry mate - just read it again and edited my post above.
 
P.S. also sounds like you're getting nowhere with the current garage and can never hurt to try somewhere else or get a second opinion. Your car and money after all. I and many others on here have used APS and they are excellent in all respects. Great customer service, good prices, and most importantly they really know what they're doing with these cars.
 
ok no problem what i'll do is actually talk to mechanic, how much do you think i should pay him if he is asking for £150, because there is no change in the car. And yeah i was actually considering them as they are not far either their based close to hemel hempstead am i right?
 
S3 AJ.X said:
ok no problem what i'll do is actually talk to mechanic, how much do you think i should pay him if he is asking for £150, because there is no change in the car. And yeah i was actually considering them as they are not far either their based close to hemel hempstead am i right?
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Can't help you with that one! I'd want a breakdown of labour on the car - what's the £150 for etc. Would cut your losses and get the car back and to APS unless anyone else can recommend someone closer.
 
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