I have a 2000 audi a4 quattro 1.8t and i just replaced the valve cover gasket and 4 spark plugs. After hooking everything back up i immediately started having loss of power to the point that it acts like its going to stall out. The engine shakes more than usual and i have a strong gas smell. I've noticed the brake pedal feels alot stiffer and the gas pedal is more free flowing with a delay when the car is running. Any ideas?

 

[QUOTE=Russ Pederson;1502293]I have a 2000 audi a4 quattro 1.8t and i just replaced the valve cover gasket and 4 spark plugs. After hooking everything back up i immediately started having loss of power to the point that it acts like its going to stall out. The engine shakes more than usual and i have a strong gas smell. Any ideas?

 

So today i decided to have a friend follow me to a midas shop to get codes read but after driving for approximately 1 mile my friend had me pull over because flames were coming out of the tail pipe. Help!

 

Sounds like something is seriously wrong. Did you go over all your connections? How about the MAF? Sounds like you left something unplugged or not hooked up. Check around the bay and post pics

 

Ya ive checked and checked and rechecked connections. Cant find anything out of place or loose...ive never heard of something go so wrong from just a valve cover gasket and spark plug replacement. Ive decided to replace the coils, i mean why not right. I just ordered them. Wont be here til monday though.

 

Sounds like an ignition issue. You'd be smelling gas because you're not actually burning it in one or more cylinders (no spark). You'd have flames out the tailpipe if a coilpack is/was intermittently working and decided to burn a large amount of puddling fuel in a dead cylinder. Take a spark tester or timing light (induction type) and hook it to your spark plug wires, preferably with the fuel pump relay out, and crank it over. Or do it the traditional way and test your plugs by grounding them to some metal on your vehicle and cranking it over (fuel pump relay disconnected).

 

So i found that the inside of the 4th coil connector was broken so when i connected it to the coil, the pins inside the coil connector were pushed back and out of place not making a connection to the coil. Replaced the connector and everything works great...thanks for all the advise guys!