Hi,
I ain't long purchased a mk1 q7 it drives a1 everything g works so far.

Only issue is if I park out side my house and put driver side on the kerb a litte so it's leaning toward passenger side its also pointing down hill...
and leave it over night it really struggles to start and when it finally does fire up a really thick white cloud of smoke comes out of the back.

anyone have any idea why?

thank you
steve

 

We don't like to guess with zero details, so it really helps if you fill in the blanks with your Q7s model year, the engine variant/fuel type, and whether there is any general evidence of coolant, fuel, or oil leaks, and does it make white smoke at startup when the car is 'parked normally'?

Welcome to the Q7 MK1 Forum.

Also, here's a link for you to check out what causes different colors of smoke in the exhaust, as well as what is 'normal' and what's not:

https://cartreatments.com/white-smok...eating%20steam.

 

I’m dealing with a similar issue.
If it cranks at a decent speed, it’s unlikely to be anything that shows up on a diagnostic scan.

If you want useful info on here, it’s generally held hostage until you detail your life history, bowel movements, religious beliefs, etc. And then someone will imply that either you, or your mechanic, is stupid because you didn’t unnecessarily replace your starter motor and all of your injectors.

I’m not going to do that because, in my view, asking for info on here instead of giving a mechanic a blank cheque demonstrates intelligence.

The diagnostic equipment that someone will tell you is vital is not actually all that vital, but for the price it’s very useful and can easily pay for itself in reduced maintenance costs. But if your car struggles to start and the cause is a failed sensor or actuator then you’ll get bleeping and lights flashing anyway.

Does your coolant temp sensor reach the centre mark? If not, it probably needs either a temp sensor or a thermostat.

The injectors have little blow-off ports above the exhaust manifolds. There’s one port per injector and it’s in line with the injector down the side of the cylinder head right above the exhaust manifold. If the injector is dying, it leaves an oily mess here which also creates a fairly strong odour. It’s worth checking.

It’s also worth checking that the plenum drains are not blocked. Open the bonnet and next to each hinge is a cavity under a plastic cover. Pour around a pint of water into each side and check for two corresponding streams of water coming out underneath.

Engine earth straps are a known weakness. On the 3.0 tdi, the strap can be inspected by pulling the outer cover of the air filter housing and intake pipe to the turbo. I removed mine on Saturday. It looked like it had previously been repaired. I cleaned the contacts and refitted it, which seems to have helped, but nevertheless I ordered a new one. Ridiculously expensive! I will also be fitting a second earth strap somewhere.

I think changing the fuel filter is also a logical step. For diy, the VCDS diagnostics cable enables you to prime the fuel pump afterwards. Not doing so is unwise. If your workshop is even vaguely modern they will have compatible diagnostic equipment, it doesn’t need to be proper VW or anything. These cars are not rocket science, they’re just not one of Audi’s best efforts.

 

I've been having starting issues and mechanic thought it was my HPFP dying or the seal inside blew. Well he swapped a high mileage one off another 3.0T in better shape he had at his garage and also put a new higher amp battery in for me. It's definitely better than it was, but the problem persists. I'm starting to think it may be a bad injector because he also put all new plugs in for me and a coilpack on cylinder 6 because I had been getting random misfires. Car was good for about 2 weeks and then the misfire came back. I didn't know about these relief ports for the injectors you spoke of, I'm going to check that when I get home today. He did scope all my cylinders to check if any of the injectors seemed to be leaking, they were all dry and looked good. If it's not an injector, my only other guess could be my actual in-tank fuel pump may be going out and not supplying enough fuel on initial start-up. Have to take it back to him when I have time and have him mess with it some more.

 

Only on the diesels!

 

Ohhh, gotcha. Yeah I have the Supercharged 3.0T. Still think it's the injector on #6 but I'll find out eventually. Cars got 122k on it currently.

 

The more I contemplate this issue, the more I am convinced this is electrical and probably bad earth related.

A six cylinder engine doesn’t need all 6 cylinders working perfectly in order to crank and fire up, but it needs all six cylinders to do nothing in order to just not even try to fire.

This difficult starting issue is really unusual for an Audi of this era, and even more so when you consider that both diesels and petrols seem to be afflicted.

I have encountered some really questionable features on my Q7 that I have never encountered on another Audi. I also have an A6 Allroad with essentially the same engine (BUG vs ASB) and the Allroad just seems like Audi’s best people designed it whilst the B team worked on the Q7. Shared components, often with the same part number, are mounted in far more favourable locations in the Allroad. Whilst the 2007 Q7 was available with a panoramic sunroof, the same feature wasn’t available until around 2012 on the A6 platform. It’s a disaster on the Q7 and seems like an attempt to run before they had mastered walking. The ability to keep water and electrics apart is dead easy on the A6. The opposite is true of the Q7. And whose idea was a black coolant reservoir?

