Check engine light and EPC light, rough running
11-20-2014, 05:41 PM
#1
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Check engine light and EPC light, rough running
So I popped the bonnet and checked the engine and it was still there! OK bad joke. Anyway, the car started bucking and running like crap. So I hooked up VAG-COM and it said cylinder 4 misfires, and cylinder 4 disabled. It would run fine after a restart, but revert to a 5 cylinder motor within minutes.
So I had Mrs. Elevens call the stealership for an appointment (it's a company car). She couldn't get in for almost 3 weeks, and no loaner cars! This is why we will trade for a new BMW in the spring.
Anyway, here's what I did: I figured it was either #4 injector, #4 spark plug, or #4 coil. The plan was to replace all the plugs, then when buttoning things up, swap #5 & #4 coils:
If the problem went away, it was a bad plug
If the problem moved to # 5, it was a bad coil
If the problem remained at #4, it was a bad injector
Well well well. Plugs fixed it! Not too surprising considering the car has 110,000 miles and they should have been changed under AudiCare but it appears they were not. Same story on my "Audi-cared" RS4 BTW - plugs were never changed, and those plugs are about $15 ea! I'll never do the Audicare again. Anyway, after changing out the plugs, clearing the error codes in VAG-COM, the car runs like a banshee again, idles smooth as a purring kitty and no more idiot lights.
Probably saved several hundred bux and it only took $38 (20% off at Pep Boys) and about 30 minutes in the warm garage and 2 beers with the music cranking
So I had Mrs. Elevens call the stealership for an appointment (it's a company car). She couldn't get in for almost 3 weeks, and no loaner cars! This is why we will trade for a new BMW in the spring.
Anyway, here's what I did: I figured it was either #4 injector, #4 spark plug, or #4 coil. The plan was to replace all the plugs, then when buttoning things up, swap #5 & #4 coils:
If the problem went away, it was a bad plug
If the problem moved to # 5, it was a bad coil
If the problem remained at #4, it was a bad injector
Well well well. Plugs fixed it! Not too surprising considering the car has 110,000 miles and they should have been changed under AudiCare but it appears they were not. Same story on my "Audi-cared" RS4 BTW - plugs were never changed, and those plugs are about $15 ea! I'll never do the Audicare again. Anyway, after changing out the plugs, clearing the error codes in VAG-COM, the car runs like a banshee again, idles smooth as a purring kitty and no more idiot lights.
Probably saved several hundred bux and it only took $38 (20% off at Pep Boys) and about 30 minutes in the warm garage and 2 beers with the music cranking
Last edited by ELEVENS; 11-21-2014 at 05:15 AM.
11-20-2014, 06:48 PM
#2
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At least you had a good plan of attack 
I wouldn't be too quick to switch to BMW...I gave up on BMW's because of the abysmal service from our local dealer. They set my dash on fire during a software update - then I brought the car in (08 535i) because the ballscrew for the leg extension on the driver's side was stripped and they just swapped it with the passenger side and thought I wouldn't notice. Then they wanted to swap out the hydraulic sway bar (at a cost of only $4,000) because the car had a vibration issue (the tires were out of balance).
There seems to be a common theme among high end car dealers where they just use your credit card as their personal diagnostic tool. The Jag dealer wanted to charge me $2,000 to fix a TPMs error that I managed to fix for $186.00 lol.
I wouldn't be too quick to switch to BMW...I gave up on BMW's because of the abysmal service from our local dealer. They set my dash on fire during a software update - then I brought the car in (08 535i) because the ballscrew for the leg extension on the driver's side was stripped and they just swapped it with the passenger side and thought I wouldn't notice. Then they wanted to swap out the hydraulic sway bar (at a cost of only $4,000) because the car had a vibration issue (the tires were out of balance).
There seems to be a common theme among high end car dealers where they just use your credit card as their personal diagnostic tool. The Jag dealer wanted to charge me $2,000 to fix a TPMs error that I managed to fix for $186.00 lol.
11-21-2014, 05:08 AM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
No worries 'Dude. I've owned several BMWs and Audis, all serviced at the same two dealers. My BMW dealer's service center is X10 better than the local Audi stealer.
And yes, the "plan" was a good one IMO. Minimal cost and effort, maximum solution. If only all troubleshooting jobs were this easy.
And yes, the "plan" was a good one IMO. Minimal cost and effort, maximum solution. If only all troubleshooting jobs were this easy.
Last edited by ELEVENS; 11-21-2014 at 05:17 AM.
11-21-2014, 06:03 AM
#4
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Glad you were able to get the problem sorted out quickly, sucks that your local dealer is useless.
Always the problem with looking at different brands, the vehicles themselves may be on par for reliability/cost/whatever but it's up to the local dealers how the actual service experience is and the actual service costs and they can push people away from the brand as a whole (warning local people about dealers to avoid is one thing, but you'd think manufacturers would have some way of trying to keep dealers in line so people in an area with a bad dealer don't scare people in areas with good dealers off).
All cars need maintenance, all cars will need repairs, so if you can find a nice model with a great service place (dealer or independent), then I'd call that a win regardless of the brand. If your Audi dealer sucks and there's not any independents who are really good with VAG vehicles then it makes sense to avoid the brand there.
One of our VW dealers is terrible (the parent group is terrible), and the other made us pay to make a sunroof leak much worse than it was (they knocked the drain hose loose) and would make us pay for them to fix it so until they pay us back for the original "diagnosis" I'm not inclined to recommend them to anyone. Luckily we've got several highly-rated independent shops so my wife's Golf is in good hands, and if we got her a newer Golf we'd keep going there.
Always the problem with looking at different brands, the vehicles themselves may be on par for reliability/cost/whatever but it's up to the local dealers how the actual service experience is and the actual service costs and they can push people away from the brand as a whole (warning local people about dealers to avoid is one thing, but you'd think manufacturers would have some way of trying to keep dealers in line so people in an area with a bad dealer don't scare people in areas with good dealers off).
All cars need maintenance, all cars will need repairs, so if you can find a nice model with a great service place (dealer or independent), then I'd call that a win regardless of the brand. If your Audi dealer sucks and there's not any independents who are really good with VAG vehicles then it makes sense to avoid the brand there.
One of our VW dealers is terrible (the parent group is terrible), and the other made us pay to make a sunroof leak much worse than it was (they knocked the drain hose loose) and would make us pay for them to fix it so until they pay us back for the original "diagnosis" I'm not inclined to recommend them to anyone. Luckily we've got several highly-rated independent shops so my wife's Golf is in good hands, and if we got her a newer Golf we'd keep going there.
11-21-2014, 05:29 PM
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No worries 'Dude. I've owned several BMWs and Audis, all serviced at the same two dealers. My BMW dealer's service center is X10 better than the local Audi stealer.
And yes, the "plan" was a good one IMO. Minimal cost and effort, maximum solution. If only all troubleshooting jobs were this easy.
And yes, the "plan" was a good one IMO. Minimal cost and effort, maximum solution. If only all troubleshooting jobs were this easy.
And I have to respectfully disagree - if all troubleshooting were that easy I'd be out of a job
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