psr

I haven't been messing around with this one.

Sounds horribly like the cluster may be shot.

Would VDO have anything to do with them? Nothing they do lasts. Ask anyone with an E38 or E39 BMW.

BrianC72gt

In a manner of speaking. Fortunately I have another car. I plumbed up a temporary feed line to the high pressure line out from the fuel pump using a double banjo bolt and another section of hydraulic hose, funnelled in some fuel and then shoved 50psi pressurized air line into the other end. It would fire up then die after the shot of fuel was used up, so I ordered a new fuel pump assembly (because I am in the process of demolishing the old one).

For those not familiar with my saga, clogged cowl vents plus torrential rain several weeks ago and 1/8 (maybe less) tank of gas = flooded interior, cowl, ECU, TCM, zero diagnostic communication and electrical mayhem. Best part, the flood pulled ground on the fuel pump relay and caused it to run all night with a near empty tank and burned it out. So, after all the electrical gremlins are erradicated, I go to pull the fuel pump and the bolt holding it to the internal baffle/distribution system breaks free in a bad way. It just keeps turning but does not come out...Can you say loose captive nut inside the tank? Car-parts.com offered up a complete 2000 tank in Philly for $150, but a phone call confirmed that it was just a mirage *****! Book says 13 hours to drop the tank anyway. Screw that! So I go to grind and drill out the top of this long bolt and then somewhere amidst the shower of sparks, sanity clicks in and I stop before kaboom. Did you know fuel floats on water, the fuel tank is plastic and all the hoses are disconnected...Drag out the garden hose and fill her up for about four hours with the runoff running out the fuel pump hole. Fortunately, my imaginary catch basin caught all of the 2 gallons of gas in the tank.

And that is where we left our hero. I've got the new pump assembly - a complex bit of kit that would give Rube Goldberg pause - and the bolt is on order. Unfortunately, I'll be jetting cross country this weekend to Seattle, so maybe one night next week I can finally cut out the old pump, suck out my fuel tank full of water, evaluate what else inside the tank might be screwed up and install the new one.

Fortunately, I'm too stubborn and stupid to quit.

Regards,

Brian C.
2000 Das Boot A8

BrianC72gt

Don't know, but they do make the fuel pump...

Just kidding, but they do actually. Fuses, same place. Passenger's footwell on the door side (as opposed to the tranny hump) unscrew the big **** and remove the cover..you may have to remove the carpet...it just lifts up. There is a spare fuse holder on the bottom then there are five live rows of fuses. Each row is a different color. Second live row up from the bottom (not counting the spare fuses) You have fuel pump 20 amp, Ignition 20 amp, another 20 amp, a few blanks and then closest to the firewall a couple of 5 or 10 amp fuses. One of the 5 amp fuses in my 2000 powers the immobilizer. Are any other electrical components not working? Radio, Nav, etc...any dead component on the diasnostic network, the "K" wire will prevent communication through the diagnostic port.

Good hunting,

Brian C.

BrianC72gt

When my radio fuse blew due to its inability to swim, diagnostic communication was nill. Pulled the radio and unplugged it from the system and then, lo and behold, the diagnostic port was awake. Replaced the radio fuse and the radio worked, diagnostics worked and I didn't even lose my presets.

Always Overcharged

try giving it a tap

ttuling

The immobilizer is in the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster is not working.

Tom

psr

The garage that were looking at the car could not get anywhere with it, so they took it round to the local independent Audi specialist today (He was on holiday last week). He couldn't find the problem, but pulled out the fuses for the cluster and the immobilizer, stuck them back in and it all came back to life.

That was a lot cheaper than a new cluster. Hopefully, it will keep working.