So here's the basic scenario:

It was 3:45 am, about 84 degrees and fairly humid. I got in my 1996 2.8L A4 with a vacuum pressure problem and broken A/C blower motor and got on the highway doing about 80mph. I had the A/C on because as long as I'm driving, cold air will come out of the vents. After driving for about 40 minutes, the engine shut off. All the electrical components (radio, A/C compressor, etc.) were still working but the engine just quit. I thought I was out of gas even though I had not gotten the alarm/gas light so I called for help and put about 7 gallons of gas in the car. I then attempted to start the engine. No such luck. Again, all electrical components work and the battery is pushing it's usual 13-14 volts. The engine rotates but does not start.

I had the car towed home and changed all of the vacuum hoses and did an oil change (for good measure). Still no luck. I checked the fuel pump and it turns on when I turn the key to start the car. The spark plugs spark and there are no apparent leaks from the fuel system. The ignition coils appear to be in good working condition.

I am completely stumped. I can't get to a code reader because I can't drive the car so that's out unless I order one myself.

I'm about to sell her. I've had it!!!

 

towed home or flatbed'd home? if its a quattro and the answer is you towed it home, then i am sorry.

was there a terrific/terrible noise coming from the engine when it stoped? (timing belt snapping)

or did you just suddenly loose power and coast to a stop?

go to autozone or a similar shop and rent a code reader and hook it up to your car and see what happened. there would almost certainly be a trouble code of some kind in there.

to start an engine you need only 3 things, fuel, spark, and compression. you said you have spark, the fuel pump works so theres only a few things it could be.

 

Towed. But it's not a Quattro so no worries there. And no noise. Just a little jerk when the engine cut off and I coasted to a stop. Come to think of it, I probably could have push-started it (it's a manual) and saved the $200 I spent on the tow!

But I never thought of renting a reader. D'oh!

Thanks.

 

What do you mean by "vacuum pressure problem"?

You say your fuel pump works, but do you have fuel pressure at the rail?