Hello all Audi Owners!!! Im new to the forum and STOKED to find a cool place with all this info! So here I am the proud owner of a 2001 A4 quattro with the 1.8T engine. While in Yosemite I noticed this EPC light on my dash coming on after I re-started my car. Perfomance was degraded as I suspect my car went into safe mode. Did some looking under the hood and came across the "spark plug wires" Not really plug wires per say. but those that feed the individual coils in a bad state of deterioration. Meaning that the insulation protecting the wires is falling apart and I actually have some exposed wire on that harness. My audi has just 58,000 miles on it and is now of course out of factory warranty. All factory service has been done up to 48,000 miles. The dealer wants $ 1,600 for the harness and I have no idea yet about labor. Im a commercial refrigeration mechanic and KNOW this is something that is not a "wear out part" Its Wires!!!!!!! Have any of you come across this problem and do you think I will have any recourse with the factory about this problem? Any info will be way helpful at this point, I dont think I should be totally responsible for this defect

 

They cost about 200 in parts if they are the plug wires. They are supposed to be lifetime though. By lifetime, my first set of wires lasted 168000 miles. Unless someone got engine cleaner on the rubber and left it there, they should have lasted atleast that long. My new set of wires are lifetime warranty... I don't think they will wear out before my car does.

If you have ever done plug wires before you could do it yourself for 200 bucks. Heck an independent Jiffy Lube could do it for 3-400. If it is the plug wires, it is is something else I don't get it. It goes from the plugs to the top of the power steering pump (where that whatever it is that I will just call a distributorless distributor is)

 

I have an '01 and my coil control wires are in pristine shape. I haven't heard about a problem like this.

 

You are talking about the wire that run to the coil pack connectors

If that is the case then you really dont need a complete harness you just need to find someone to repair the affected wires and you'll be good

As for the warranty, im not being a jerk but Audi has 5yr warranties i think thats a good damn deal, and anything that happens after that is the customers responsibilty
You obviosly didnt do this to the car but thats just how things happen and its not Audi's fault theres a good chance they were abused in some way in the past

After all that is said, there is still a chance you could get some "good will" from AOA

 

The warranty is 4 years or 50K mi. There was an ignition coil recall, so check that it was done. You might put heat resistant electrical tape on the exposed wires.

 

this is an issue with modern cars to make them lighter "don't laugh because its a fact" mercedes is the worst offender with the most problems due to wires cracking and is a recall for them, is Audi going the same way?? can you tell me the gauge for wire thickness or amperage of 1980 cars compared with cars today?? you will be shocked on the answer

 

My audi runs 5 mm wires, and my classic mustang ran 10 mm after I put the ignition boost on it... before ithink they were 12mm

Yeah, I thought when I found out that Audi has 5mm that is a little delicate for me to mess with