Stop the clock...Start the thread-My baby is home

[tcg]

I don't want any money for it Tim you can have it for free! ill be in tomorrow after 6 if you want it?

In that case mate I'd better wait for your New Year's sale and get it even cheaper!

But seriously,I'll have the joy of driving my girlfriend's 1.0 Fiesta over Christmas so could I pick it up in the new year,can you hold on to it for a week or so?

 

[s3 Hoggy]

of coarse mate, Ive had it in my boot for 4 years I'm sure another few weeks will be ok!

I like keeping hold of parts that I don't need anymore and I'm glad when they can be of use to other people with issues

 

[Stuart B]

you do of course realise that 1 week after you have given it away yours will split too.

 

[tcg]

of coarse mate, Ive had it in my boot for 4 years I'm sure another few weeks will be ok!

Thanks mate,much appreciated,plus it will save you the hassle of trying to wrap such an awkward shaped present.Some beer/tokens will be exchanged.

I like keeping hold of parts that I don't need anymore and I'm glad when they can be of use to other people with issues

Hopefully my latest batch of medication will sort out those issues you've noticed

 

[tcg]

Well drove my S3 on a 40 mile round trip today,staying off boost at the moment due to the TIP repair and just as I got home the car just died luckily able to get it into my garage.

Good end to the year,not!

I have the patience of a saint but I'm really beginning to wonder what I'm going to do with the S3 once/if I get it running properly again.Of all the cars I've owned,and I've owned some 'dogs' in my time,I think my S3 is only second to my old TR7 for reliability.

Anyway it's in my garage now and I'm not speaking to it until it apologizes!

To see the New Year in I will be mostly driving our Fiesta on a slow 3hr cruise to nowhere as my old dog has a weak heart and is terrified of fireworks and he won't hear any from the boot of the car on some A/M road.The things you do for love.

Happy New Year all,maybe we'll have better luck with the S3's in 2017 or I'll be looking for a change.

 

[Stuart B]

To be fair I agree my 2001 Audi S3 8L is the worst car (reliability) wise, I have ever owned even my 1986 VW T25 camper was less bother.
I know everyone will say "its a sports car" "it's 15 years old" but most of the bits have already been replaced once. I was warned "it is fun but a money pit" and that's right it's cost the same in repairs as purchase price.

It's pretty though. And only needs another couple of grand to get it right.

 

[tcg]

It's pretty though. And only needs another couple of grand to get it right.

I admire your determination mate just really struggling myself to 'see the wood for the trees' with this motor

 

[Stuart B]

yeah, but you got the wrong colour

I think they need to be considered a project - even after 8-10K spend which some people do - it still needs to be classed as a project as it is then so non-standard it will likely fall apart after the wrong gapped spark plug, incorrect acceleration rate, wrong fuel, braking too hard

I feel for you as you are trying to keep it standard and they are pretty poor and so basic for a car from 2001. when you consider you can get a decent jag or merc for a third of the price and throw it away after a couple of years if it goes wrong rather than replacing bits every month.

I still enjoy it and drove it around 30 miles here and there today, but it is only fun if you are driving it hard - cruising along it is uncomfortable, noisy and so damn rusty.

having a car which needs the oil level, water level, wheel alignment visually checked before every short journey (just in case) and then connecting devices to try and figure out why today it is only boosting to 16 PSI and yesterday is was 22 PSI is beyond a joke, and when you need to take someone to hospital for an appointment and you have to opt for the 1.2 Clio just in case you break down on the way is embarrassing. but a project it is and when I sell it, it will be someone else's project and they will curse me the same way I cursed the last owner

 

[tcg]

yeah, but you got the wrong colour

No! I bought the wrong car,I should have swallowed my pride and bought a generic 3dr hatch.And to think at the time of purchase I was contemplating an Alfa but thought NO,too unreliable.

How ironic.

 

[Stuart B]

I had a 2.0 JTS for a year, it was after the twin spark version and before the cam chain engine, just direct injection conversion to try and keep sales going. I liked it it was very light had lots of toys. But when it was due a cam belt change I sold it, to be fair the tiny bit of cash I got I should have taken the risk and carried on driving it. The body panels were made out of tesco carrier bags compared to Merc, Jag, Audi.
I only had an o2 sensor fault which was fixed by adding injector cleaner.
Alfa said the timing belt service interval was 85k when they released the model to market and within 6 months they changed the interval to 30k as the twin sparks timing belts snapped left right and centre.

