Ok I've been having mad problems with my 98 b5a4 1.8q. On saturday my car died out at a stoplight. Prior to this my engine had been makin a little noise and was a little hard to start. The noise sounded like it was struggling a little, but it had boost and drove fine so I was waiting until the end of the month to get it looked at. Well it died at a stoplight, the battery light came on, and seein how it was strugglin to start I thought it was the battery. So bought a battery and replaced it, and still wouldn't start. It was a block away from a mechanic (yeah I know, I shouldn't take it just anyware, but I knew the owner so I thought it would be cool.) Well the mechanic looke at it and told me that 3 fault codes popped up, 1. cam position sensor, 2. battery, and 3. #4 injector clog. Whell I told him to replace the sensor and clean the injector. The next day he said when he went to crank the engine the timing belt wouldn't move. Later discovered that teeth were missing (common) and it had to be replaced. So again I authorized it. Well the next day he told me that my engine needed a tune up, my plugs were "hot" (never replaced them and bought it a year ago at which it had a tune up) and was told to drive the car for a week to clean out the injector. I went to start it up and MAJOR problems. For one it barley started and it sounded horribal, the car was SHAKING, my check engine light was blinking, and (which is really weird, ) my drivers window would not automatically roll up, I had to hold the button up or down, not just once for auto up/down. I refused to take it and said to figure it out that it NEVER sounded or felt like that. Does anyone have any clue as far as the problems I'm havin to what is wrong? Again the engine is very loud and sounding very crappy, there isn't any boost, the entire car shakes, the check engine light is blinking, and my drivers window will not roll up on auto. Thanks in advance for any help/insight, i have to pick it up again in few hours so i'd love to have some info to tell this @55HOLE.

 

don't spend your time to fixing it, buy my car. I'll deliver it to you

 

If i didn't have a couple years of payments left I would. I love A4's and lovED Audi, but I think this will be my first and last one unless this problem doesn't bankrupt me, OR I win the lottery and get a RS4 (new!). Any Chicago mechanics with any insight let me know.

 

It sounds like the timing is off.

They need to line up the lower crank and top cam with the markings on the lower t-belt cover (for crank), and the engine block (top cam).

Then they need to hand turn the engine around a few times and make sure the markings still line up. If they dont line up, the belt is not on properly, and needs to be shifted over a tooth on probably the crank gear.

The window thing is normal, you have to do something to get it back to normal, maybe use the key in the door to close all the windows? Search the site, you should be able to find it, ther is something that needs to be done after the power is off. its normal.

The ecu will take like 40 miles to reset completely before all your power will be back, but the engine should still run smootlhy once the timing is all lined up correctly.

 

yeaa it might have sliped time man thats no good

 

Thanks ace! Can perminent damage result from mis-timing? The mechanic also said that the piston could have slapped the valve, whats the likleyhood of this, and if so... any idea as to how much a valve job is on a 1.8? Thanks so much for all your help.

 

If it slipped time and the piston did make contact with the valve its gunna cost a bit, they gotta pull everything off the head and all, usually a costly project

 

What would be a tell tale sign of a slapped valve?, AND could it have resulted in the mechanic mis-timing the belt and then starting the engine? Nice truck badluck

 

Yea its possible that if they screwed up and tryed to start it off time that it would hit the valves then it would be their fault and they should pay, now if they did that and realized it, corrected the timing but it already bent a valve it would be running really shitty.... If everything else checks out Id look at the coil packs they tend to go and cause probs when they do

 

You will know. When you are hand cranking the engine you should be able to feel resistance, compression in the engine. If you feel comression, then probably the valves are not bent. Also listen for any strange metal on metal noises while hand cranking. A compression test of the engine would be the proper way to easily rule it out.
It should fire right up and run smooth once the timing is right. If it doesn't start or runs real bad, maybe pull the top end off and look for bent valves.

When my tensioner went, I experienced similar sounds and symptoms to what you described. Probably once its all lined up again you will be fine.

The possibility for damage is there, but since you haven't been driving it I bet you are fine. If you did have valve damage, that is a big high dollar job. Then its a toss up as to whether fix or replace the engine.

Good luck, let us know how it comes out. You may want to buy a service manual, haynes or bently, for the mechanic to use as a guide if he hasn't worked audi's before.