• 1998 A6Q, 2.8l 30v AHA
• sputtering
• check engine light
• low coolant light that goes off when the car warms up
• oil leak- appears to come from driver valve cover or from just above the oil filter...was working on trying to diagnose that this weekend and couldn't figure out exactly where it was coming from.
• no smoke
• didn't see any fluids under the car (out of the ordinary)
• trans slips, sometimes slips out of gear when coming to a stop on a hill

since spring '09 the car has had tb/wp service, valve cover gaskets, coolant temp sensor, trans fluid/filter change...

CODES PULLED SATURDAY NIGHT

• p0300 - cylinder misfire
• p0301 - cylinder 1 misfire
• p0304 - cylinder 4 misfire
• p0305 - cylinder 5 misfire
• p0306 - cylinder 6 misfire
• p1139 - manufacturer control fuel/air metering
• p1137 - fuel/air metering

P1139 AND P1137 are Long Term Fuel Trim - bank 2 too rich.

12/15/10 - Went out last night and removed the MAF, took it all apart and cleaned everything out as best as I could. There wasn't much in the way of carbon deposits that I saw, a little dirty, but not bad. I looked for vacuum leaks but it was dark and 20* outside...I didn't see anything glaring but it doesn't mean I didn't miss anything. Put the MAF back in and tried starting the car...turned over, but wouldn't fire. Battery was very low from when we towed it home (towstrap and pickup truck). Got out the jumper cables and hooked it up to my wife's Rav4 and left them hooked up for 20 minutes or more...no fire. Engine turns over but that's it. Volts drop immediately to 8 or less as soon as I try to start...12-14 volts before turning the key.

Scanned an it's not picking up any codes now; we cleared them when we towed it home Saturday.

Does the 2.8l 30v have a schrader valve on the fuel rails i could use to test fuel pressure?

12/16/10 - Hooked up a battery charger last night and charged the batter to make sure it was good. Still no start. Car will turn over but will not fire so I'm either not getting fuel, or not getting spark.

 

Is your battery holding charge? I should read 12V when ignition is on, but not started.

 

Sorry read your post more carefully and noticed that the battery is holding charge.

As for the fuel pressure, factory procedure is to hook up a pressure gauge in-line at the fuel rail connection.

Why don't you disconnect the maf electrical wirng and see if it starts?

 

OK...went out and tried several things tonight so I'm not 100% sure which one was the fix. First I unhooked the MAF; second I read on here that someone else had a similar situation and with their car being low on fuel they needed to add more to prime the pump, so I added fuel; and third I also read on here that turning the key to ON and holding the gas pedal down for 10 seconds would allow the computer to recalibrate full throttle.

Anyway, after those three things I tried to start the car. Took it several tries, but it fired and idled roughly. I tried to move it from the spot it's been sitting in for the past several days and it stalled out again. Started back up and got it backed into the driveway.

Pulled two codes:

• P0102 - MAF or VAF control low input
• p1857 - manufacturer control transmission

Turned the car off, reset the codes, and plugged the MAF back in. Started the car; started on the first turn and idle was smooth as butter. Let the car idle in the driveway for 10 or 15 minutes...backed it up and down the street and no issues.

Drove a couple miles down the road and filled the gas tank. Drove back to the house - no codes.

I'm going to drive it to work tomorrow - we shall see...

I'm guessing at a minimum the MAF is going to need replaced...or maybe it just needed a good cleaning...

 

try cleaning it first.

 

good idea, thanks! lol

 

Iginition modules will do the same thing. Try replacing them as well.

Bob