Long story which served no purpose, but I am hung over and need to get back up in a little bit walk the dogs

 

[tcg]

On Thursday I had a belated visit from Santa Claus,it doesn't seem the same as when I was a kid,he turned up in a white van and was wearing a high-viz jacket (elf & safety no doubt!) clutching a Forge TIP and he looked the spitting image of @s3 Hoggy

I was going to wait and fit the TIP at the same time as the cam cover gasket but like all drug addicts I needed my S3 fix so went ahead and put it on the car yesterday.I also bought the Forge hose to the hockey puck and breather hoses,a good idea to change both I thought and then had the fun of breaking off the Audi clamps...

Yep,that pipe broke so I managed to trim the end and jam a piece of coppper pipe inside the end so as to stop the plastic pipe from collapsing when tightened.That bodge worked and the rest was pretty straightforward.I'll have to replace the pipe but need to look into getting a silicone one,the plastic one looked a bit cruddy inside as well.

This one's just for you Matt,you're a star,and you know you are!

Cleared the codes and took the car out for a short test drive...still stuttering on hard acceleration and a flash of the EML,damn you car.

Did another 'Lite' autoscan and it came back with one fault,not the same as the previous one,a different one and I'll have to check it again as it was something about 'Random misfire'.

I was so pi$$ed off with it I've left the car to stew in my garage until I feel like communicating with it again.Perhaps My GF's Fiesta could give it a good talking to as I seem to be wasting my breath!

Once I've calmed down I expect I'll be out there again,trying to persuade it to be a bit more friendly.

 

[SHUk]

wish i was given a forge tip for free... =]

 

[s3 Hoggy]

your welcome Tim, Sounds a lot like a coilpack breaking down to me. its a shame I always kept a spare in my glovebox but a friend of mine had one go in her TT not long ago and I gave it her! do you feel it misfire if you rev it on your drive? if so its easy to pinpoint which cylinder its on by using a screwdriver as a stethoscope

 

[s3 Hoggy]

always worth keeping one with you for the sake of £30'ish.
Id say its easily the most common fault that we see on here. I've had a few go, sometimes you can have a slight missfire and other times it can seem like the end of the world!

There was a recall where audi would replace all 4 but I think they need to be all original to be legible, and after 13/14 years I highly doubt they will be!

 

[Stuart B]

great save with the sh*te bakerlite PCV pipe from the oil filter, careful when you unclip from under the inlet manifold bits don't break off and fall into the sump. I got rid of all that crap when adding a catch can.

and just make sure you check your plugs at the same time as replacing whichever coil pack is shot - otherwise a knackered plug will ruin the new coilpack at the same time.

a flashing eml is a "hard fault" a real time misfire. they do still show up in the "pending faults" to help identify the cylinder - alternatively, unplug the N75 and floor it though the flashing EML until it becomes a solid light if you are finding the fault code is not being stored.

my current issue is a coil pack vibrates loose (I am hoping it is not being blown up by some compression issue)

nice Forge TIP by the way, your car will go well over 70 once you get all 4 cylinders firing.

 

[tcg]

wish i was given a forge tip for free... =]

The only tip I can give you for free is...better get your washing in as it's going to rain today

 

[tcg]

your welcome Tim

Cheers mate,I know I got the best deal,hope you found some use for the 'bag of rags' and only three more dry weeks for you.I'll have your share this month!

Sounds a lot like a coilpack breaking down to me. its a shame I always kept a spare in my glovebox but a friend of mine had one go in her TT not long ago and I gave it her! do you feel it misfire if you rev it on your drive? if so its easy to pinpoint which cylinder its on by using a screwdriver as a stethoscope

Hopefully I'll forgive the S3 enough to check that out and take it out for another test drive as I stupidly cleared the code on Friday

 

[tcg]

great save with the sh*te bakerlite PCV pipe from the oil filter, careful when you unclip from under the inlet manifold bits don't break off and fall into the sump. I got rid of all that **** when adding a catch can.

and just make sure you check your plugs at the same time as replacing whichever coil pack is shot - otherwise a knackered plug will ruin the new coilpack at the same time.

Thanks for the 'heads up' mate,did a quick google and came up with this replacement...

http://www.creationsmotorsport.com/product-detail.php?pid=16

Haven't done a proper check to see if this is the correct one.All the PCV pipes 'running down' under the inlet have been changed to forge ones so I need to see just how many I need and maybe a new Hockey Puck,just to spend a bit more of my GF's money!

nice Forge TIP by the way, your car will go well over 70 once you get all 4 cylinders firing

I never drive faster than my IQ so mostly minor roads and built up areas

Oh! I almost forgot,we have the excitement of a new washing machine being delivered today,any time during the current moon phase.

