Tim Baker

First off be warned this is long post, please have patience and I'll try to keep it interesting.
Hey guys (and girls) welcome to my thread about my 2005 audi a6 quattro 3.2l that I got for a steal of a deal! This is really been what I can only describe as a seemingly never ending saga...
it's been a ton of fun and even more frustration
it's all been worth it. The car is one of my all time favorite luxury cars and fixing it all with my own hands is very satisfying.
I am writing this thread to hope to find someone to help me diagnose what is hopefully the last major issue with this great car. First, let me tell the car's story and the saga of me repairing it.
I have never owned a car that literally sat in my garage more than I drove it til now. Also I never imagined I could be patient enough to follow through and solve the issues causing a car to be in that position... however theres an exception to every rule and this is mine.
This was one of my dream cars in highschool so to get a chance to get it for a traded graphics card I was ecstatic. I did not care if it didnt run, the key was stuck in the dash, the mmi was completely trashed, all I cared was the guy told me about the stuck key and no response after breaking into the car from locking the key in it... I thought immobilizer and headed over to make a deal.
sure enough hooked up my laptop and jump box and had it running in 15 minutes. Drove it home. This car was not maintained much. But the engine was in okay shape. I got a donor car at a junk yard and rebuilt the inside and learned the details of the MOST bus to fix all the mmi and such. I paid 1000 bucks for an odis subscription to remove cp and it didnt work. Took it to a dealer and it didnt work. Ended up resoldering the SMD at64 rom chip in the control head and using a jbox to reprogram the amp to virgin and then odis to adapt it. Funny I as a novice learned this while the dealer couldn't figure it out. Being a computer expert this process was likely the easy part.
next I moved to body. The paint was sad with pealing clear coat and the headlights were in bad bad shape. Overall the car had tons of what could only be described as silt in the engine trunk and under the carpet. This lead me to believe it might have sat in Katrina water as it came from Georgia. Anyways I had an arduous task of cleaning all of that muck out of everything. It's still existing in the plenum chamber and the entire car had gunk all over the bottom.
to deal with these issues I put the car on ramps and used an engine cleaning wand and purple power to air blast the oil and gunk away. This led to the discovery of all the leaks and various other things I've yet to deal with or I'm not going to deal with.
my goal is to restore this car to as close to the day it came off the show room floor, while maintaining a low budget. So far the low budget is relative but alot of progress has been made. Still a bunch of superfluous things to do and a few essentials. To deal with the paint I wrapped the car in vinyl it looks great. I polished the passenger headlight and replaced the driver. The headlights are adaptive range control self leveling adaptive cornering and I got them working perfect after a brief encounter of left dipped headlight.
Mechanically it wasnt in the shape the guy described but I knew it was a mess when i got into it.
about a month ago, the engine with 104k miles was beginning to run terribly and misfire horrible. It was also making a loud clicking which I thought was my tensioner broken but they ended up being fine. I had to embark on a large project and investment to fix my engine. I have about 200 hours of my time in it now.
I'm a software engineer not a mechanic but have always loved cars.
Here's a comprehensive list of the things I've done to get it back to fun... along with a todo list and a brief list of current issues. I've only owned it for 3 or 4 months so imagine that... Vag really needs to work on their reliability lol...

done:

• body
  • Replace left headlight
  • polish and repair right headlight
  • wrap car in blue vinyl
  • replaced ghetto 20s with sleek s5 wheels
  • replaced front grill
  • repaired front bumper
  • replaced rear right tail light
  • repaired rear left tail light
• Interior:
  • replaced seats
  • replaced lights
  • replaced bose amp with bose premium amp
  • Recoded bose premium amp to virgin
  • adapted bose premium amp
  • rewired bose amp and aux amp to correct wiring pigtail for new amp.
  • added second microphone
  • replaced thing above rear view mirror
  • ordered 10.1 inch android touchscreen mmi
  • installed normal mmi new screen
  • replaced control head
  • transferred control head smd chip to new control head to bypass component protection
  • replaced circuit board for control head buttons
  • Replaced ebrake module in trunk part 4f0 907 801
  • replaced battery regulator part 4f0 915 181a
  • purchased g419 esc sensor part 4f0 907 637
  • purchased new steering column and wheel
  • Added new wiring harness for heated seats
  • added heated seats
  • Replaced bluetooth module
  • added navigation
  • added navigation antenna
  • purchased rear backup cam to go with 10.1 inch screen
• suspension:
  • purchased cover kit
  • replaced all control arms with OEM genuine Audi new
• mechanical:
  • Replaced ABS module and pump.
  • Walnut blasted intake
  • Replaced head gaskets
  • Cleaned head
  • Cleaned all valves
  • Checked cams and lifters
  • Replaced timing chains (upper)
  • Replaced timing chain tensioners (upper)
  • Replaced upper tensioner gaskets
  • Replaced cam seals
  • Replaced cam girdle seals
  • Replaced head bolts
  • Replaced all stretch bolts including valve cover timing gears heads etc.
  • Walnut blasted upper and lower intake manifolds
  • Replaced all pcv components including
  • New oil separator
  • New oil pressure sender seals
  • New ventilation pipes
  • New pcv valve
  • New vvt solenoids
  • New solenoids on intake and exhaust cams
  • New cam position sensors
  • New coil packs
  • Rebuilt and cleaned all 6 fuel injectors.
  • Purchased 1 new fuel injector not installed
  • New spark plugs
  • Ordered correct OEM plugs as the ones I have higher resistance than OEM rating of 1k

