Please let me know if any of you can help me with my problem.

I am having some issues with my car (2003 A4, 1.8t). The car started to sputter on my way home from work on Friday and it was snow/rain mix. When I would step on the gas, the engine would start to die. After about 5 minutes, it was fine. I let it sit all weekend. Started it this morning and it ran fine. It was low on gas and I thought maybe I had some bad gas. I filled it up with 93 from Sunocco (normally 91 from Hess), and after a while, it got much worse. Now, it is in my parking lot and it will start, but within 15 seconds, it goes to rough idle around 300 rpms, and dies. when I step on the gas, it gets worse.

It is under recall for the fuel pump and actually made an appointment for tomorrow with my home dealer, but it is now 45 miles away and there is no way I can drive it there. My thought now is maybe the fuel pump is shot. I popped the engine cover and the coils all look dry, so I am not sure if it is that. It did throw a check engine light in the middle of me trying to get off the PA turnpike (not a good place to break down). At first it was blinking, and now it is on steady, or at least I think it is still on, it does not run enough to really know.

Does anyone think that it is the fuel pump, or possibly coil packs, or something else. I spent all morning searching this forum, but did not get a really good feel for an answer.

Thanks!
Mark

 

Might be a coilpack??? When mine (2 of those) went out, car sounded like a modded STI.

 

UUUUUUMMMMMMMMM........................Any fault codes!!!!

 

It is sitting in my parking lot of my office, and I cannot get it to anywhere that I can get codes right now, so I guess I just have to wait until I can get it to someone I can trust to work on it......

I had a coil pack go a few years ago, and it acted differently. It would run, it was in limp mode, but I could get it moved. I have a trailer coming to get it, but it will be a challenge to get it on since I cannot drive it on....

Thanks for your help, I guess I don't have enough information for you guys to work with.

 

i would imagine that if the pump would just straight die and not fade out over a few days like you experienced. but that aside it does sound like the fuel pump.
I really need to setup an appointment for mine, i've been putting it off.

 

To update this....

I had the car towed to my dealer yesterday after I checked and replaced coils thinking that may have been the issue. They called this morning to tell me it was all done, and that it was the fuel pump. They replaced it and all is good now. I have not picked it up yet, but will be curious to see what codes were thrown.

They did say that it was throwing a cat converter code. Could that be from me trying to start it so much and from the fuel issues I had? I told them not to do anything since it is out of warrenty. If it is a problem, I will take it to my local mechanic who only does VWs and Audis, and is someone I trust......

Just want everyone to know that if you do have a recall on the fuel pump, get it done. Mine made noise for a really long time, and then just started to sputter. Don't be a knucklehead like me and try to drive it thinking it is bad gas or coil issues.....

 

cats are under warranty for 8 years i believe.. i wouldnt tell them you drove it, (if you drove with a coilpack out, it will usually burn up the cat with all the unburned fuel being dumped through it)but tell them they need to replace the cat under warranty if its throwing that code! those things are $$$

or if u are in a lax state, get a test pipe...

 

I will find out what the code was. THey know that it was towed into the dealership, and all I told them was that it died and would not start again..... I did not drive with a blown coil pack, I thought one may have been blown, so I replaced them, but it changed nothing at all (and did not throw a code or they would have told me), so it was not a coil (at least now I have a couple spares....)

Thanks for the information on the cat..... not sure why they would not have said anything about it, or just replaced it if it was under warrenty. The car has 112,000 miles on it, so I am out of the extended warrenty for the last 12,000 miles.

 

check and see how long cats are covered... i think its 8yrs/80k miles but it might be longer..

 

8/80, so if it is shot, I am buying a new one....