the car: 2000 a4 quattro avant 1.8t 5 speed, 96.6k.

the error code: p1128 (long term fuel trim mult., Bank 1. system too lean. sporadic.)

cel light came on a couple weeks ago. then went off the next day. i pulled the p1128 code from the memory. it is the only trouble code in the memory. cel light came back on last night, so i'm calling on the forum. the car runs fine. i haven't noticed any loss of power, rough idling, or anything else. average mpg's have dipped a bit (-.2 mpg), but that could be result of all the snow i've had to drive through lately. if the cel light hadn't come on, i wouldn't have suspected anything wrong.

i'm thinking the maf is the issue. maybe there's a vacuum leak, but i wouldn't know how to find it aside from checking hose condition and listening. all the hoses were replaced last april when i got the timing belt done anyway. could also be 02 sensor(s), but i'd rather leave crawling under the car for a later fix option. (no garage and lots of snow on ground). with the forum's collective experience, should i 1) replace the maf with a new part, 2) clean it and reinstall, or 3) (considering the normal behavior of the car and cold snowy weather) figure this an electrical gremlin and ignore? obviously cleaning is the cheapest option (next to ignoring), but at my mileage, should i just go ahead and replace and not have to deal with this twice?

*i've had a couple suspected elec gremlins in the last year, so an intermitten cel light wouldn't surprise me. heated door locks frozen over. air bag light came on once, then went out a minute later. never seen it back again. weird humming sounds from somewhere that disappear a week later.

 

did you scan the car again? it could be a diff code this time. for the vacuum leak, do a visual inspection with a flashlight. squeeze the hoses too and if any cracks or breaks just replace them. could also be the FPR or dirty 02 sensors. clean the 02 sensors with intake cleaner.

 

could it possibly be frost (again, from the snow and subfreezing temps we've been having) that messes with either the maf or o2 sensors? would that produce the 'sporadic' note on the vag readout? and the intermittent cel light?

 

lol no way. if cold weather affects an audi like that, al the other cars would not even run lol.

 

# check it out first

[IMG]local://upfiles/12092/4A5FBD02324C4D99974DA474FF025265.jpg[/IMG]

 

thanks for that screen shot. totally cool you can do that! but honestly, i dunno what a lot of the instructions mean. i mean, 'crank engine'? do they mean by hand? i've done that on a ford truck, but not an audi, and the ford was torn apart for easy access.

i'm thinking the easiest way to start getting rid of this cel is by the maf. i'm just wondering if forum thinks it's worth cleaning vs. replacing. to me, it's worth the cost to replace if it means i don't have to worry about this any more. from what i've read, some people say that cleaning only works for a short while.

 

lmao no don't hand crank it. just put the key in and sort of try to start it but don't start it you know what i mean? to me, if it ain't broke don't fix it lol. cleaning solve the problem but it could be something other than the MAF

 

how often do maf's on a4's generally burnout and need replacing? at 96k, should i expect my maf to go sour?

 

that's a bit early but somewhere around there.

 

ok, hold the phone. i'm checking out how to replace the maf in one of those break down guides. haynes, i think. looks no big deal, 15 minute operation tops. i pop my hood, go to the air box, and it looks NOTHING like the pics in the guide. i can't even see the maf cylinder at all. i'm guessing it's INSIDE the air box since the elec plugs go into it. keep in mind, my engine is the 2000 a4 1.8t, it's a 1 year. it's not like the pre-2000 or the 01 1.8t's. so... is anyone with a 2000 1.8t a4 able to confirm that the maf is inside that airbox before i start tearing things apart? it's dumping pretty hard outside, so it's more of a pain to figure things out while you're getting snowed on and frozen. also, is this the correct part?

http://catalog.drivewire.com/drivewi...Air+Mass+Meter