Needs to be done

• Easy
  • replace g419 sensor under center console
  • Replace mmi screen with 10.1 inch touchscreen, install backup camera
  • Install navigation antenna
  • Replace center vent assembly
• Semi easy
  • Install new headliner
• Time consuming/needs diagnosis
  • Engine still misfiring now on cylinder 1 instead of cylinder 4... thought it was injector but am running a gallon of seafoam through the tank hoping to clean whatever if it's a clog.
  • Figure out why fuel pump is clicking (see sound file attached) and figure out if this is causing the rough engine.
  • Figure out why the engine is still vibrating bad and misfiring
  • Figure out why heater core has been bypassed
  • Possibly install the heater core control valve which I have purchased before I noticed heater core bypass.
  • I ran air through the heatercore and some coolant came out. It held 30 psi for 30 minutes so I think it could be used again... but really wonder why it was bypassed
  • Install the coil over springs and struts that I ordered.
  • The passenger side hydraulic motor mount sensor has broken off. Replace motor mount is only solution
  • Replace the circle mount that is in the front clip behind radiator
  • Fix power steering leak
  • Fix oil pan seal and leak
  • Fix oil leak at oil cooler possibly replace the oil cooler as it looks to be leaking oil and small amt of coolant
  • Fix these issues to get it to redline at WOT without hesitation or misfire!
  • Intermittent OIL PRESSURE! warning in cluster display. Turning off and back on it goes away... I assume it is a sensor but need to check on it.
  • possible TSBS related:
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​TSB# 011485 Date: 07/28/2014
      Engine- MIL ON, DTC P164B(00) Oil Pressure Switch
      Oil Pressure Switch PN 06E 919 081 G (listed on TSB)
    • NHTSA ID: 10030629
      TSB ID: TSB-28-09-05
      
      Audi: mil on, engine speed sensor spacer not required (dtc p0300, p0335, p0336, p0321, p0322). multiple misfires detected on one or more cylinders; malfunction indicator light (mil) may be on or flashing
• superfluous
  • add correct wiring for heated seats to dash board and mmi
  • Fix the high beam light switch
  • Add a color instrument cluster
  • Recode control head to not look for digital radio or add a digital radio.
  • Get a most splitter to add satellite radio back
  • Get the cell phone that goes in the arm rest
  • Get a new ami and replace 6 disk changer to have bluetooth audio to go with the 10.1 inch android auto touchscreen.
  • Repaint and refinish all interior trim pieces
  • Fix the few issues with the vinyl wrap
  • Add facelift headlights (hard to do)
  • Add parking sensors and other cool tech the car could have but doesnt.

