Orlando Smith

As the title suggests, i may need to put another engine in my vehicle. I cannot seem to track an issue im facing with crank no start. Anybody familiar with coding so the new engine is compatible in my car.

richard-tx

Crank but no start? Unless the timing belt is broken, I cannot see why you would need to change the engine.

AndreNY

06 A8 is the best and most reliable engine in a D3 aside from the TB you don't have to worry about anything else (like the later engines with high fuel pressure pumps and timing chains/rails)

What is the Code that you are getting for not start?. It is def. cheaper to fix your issue then to swap out the engine

Giovanni Giovino 6.0+6.0TT

Hello Andre and Richard,
Let's not go through this again...... We have given Orlando many items to check..... and he does not follow or like what he hears, as he ignores what I have posted to him...
See https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a8-...2929497/page5/

Orlando Smith

the only thing that has been repeatedly requested was to squirt ether or starting fluid, a full scan, cylinder compression tests, and recheck the spark plug for fuel on them. I dont have the tools to do a compression test myself. Im just finally am able to see my vehicle in person for the last 3 months. Towing and throwing parts at it is very expensive and mechanic shops take weeks before they ever look at it. anywho now that i have my vehicle in person i will be checking the timing before diving head first. If it is the cat i want to buy the cat and not get halfway thru a timing job realizing that's not the problem. Youve been demanding alot of tests and i just got the car back so i will be uploading vcds lite scan results. Now my battery is completely toast as well so this presents more problems. Jumping my car never worked for me, maybe it is because my batterys shot and my weak cables werent strong enough. it is a 900CCA battery. It tries to crank strong tho. I havent tried cranking it since i got it back because audi informed me that they would not recommend it running again until the service is done. They claimed i will run the risk of piston slap or valve damage and only Orlando will have to pay for that by being fast. Every troubleshooting step i take will be non destructive and progressively get more risky. First thing is i need a new battery. Then i will possibly rent a compression test doo-hickey, maybe one of those timing lights, and remove those timing covers to see if i can find tdc marks. i removed some of those panels and noticed the belt looks amazing, no signs of wear maybe even a new-ish belt. That should not be possible unless its been changed i have over 170k on her. I assume a bad tensioner could be the culprit but it seemed tight at first yank. I have also been told it could be electrical like a PCM. If i have to do pcm, timing belt, catalytic converter or whatever it is. it seems delaerships and indie shops dont want anything to do with it.

Orlando Smith

FYI i found a8 engines for as little as $699-1600, labor and coding is the only problem. I forsee what im already getting into costing about the same price anyway

Giovanni Giovino 6.0+6.0TT

Orlando,
Now I am confused at your "3 months" comment, how could you not personally see your car in the last 3 months when you did the fuel filter in early August, then on August 7th I posted all the transmission pictures to show you the location of the CPS, then on August 15th you stated that you did the CPS, and then on August 19th you towed it to a muffler shop and posted asking for help, on that same day I posted and asked for some information from you as to certain items, you never responded and ignored my questions for 18 days until September 6th, only then to quote my post and not answer even one of my questions, also, you state "the only thing that has been repeatedly requested", it was not the only thing, as in one singular item, it was the many as you went on to list, so please tell us why you ignored the request for information when you had the car in your possession, myself and others asked questions and made suggestions while you were working on the CPS, correct, NOW to your vehicle, with all the money you spent in parts so far, why would you not buy a compression tester, it is only $30 as shown in the link below, you say you may have to rent one, also you can get an inexpensive borescope for $100 to look at your pistons and valves, but do answer this please, when you pulled the plugs, were they soaked in gas as they should have been from all the cranking you did without it firing over, meaning the engine should have been flooded..... If your fuel pump and filter job was done correctly and the complete fuel system was in 100% working order, you would have cylinders flooded with fuel, and soaked spark plugs if you either had no spark, or the timing is off,.
What is "PCM", do you mean the ECU or ECM ?

Innova 4 pcs. compression tester 3612 - Read Reviews on Innova #3612

Duralast Inspection camera AZ5004 - Read Reviews on Duralast #AZ5004

A8CT

"Towing and throwing parts at it is very expensive"? Do you know how much work it is to swap an engine and then have it towed to the dealer to get it coded?

Your are going about this all wrong. You need to invest in the right tools (full version vag-com, compression tester to start) and really figure out where the problem lies. I'm late to this party but you're all over the map on this issue and saying that people are "demanding tests" is the wrong approach. It is almost unheard of that a no start condition would require a new engine. Worst case is bent valves and that's whole lot less work that swapping engines.

Here's a crazy thought, why don't you do EXACTLY what people have suggested (methodically) and post those results? Then you can come up with a plan.


Bob

richard-tx

I recently assisted with an engine swap on a D2 S8 (4.2L). That job was not easy. Lots of special tools. It took about 3.5 days. 1 day to get the engine and trans out, 1 day to change the timing belt, idlers, water pump, hoses, etc on the replacement engine, one day to put the engine and trans back in, hook everything up and fix a CPS wiring issue. A 1/2 day flushing and refill antifreeze, oil change, test drive, etc.

In short, it was a long and painful process. Spent a fair amount on things like hoses, pipes, motor mounts, slack adjuster, cam tensioners, etc. Used nothing but genuine Audi parts except for things like the cooler pipe.

Just some of the tools needed are:
2x 4 ton floor jacks
4 jack stands
engine hoist
cart with liftable platform.
Torx and triple square socket sets.
timing belt tool set
torque wrenches.
CV joint grease.

In short, I would not do it again. I would either sell the car as-is or scrap it.
The reason for the swap? Broken valve spring. It tagged #3 piston plus #5 and #6 cylinders were 40-50 PSI low on compression. It would have cost more to re-do the heads and replace the piston than what the entire engine cost.

I'll be willing to bet serious money that a good mechanic could get your engine running in a few hours assuming the timing belt, valves, etc. are good, At the very least he would come up with good diagnosis in an hour or two at most.

So either you invest in tools to properly diagnose the issue or your pay someone to do it for you. There is no third option that makes sense. Changing the engine without hard evidence to warrant the change is reckless and irrational.

Since you are in Virginia, I understand your frustration. If you are fed up with dealing with the issue and want to sell the car, then I suggest you post it in the classifieds then post it to Autotrader.

Best of luck

rich

Orlando Smith

i appreciate the read, good info on the swap. The car is in too good of shape to ever scrap it. i would replace the engine probably if the valves are damaged however, i have been trying to get a good mechanic to diagnose the issue. Nobody will touch it in my location i called over 20+ euro shops here. Im maybe 1 of 3 audi a8's in town. The nearest audi dealership who should be the experts is almost 70 miles away and i could post the invoice. 6500 to pull the engine and repair any pistons or valve damage. I guess he is explaining prices with a worst case scenario. before i pay 6500 for that i will just replace the engine as a whole. I do not have any mechanics that are familiar with the audi 4.2 motors. the local vw shop wont touch it either. I would never sell it, i just got the vehicle and have been repairing everything i can get my hands on since i was a kid. Im a real DIY kinda guy. ive owned lexus and fords, lincolns, chevys, and i can strip them and fix em like its nothing. this a brand new car to me and has funky sensors and electronics. Just did a timing belt on my brothers intrepid. But this is a whole different beast. Im willing to do it i think im gifted enough to handle it however its intimidating. Wish i did have a good local mechanic that knew a thing or 2 about high end audi's that could assist me with renting these specific special tools, doing load testing, and removed an audi a8 front end before.