RE: 4kcsq starting problems.

["Duff, Ian" <iduff@charter.com>]

Sound like perhaps a vacuum leak, I had similar symptoms on an old Break My
Walnuts '79 320i that renewing all the vacuum lines solved.

Ian Duff, New Bedford, MA
1990 Coupe Quattro

>----------
>From: 	Mark Plotz[SMTP:mplotz@gac.edu]
>Sent: 	Monday, March 25, 1996 6:05 PM
>To: 	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
>Subject: 	4kcsq starting problems.
>
>        Entering week four of my quattro ownership and I couldn't love my
>car more... except for a nagging problem that I have some times when I try
>to start it. Here is the situation. When I first got my car, I immediately
>had a problems starting it. I would get the car started, but then I would
>have to rev the hell out of the engine in order to keep it going. If I let
>the revs drop off, they would immediately fall below 1000rpms. Even if I
>put
>the pedal to the floor, it would idle really low, sorta a Harley sound,
>until all of a sudden the revs would pick up again to 3-4000, but whatever
>the revs I would be able to modulate the speed of the engine. The problem
>would repeat until the engine settled down again. This problem was "solved"
>a few days later when one of the sensors in the engine was replaced by the
>mechanic. It started better and idled smoother.
>        Then the problems began about a week-and-a-half later. I started
>having problems starting the car, but I could still get it started, at
>first. Then I started having problems with it stalling in inconvient places
>(the freeway at 65 mph, going around corner, etc.) After it stalled, if I
>would wait about 5 minutes it would start again. Soon it would not want to
>start at all. It would crank over fine, but there was no combustion.
>        The car was towed and the fuel pump relay was replaced. According
>to
>the mechanic it solved the problems of starting and it idled smoother. I
>drove it about 500 miles that weekend and noticed two problems: a 4900 rpm
>fuel cut off and after driving it for about 15 minutes, shuting off the
>engine for about 2-3 minutes, it would not start. It started once again
>after I pumped the gas pedal while starting, and after wiggling the fuel
>pump relay. I don't know whether it was a function of time, or of what I
>did. It was a wet day.
>        The fuel cutoff was solved by simply replacing the wrong relay with
>the right relay. I thank the list for this assistance with this problem.
>        Yesterday, it was raining and I drove my girlfriend down to her
>house. The car started fine and ran fine. It then sat for approxiametely 45
>minutes until I started it again. I wiggled the fuel pump relay and pumped
>the gas pedal after trying to start it again. It started and I had to rev
>the hell out of the engine before I was able to drive it.
>        This morning it started fine and I drove to McDonalds. It sat there
>for about 10 mintues and then I tried to leave. Same symptoms as before. It
>started and then I would rev it a little before I let it settle down into
>an
>idle. Except it didn't settle down into an idle, but died instead. I tried
>everything, but nothing worked. I went until the hood and gave the throttle
>cable a yank. This produced the best results as the car started and I was
>able to keep it alive by revving it before I tried to let it settle back
>into an idle. The revs would drop off if I stayed off the gas for too long,
>falling to about 200 rpms, despite the pedal being all the way to the
>floor.
>If I held it there it would eventually pick pick up, after misfiring a
>little bit and shaking a lot. After about 2 or 3 minutes of doing this and
>scaring everyone in the McDonalds I stopped because I didn't want to hurt
>my
>car. It is getting towed tomorrow by the guy I bought it from. And I am
>sure
>that it will start tomorrow for him, but the problem will not be solved.
>        Another problem, I don't know whether the two are related, is I get
>a pretty good shock everytime I get out of my car. It has cloth seats.
>        Thanks for all your help
>
>Mark Plotz
>mplotz@gac.edu
>1986 4kcsq
>1977 R100/7
>
>