random missfire -CEL not going away
 

Hi everyone,

I have an 2001 2.7T quattro with about 55k (unbelievable ha 55, not 155). A few weeks back, I started my car after a few not too cold nights (live in Phoenix, AZ!), the car had a rough start with some shaking, and CEL came on. But after a few minutes, and for a few weeks since then, I have had no rough idles, nor has the car seem to have lost power.

I read the codes then and it was just P0300, random missfire. Since I only got the random cylinder code, I ruled out problems with a specific cylinder, e.g. coil cables or the injector, or ICM. Is it possible that some extra gas remained in the cylinders which led to the rough start? Nothing happened afterwards.

One of the potential causes is a loss of vacuum, a leak in the hoses. I haven't had the car for a long time, and don't have the tools, but I'd rather spend time on the car myself than the money I don't have at the dealer shop. I opened the engine cover for the first time, and it was a bit scary, coming from an Accord. With so many wires and hoses, I couldn't even see the cylinder head. I read some other posts here, that said it wasn't that hard to DIY tune up. How big of a toolbox do I need to take care of the thing, a simple tune up, say change the spark plugs, coil cables, ICM..?

Can the timing belt be faulty at this mileage?

Appreciate the help.
__________
2001 A6 2.7T Quattro auto

When the ICMs start to go they will start to act funky. They will cause misfires, then nothing. Then it will turn into a regular thing. With that age I would seriously suspect a faulty ICM. You'll need to get your hands on the VAG-COM software to properly determine what cylinder(s) is/are misfiring and from there you can start to really narrow things down.

As far as it being a timing belt issue, the issue would be persistent if that was the case. Also, with that age, it would be recommended to change that timing belt if it's original as it has been well over 10 years. The belt can get brittle with age and be more prone to breaking.

Tool box for working on an Audi? It depends on how far you want to go. Some MUST haves "special" tools: A set of long and short allen wrenches, hex head bits, triple square bits, a good assortment of metric sockets (8mm all the way up to 24mm), and various other "common" things like ratchets, wrenches, etc.

I started out with next to NOTHING when I did my first timing belt job and I barely got by with what I had. A lot of cursing and swearing and bloody knuckles because I didn't have the right tools. Now I have an entire 7 drawer chest full of stuff and it makes the jobs much, much easier and faster. Granted, I own three cars, so I need a pretty good assortment of stuff. Stick to the above mentioned "specialty" tools and the basic common stuff and you should be good for most average DIY jobs.

Thanks for your reply. The VAG-COM seems to be out of reach (about $350?!). If I can find a decent mechanic to change the timing belt then I think it's better to go with that.

I kinda went against friends' advice when as a student I sold an Accord which was reliable but not fun to drive, and bought an Audi. Now I'm paying the price. But I try to look at it as an investment and plan to keep the car after graduation.

I read someone's post on how to change the timing belt. If I can do it just with a mechanical tool set, I'll do it. But if it needs electronic devices for adjustments, then I probably better not touch it myself.

Thanks again for your help.

If you rent the cam lock bar tool or buy it, you won't need any electronic devices to do the timing belt. Also, there is a free version of VAG-COM. All you need is the 25 dollar OBDII cable and you're good to go.

When I did my timing belt all I really used most of the time was my 10mm socket, a few allen wrenches, and my hex head sockets. It's more intimidating than it seems.