Specific quirks that could lead to bad starting are:
Engine earth strap. Stupid location. Catches coolant overflow, screenwash reservoir spills and oil leaks from several typical sweaty areas. It basically lives in an electrolyte mix unless you clean it regularly.
ECU, relays, etc in the plenum areas at the base of the windscreen. VAG have used the rubber duckbill drains for decades, but on every other Audi or VW group car I have owned (7 Audi, 2 Seat, 1 Skoda) keeping the drains clear and inspecting for looming blockages was quick and easy. I have never before pulled out the rubber duckbill valves because it was never necessary.
Front left footwell. That’s just a cluster****. If you have a sunroof it’s fair to assume it all got wet at some point. Awesome that there’s a hot air duct there too for maximum humidity, and that so much crucial stuff under there is encased in carpet, foam, etc. In principle the choice of location for the battery is fine, and the battery management module being nearby is fine but the way they’re encased and the way everything else was packed in around them seems like a piece of last-minute military procurement.
The door handle sensors are dumb. Had my Allroad for a decade and not a single issue with the lock buttons or unlock sensors.
Alarm horn/module. Just no.
And finally, the battery clamps. It’s necessary to make a deliberate effort to seat the squared bolt head on the rear side to the nuts. They’re just slightly undersized and consequently try to rotate when tightening the nut. Consequently, the bolt head can be incorrectly seated as the nut clamps down and can then work loose. The fact that you’re contorted into the footwell means normal scrutiny is challenging.

 

The black coolant reservoir is the dumbest thing I've ever seen haha, how are you supposed to check your coolant level or know if it's too high or too low!? Mine as well just not even have one at that point. I agree though, a lot of the layout of these vehicles make me wonder. Then again, I'm used to always working on German vehicles and there nonsensical ways.

 

Really? If this reply isn't throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if anything sticks, then I'm not sure what is. Ever the eloquent critic of others, but you need to reread the OPs opening post, and carefully read it for content.

Consider that the OP says this occurs only under highly specific circumstances, which he lists, and the supremely key bit of info he provides you is that besides struggling to start the car makes copious amounts of WHITE SMOKE after it does start, but this issue ONLY OCCURS after he's parked it outside overnight, in a downhill facing orientation with one specific side of car being propped up on the edge curbing, making it both unlevel and skewed forward and also off to one side, so far as the engine fluids are concerned. Hmmm; wonder how this specific orientation of the car might be able to influence his symptoms set, since he doesn't get any smoke issues when he parks it in a 'normal orientation?

I don't see in your lengthy diatribe/soap box of self-importance where you address the OP's symptoms at all, although a weak ground/earth cable from engine to frame connection could certainly be a factor in a slow crank given how he's parked the vehicle could possibly put stress on that connection. I'm leaning into what's creating the copious white smoke when he parks his Q7 that way, since that's the only time that happens, and also the only time/situation that it struggles to start it makes the heavy, white smoke, etc. That specific scenario should tell you something, if you are paying attention.

The obvious answer: OK, so if it only does it when parked outside with one side up on a curb and hood is pointed downhill, then don't park it that way, because you are creating the problem. Check all your fluids on level surface to be sure nothing is overfilled/underfilled at this point, and call it a day.

 

Again you’re quick to leap in and condemn when you just haven’t got the facts. You lean heavily on a piece of software and a cable to make decisions for you and at the same time you demonstrate complete ignorance of physical and mechanical factors that won’t generate enough implausibility to bother the cars own self-check systems but might cause most of the issues that you provide zero help with. Go back through the posts you contribute to and see how many dry up after your implication of stupidity, and how many of your prejudiced opinions lead to a solution.

I’m going through a similar issue with my car and I think I have pretty much cured it but again I haven’t had it long so other factors which possibly also contribute haven’t become clear yet. My starting issues also seemed to be influenced by parking orientation, but I basically have three choices. Level ground (garage), facing downhill (driveway) or facing slightly uphill with the right side slightly lower (street). I most frequently go with the third option. The first option almost never and the second option normally not overnight. I bought it in November so most starts included activation of the parking heater, but not necessarily in the garage. The variation in orientation can also significantly influence indicated fuel level, which also determines whether the heater activates. I don’t run around on low fuel but nor do I go out of my way to refuel just because it’s slightly low.

Several things lead up to the sale/purchase of a car like these. The owner starts thinking short-term in terms of parts, servicing and maintenance. An unresolved issue influences the decision to sell. Slow deterioration of things like brakes, engine response, temperature readouts, etc become the new normal. The new owner takes a while to get a firm idea of true normal. This makes diagnosis trickier.

My starting issues seem to be resolved but I can’t be certain because the weather just got a lot warmer. Throughout my search for answers, I used this forum and through it I encountered many examples of where you presumed or implied stupidity and zero examples of your contribution leading to a solution. And if I suggest a solid course of action, and you can’t see my train of thought, you just presume it won’t help or that I didn’t read the post properly.

White smoke? That’s a byproduct of a car that just struggled to start.

Checking injector leaks, sensors and fuel filter? That can make the struggle less severe. Plenum drains and earth points can definitely be influenced by orientation, duration and temperature.

Bad earth in general is influenced by orientation, duration and temperature. Particularly the engine earth strap. Flooded plenums can also by influenced in a similar way.

I recommend checking various areas that can lead to malfunctions regardless and therefore are worth checking anyway. I think the only component I definitely suggested replacing was the fuel filter.

In the extremely unlikely event that there’s a head gasket issue, the stupid black coolant reservoir is a barrier to an easy telltale.

I’m leaning heavily towards the issues identified in my second post for solid reasons and if you’re too unreasonable to see that then do what you never normally do: ponder for a moment, resist the urge to fill in the blanks with presumptions, and if anything is unclear, just ask!

Apart from the cost of changing a fuel filter (and the odds are it needs doing anyway) my advice consists of inspection and checking a lot of things that are frequently an issue on these things.

Your malice is unfounded. I ridicule your approach because it’s ridiculous. Providing your intelligence isn’t overshadowed by presumptions, it’s easy to see the value in my suggestions.