Now onto my immediate problem
the cylinder 1 misfire.
The engine work started because of a cylinder 4 misfire
I rebuilt and cleaned injectors and believe I moved the #4 injector to #1
the car runs very good compared to the past but still has a vibration due to the misfire.
I have a new injector but am loath to take the intake off yet again...
so I noticed the engine is still clicking pretty loudly.
I went to town with a mechanic stethoscope
I heard uneaten idle and rough idle on cylinders 1 and 3 but none of them sounded perfectly smooth
I heard a clicking noise from the intake manifold.
I tried to figure out the clicking... first I thought it could be the lower manifold flaps but figured why would they be moving in idle...
so then I tried to get my stethoscope on the injectors to see if #1 sounded different than other cylinders.
I didnt notice much difference but it did sound at times like the gas flow was sputtering.
I touched the fuel line and boom I hear the clicking super loud like exactly what I hear from the running engine. I follow the sound up the line, and find the high pressure fuel pump (hpfp)
the clicking is coming from the fuel pump. It sounds terrible.
is it possible this is causing the misfires and not the injector. If I replace the hpfp I will replace the #1 injector since I got a new one already.
the motor vibration is intolerable and it really seems to me it must be caused by the misfire. In fact it seems to misfire almost non stop but still runs realatively smooth. I can only see the misfires in vcds if I step on the gas to WOT. Most the misfires occur after letting off gas from wot.
When driving if I hit throttle to hard and it misfires the cel comes on and starts flashing. If I continue driving it continues misfiring like it wont even climb a hill and loses most power. If I coast or idle for a few minutes the engine settles down again and runs semi normal but for the constant vibration.
if I turn the car off and restart it the engine operates normal again.
I feel wrong saying normal because it should be smooth as ice yet it feels like I'm driving my 69 mustang... the engine shake carries through the car... but it accelerates and drives smoothish.
I think its pre or post detonation causing the shaking but I'm not sure. Is there a way to check for this in vcds
I think vcds is only logging actual no fire misfires but not sure. What it logs vs what I see in measuring blocks vs what I feel when running the car are all different.
Also I should mention the broken sensor on the passenger side electric/hydraulic motor mount. The sensor still plugged in and jb welded to the mount but it surely doesn't work because there appears to be a piece of metal that goes into the mount which was snapped off. Could the motor mount be getting bad sensor info and causing the motor to resonate?
right now my biggest concern is the hpfp. I am attaching a sound byte of it. Please if you think u can help, take a listen. Can someone check theirs that they know runs smooth and see if they sound similar?
can anyone give advice to diagnose the misfires or faulty injectors
I have these spark plugs that dont have a gap to set and have 3 things that surround the electrode.
the resistance tested at 3500 ohm for these plugs average some closer to 3 some up to 4200... I read the stock plugs are 1k ohms. Due to ohms law this could be causing to little current from the coil packs. I have new OEM plugs ordered but not yet received to install.
the coil packs are replaced off the donor car. The donor engine had 18k miles but I am 99%sure my coil packs are fine.
what about the fuel filter could it cause this?
If you made it this far and are still with me, here is the sound byte of the stethoscope to the hpfp...

all comments and advice and criticisms are very much appreciated.

I have all sorts of diagnostic tools if any one wants to see any data.... vcds is my goto.

if anyone needs advice doing any of the jobs I mentioned I'm happy to help. I'm pretty much an expert when it comes to the interior electronics now also lol.

jeffpuxx

It sounds like it is truly a labor of love as well as a great learning experience.

If you throw a number like $50.00 as your cost per hour you are at $10,000.00 (and growing) and 5 weeks of work.

Being able to say this is where I started and this is where I am and that you have done it yourself is priceless.

akingzkid

I'm speechless but two words come to mind.........OMG and Wow.

Tim Baker

Heres my most recent vcds data. taken last night after i suspect fuel pump failure. I see my low pressure side is 5 bars, but couldn't find the high side readings... hopefully the high side wasn't 5 bars also that definitely means a bad hpfp.
without further ado here are the scans

Tim Baker

looking through my logs i see that the fuel rail pressure is a bit low but certainly not 5 bar.
Address 01: Engine (4F1 910 559 B)
00:32:23 Group 140: Fuel Supply System (Fuel Pressure Reduction)
46.5 % Quantity Valve closing Angle
35.00 bar Fuel Rail Pressure (spec.)
35.00 bar Fuel Rail Pressure (actual)
Inactive Quantity Control Valve Status

still, I thought spec was 42 bar but maybe i'm wrong. I guess I better start by replacing the injector. I still think i'm going to get a new hpfp because I've heard of these grinding themselves to bits and then you get metal flakes in your fuel system and it causes all sorts of headaches, mainly having to remove the entire fuel system and clean it all.
if spec is 42 and mine is 35 it is confirming my suspicion that the hpfp is failing... the clicking is certainly loud and while the pump works on an oscillating motion, i don't think it should click like it is. I seriously replaced my tensioners because the clicking made me think one broke!

Tim Baker

So I replaced the G419 sensor tonight as shown in these pics... sadly it's no dice, the code remains. No signal... so even with my extensive resources I can not find the wiring or test procedures for this sensor. Without it esp and abs will not work. I've already replaced the abs controller and pump also.
I was looking at measuring blocks and managed to activate a system test however I followed the procedure of driving, stomping the brake to at least 30 bar pressure, then accelerate to 13mph and turn the wheel 90 degrees. I can not seem to complete the system test and now abs light is on along with esp. Went backwords a step I think.
so any suggestions?

KevinGary

Sverige

hrc4u

found an TPI that seem to contain some of your faults...maybe you can figure something out..
cheers/H

Tim Baker

thanks! yeah I think the same thing about the spark plugs... which is why changing them hasn't been a big priority, but I've read others that it was causing them an issue so not sure. But I tend to feel as u do about it.

And so far a low budget has been a relative statement... I'm not even sure its 100 percent possible given any budget lol.