Can't wait to wash away my sins!

 

[tcg]

Took the car out for a test drive today,5 mile round trip mostly A40.Same problem occurred with the car stuttering on hard acceleration and the EML flashed then went off

Worst than that,as I was reaching base camp the Low Pressure Oil light came up on the DIS and the engine sounded a bit 'tapperty'.

Limped back to the garage,'lite' scan for codes and it came up with...

16684 - Random/Multiple misfire detected

I need some space from this damn car of mine,it is really starting to get under my skin.I need to do my post Christmas run to the local council tip and I'm contemplating loading it up with all my crap and parking up at the dump and legging it!

Ah well,tomorrows another day,perhaps I'll feel differently after a good stiff drink,not.

 

[Dan-1981]

Had the boot liner arrive this weekend so now the S3 is kitted out for my faithful friend
View attachment 84909
I chose to have the option of dropping the rear seats and being able to lay the liner down on top of them,obviously doesn't cover all the whole of the seat backs when flat but does give some more protection...View attachment 84910
One partially satisfied customer ...View attachment 84911

You can't please everyone!

can I ask where you got the boot liner from?

 

[Stuart B]

Took the car out for a test drive today,5 mile round trip mostly A40.Same problem occurred with the car stuttering on hard acceleration and the EML flashed then went off

Worst than that,as I was reaching base camp the Low Pressure Oil light came up on the DIS and the engine sounded a bit 'tapperty'.

Limped back to the garage,'lite' scan for codes and it came up with...

16684 - Random/Multiple misfire detected

I need some space from this damn car of mine,it is really starting to get under my skin.I need to do my post Christmas run to the local council tip and I'm contemplating loading it up with all my **** and parking up at the dump and legging it!

Ah well,tomorrows another day,perhaps I'll feel differently after a good stiff drink,not.

this is weird usually it say's that and another fault identifying the cylinder. did you manage to get the EML to stay on?

my faulty plug on cylinder 1 issue only happened under load - as if the plug got too hot and started to fail. do you have a spare set of plugs to try?

also I still get the coil packs rising up - are all your coil packs fully inserted?

 

[tcg]

can I ask where you got the boot liner from?

Got it from here mate,around £80...

http://rhinoukbootlinersltd.co.uk/

I did have to measure the boot space for them.

In our other car we have a liner from Over The Top,much nicer but way more expensive...

http://www.overthetop.co.uk/

hth

 

[tcg]

are all your coil packs fully inserted?

Ooh Matron!

Yes both my girlfriend and I can confirm my coil packs are fully inserted.

did you manage to get the EML to stay on?

No,it flickered then went out and I eased off.I'm a bit worried about the oil pressure light coming on as plenty of oil in the car.I think I need to sort out a replacement for that rubbish plastic PCV pipe and have a think about what to do next...get someone to look at it,or use it as an ornament!

 

[Stuart B]

a flower pot and goat house?

maybe put the forge TIP on ebay

 

[tcg]

a flower pot and goat house?

Maybe chickens with the hope of laying a golden egg.

maybe put the forge TIP on ebay

One Forge TIP with free S3 8L, 99p start?


I've left the S3 to stew in the garage today and I'll whip out the plugs tomorrow and check them.Also need to order the PCV pipe and then if it's still playing up I'll have to get it scanned by a mech. with full VCDS to see if that pinpoints a coil pack as my non registered 'Lite' version doesn't seem to give a particular cylinder fault,just a basic random/multiple misfire.

No misfire on tickover and it's no good using a screwdriver as a stethoscope as all I can hear is my tinnitus

 

[Stuart B]

Maybe it really is totally random, I don't think the lite version returns less codes for the ECU, just had reduced features.

 

[tcg]

Get your goat,you've pulled

 

[Stuart B]

You would be suprised how many photos of girls leaning over cars were in the search results, maybe to do with gto's or something?

 

[Stuart B]

Have you checked the coil pack earth on the top of the cam cover? Mine was melted

 

[tcg]

Have you checked the coil pack earth on the top of the cam cover? Mine was melted

Will do Captain

 

[tcg]

Hi Honey,your home.How was your day,well let me tell you about mine...

So with renewed enthusiasm,as all sufferers of short term memory loss like myself do,I set about trying to make some headway with this damn misfire problem.

