2001 a4 1.8t starting problems
 

ok so when i bought my car the P.O told me that he just replaced the fuel pump and it doesnt start the first time because it needs to build pressure.... and my guess is that he didn't actually replace the fuel pump, what happens is ill turn my key and it will turn over but not start up until the second or third time. could it possibly be a fuel pump relay? or maybe fpr? also should i hear the fuel pump turn on when i turn the car on?

that's a lie etheir the fuel pump work's or it doesnt. now i would think its somthing else have the timing belt spark plugs air filter battery and all that stuff been changed out or check on recently?

yeah i just recently cleaned the air filter but its a K&N :( and im not sure about the timing belt or spark plugs, but if they were bad wouldnt it not turn over at all? and it runs perfect after i get it started, i feel like sometimes it starts right up when i have over a half tank of gas aswell

There's a switch that is found on the clutch. A simple switch that is a safety device to ensure that the clutch is depressed before attempting to start the vehicle.

okay i changed all the spark plugs today and did the coolant temp sensor, just because i needed to. its not the clutch switch because it will crank just not turn over the first time

Do you smell gas fumes or see a puddle after you park under the fuel pump?

no i havent noticed any puddles and i fee like i would notice my gas disappearing lol. i know there is a fuel level sender or something like that could that be it?

okay so after doing some more searching in the engine bay i have noticed something, i had a 1997 a4 1.8t before this one (2001 a4 1.8t) and i remember there being an ignition control module on top of the intake box. There isnt one on this car.... the plate and screw holes where is goes is there but no module. Is that how it is supposed to be or is it missing? PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS!!!!!!

an 01 doesnt use an ignition control module, if i were you id question fuel pressure, reason being it sounds like your having to prime the system before starting and its not building enough pressure for the injectors, so maybe a fpr

Is there any way to test that?

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/..._VIDEO0011.jpg


thats a video listen really carefully PLEASE ANSWERS SOMEONE!!

also it usually takes 2 or 3 times to start it, the car wasnt completely cold so it started the first time...barely..

Try checking your suction pump. Look at my thread called "car dieing".

Why is the engine light on also? what are the codes for the car on vagcom?

When my suction pump was disconnected it took some time to start. It would start and bog for a little then die. I had a check engine for a misfire because the car was stalling.

It's bank 2 sensor I have testpipe and revo stage one doesn't clear that

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/..._VIDEO0012.jpg


thats a video of it on a complete cold start

and i checked the suction pump and its connected

anyone?!?!?!?

I'd try adding some Lucas gas treatment to the next full tank of gas , run a few tanks of gas through the system then change the gas filter again.

try a fuel filter. they have the check valve built in to them to maintain line pressure after you shut the car off. that what it sounds like to me anyways. our fuel rails have a valve on them you can hook a pressure tester up to. check it for fuel pressure start the car check it again and then shut the car off and see if the pressure bleeds down. the suction tube will make the car die after its been running. a fuel pump just doesn't not work when you are trying to start it and then work and work great. ....

okay i replaced the fuel filter..... now i have to wait a couple of hours to see if it will start or not.

oh and by the way it was the original fuel filter, and i have 167xxx miles and the old gas inside of it was black...

ok so that didnt fix it any other ideas?

sorry bud. it gets hard from here if i can't actually work on the car. is your car by chance a 2.8? this is weird and i blame it on leaky injectors but a few of the cars i work on have this issue. you need to hold the gas pedal to the floor when you start it. this is clear flood mode. the injectors will not fire. its only on the 2.8's i've seen this issue and i will have to go to someones house becuase their audi wont start and the pedal to the floor fires it right up. after someone see's that they dont really care to have anything fixed because its easy enough to remember to do that.

No its a 1.8 and it doesn't help if I floor the gas I might just buy new injectors but if I do that I want upgraded ones...which ones should I get?

just had a thought... i have a testpipe and it throws a code, could it be that the o2 sensors are making it run to rich and making it hard to start? just a thought let me know if thats possible

Ugh guess not

Why dont you take a pair of vise grips and pinch the fuel return line off from the fuel rail and see if that makes it start easier and run better, by doing that it can build more pressure and itll narrow it down to a pump or fpr. just a thought..

soo im about to give up and take the car the shop which i really dont want to do, any one have any ideas????!?!?!?! i used a duralast temp sensor would that make a difference? somone pleaaaaaaaase help!!

Did you try pinching the return line like it was suggested? And no, that code won't do it - that's the post-cat O2 sensor which has nothing to do with fueling.

Gotta calm down man - freaking out in your posts tends to annoy people and just turns them away. Have you been researching fueling/starting problems in general? Or just waiting on feedback here? A lot of information is out there (like what a post-cat O2 sensor does) that applies to all vehicles including the 1.8T you drive.

yeah i have done alot of research and a couple of people have had the same symptoms but no one knows what to do... i wasnt talking about the pre cat sensor i was talking about the coolant temp sensor i just replaced it cause alot of people were saying that could be why it wasnt starting and my coolant temp gauge wasnt reading right...but i used a $6.99 duralast one from autozone. so i was wondering if maybe its cause i didnt use an OEM one. sorry im not freaking out i just havent had any responses and i dont know what to do seeing i know how much ill pay at a shop to just find out whats wrong. any help if appreciated and if none comes i wont be bad :) ill still be on audi forums 10 hours a day ha

also its kinda jittery when driving like almost a studder

okay so i just replaced my fpr, fuel pump relay, fuel pump and put an OEM bosch coolant temp sensor in and still having trouble starting. anyone have any other ideas?

I am having the same problem. The Audi dealer told me that if I bought an aftermarket fuel pump, that it may not have a chack valve, and that the fuel system could be bleeding down when it is turned off. I have an aftermarket fuel pump, and a new fuel filter. I am researching too, let me know any solutions, as will I.

@patrixx006 I had a bad coolant temperature sensor and it was showing 130 all the time but this didn't give me any trouble when starting the car. You probably have problems with the ignition system or fuel system.

This morning driving to work I smelt gas inside the car. The fumes were still flowing inside the car on my drive home. I did catch a whiff of gas while walking behind the car too. What am I looking at here?

It could be the rubber seal above your fuel pump. Open your trunk, remove the metal cover and look at your fuel pump seal.

hey the coolant temp sensor you replaced where was it located....please let me know asap
and what color are the wires

I don't know if this will help, but it fixed my problem, and know its nice to see a fix on a thread. I replaced the fuel pump, fuel pump relay, and fuel filter. None of these fixed my problem. I payed the big bucks and went to Audi. Turns out it was the ecm relay under the hood drivers side under the wiper inside the ecu box.It was like $40. Once I put the relay in(myself, Audi wanted $125 labor), no more isssues. Easy 5 min replacement. I did post this fix somewhere, but didn't see it here so thought I would add it.