Slight starting problem
 

97 A6 2.8 Avant

It has always started easily. Runs great but has developed a bit of a problem when I start the motor in the morning or at the end of the day after sitting in the lot at work.

Instead of starting quickly, it stutters and I have to give it a bit of gas to make it run. There is no CEL. Once it is running things are OK. Idle is about 800 RPM and smooth.

Any ideas where I should look first?

Fact that you have to give it some gas to start it is suspicious. Try simple things like cleaning you throttle body, recalibrating the throttle boddy, and replacing the fuel filter.

It's a 97 so I don't think it has the calibrate feature.

Might be the fuel filter but I thought it usually showed up as a problem at high speeds not starting.

Clean the TB -- that might work..

I was thinking it might be a temp sensor or something that richened up the fuel for a few seconds when starting.

Sea Foam time maybe...?

NH, I maybe wrong, but I believe you have a motorized cable throttle body. Check this out.

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/throttlebody.html

Simpler way of doing the alignment is to disconnect the battery, reconnect, turn the ignition to on without starting the car, and wait about 3 minutes for the alignment to be finished. You should hear the throttle body motor whinning.

Good bet.

i vote for the temp sensor too....sometimes it takes them a while to set codes....

Is ISV the same as Idle Control Valve?
I'm not familiar with a "stabilisation" valve.

Yes the old cable driven throttle bodies still have an adaption procedure. But the problem here is carbon build up in the engine, most likely the intake valves. How we old school fix the 12V motors is grab a couple cans of chemtool carb cleaner, pull off the main intake hose after the MAF, and spray the living hell out of the motor with someone else flooring it. This will make it bog down and maybe back fire, so be careful. Use about two cans and it should pur like a kitten again.
Although, changing a coolant temp sensor is good preventative maintanence, so i would do that also.

UGH -- I hate the smokey fixes... unless it is in mid summer and I want to get rid of the mosquitoes. Since I'm using the super duper "nitrogen enriched" fuel from Shell, the motor must be clean. LOL!!!

I think I'll change the coolant sensor - if I can find it - and run a few cans of FI cleaner before smoking up the neighbors...

I'll also do the adaption thing. -- hxgasser's link is very helpful cause I can't find the instructions in my Bentley - did I ever say that there are times Bentley is useless?