First i cleaned out the 'Hockey Puck' just for good measure,checked the coil pack earth wasn't broken,then set about removing the coil packs and spark plugs to see what I could find there.On first inspection of the plugs to me they looked pretty much ok, a set of BERU platinum sparklers...WHO!...there was some oil residue in the plug channels,rocker cover gasket is on the pending list.

However when I checked the gaps they were all different,ranging from 0.9mm-1.1mm and after searching on here you guys seem to opt for a 0.7mm gap.As I couldn't find any info about BERU plugs on here I set them to 0.70mm and refitted,not forgetting to do up the poppers on the heat protection.I mean,poppers on a sports hatch,whatever next.

I've ordered a set of NGK BKR7E plugs,thanks to @<tuffty/> through the search.

So with it all back together,I cleared the misfire code and went out for another test run.I seem to use up most of my limited annual mileage testing these days!

The car seemed fine to me,boosting,no stuttering and no EML flashing,I think how it should but with my paranoia in full swing it's hard to tell/accept.I was almost home and the 'low oil pressure' can lit up the DIS,those warning beeps strike fear into me.I parked it in the garage and under front of the car,drivers side was patches of grey,oily smelling liquid...

Any ideas guys,I've had the power steering pressure sensor leak before and changed that earlier in the year.Still has plenty of oil in the car.It looks like I'll be working under the car next,searching the forum,again.

One small beacon of light is that after I'd given myself a good slap for finding another problem to solve at least when I 'lite' scanned the car it came up with 'no faults found'.

It seems after climbing that particular ladder I've gone and landed on another snake

 

[Stuart B]

Looks like an oil leak to me.

Good effort with the plugs mine failed too, I think you only gap mapped cars to 0.7mm if you used copper core BKR7E mine only last a couple of 1000 miles I bought the platinum ones from GSF on 50℅ discount code.

Are you sure bits of the broken pcv pipe didn't drop back through the pipe and into the sump, I have large lumps in mine, but too scared to try and take off the sump, to see if oil pickup needs cleaning.
I do love the hateful beep - oh thank god I'm just out of petrol.
I do love people who change the oil pickup pipe then say the turbo spools up quicker, imagination is excellent.

By the way why does the oil pressure light illuminate? The general consensus seems to be, if that comes on the damage is already done. As even when I didn't have any mark on the dipstick the light didn't come on.

 

[Stuart B]

The plug picture on the right looks like the ceramic has broken?

 

[tcg]

Good effort with the plugs mine failed too, I think you only gap mapped cars to 0.7mm if you used copper core BKR7E

You are probably right mate,just closed the gap to see if it helped,I'll put the NGK ones in when they arrive in the next couple of days,along with the PCV replacement.I don't expect I'll be driving it anytime soon.

The plug picture on the right looks like the ceramic has broken?

Maybe,I didn't have my contacts in

The residue doesn't smell that 'oily' and it's black,Johnny,black!...so I need to investigate further.Everything seems to be a knock on effect of dumping the coolant at speed the other week.

By the way why does the oil pressure light illuminate? The general consensus seems to be, if that comes on the damage is already done. As even when I didn't have any mark on the dipstick the light didn't come on.

Thanks for cheering me up if I'm not careful I'll begin to think you're the only one that cares

 

[Stuart B]

you drove the car and it felt good! - so that cant be the case - people have posted that the light comes on then a rattle, a seize, then a smash bang wollop in the next 10 seconds.

my point was - none of that happened with yours? maybe the sensor is faulty or you have an oil leak in that part of the circuit.

one of my plugs looked a little burnt, but I think that was simply the grease had boiled - but it certainly caused a misfire if at high revs - the new plugs were fine.

I feel your pain for the "test driving a 10 mile loop" to make sure the car is still okay - then back on axle stands for the evening.

 

[tcg]

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...and I can't type any of them on here or I'll get banned so feast your eyes on this...

Picked the wrong day to give up swearing!

 

[Stuart B]

#araldite ?
#gaffertape ?

What on earth even is that broken cast alloy?

 

[tcg]

What on earth even is that broken cast alloy?

That my friend is the air con compressor that I had fitted last year

 

[s3 Hoggy]

blimey! whats happened there?

 

[tcg]

blimey! whats happened there?

For some strange reason it seems to have exploded,when I took off the undertray a lump of casting fell on the floor and there is shards of metal all over the undertrays,deep joy!

I have reason to believe a bloke in a high vis jacket may have placed a stick of dynamite in there when my back was turned the other night hopefully those shirts will do the same when you're least expecting it