Swanson

Update from previous post: I purchased a good used "BH" series TCM from Tozo and installed it. It made no difference at all, except for the throttle response was a little quicker. I have purchase a new VAG-COM and a Bently DVD which should arrive Monday. I am guessing there is a very logical procedure to follow in the Bentley regarding misfires. Since the misfire is intermittant and happens only after the car warms up, I am suspecting an electrical issue. The old error codes I got from the seller indicate misfires on both sides of the engine - but I'll clear the codes and monitor exactly what codes show up when the misfire events occur. I am not driving it except for testing, but am getting low on gas and will run some Techroline through it to see if it is injectors. What would the symptoms of poor or low octane gas be? It may have been filled with rotgut year-old 85 octane prior to my purchase.

Also I have noticed a strange clicking sound from the manual gear selector lever and the idle speed seems to high during the "event". Any ideas?

tozoM8

The clicking could be the shift lock solenoid. It clicks when you press the brake pedal or if you go under 4mph.

KYNZ

that was my culprit.

Swanson

KYNZ, I've read all your old threads. Man what a headache you went through. I have considered the timing issue and I'll know more about what is going on with my car after my Vag-com / Bentley comes this afternoon. If it was the timing - wouldn't it be a constant miss instead of only after it warms up? I bought new Shell premium gas this morning and added a can of Techroline to it. I had no issues driving it after my fill-up... Hmmm.

KYNZ

I would go weeks with no CEL or stumbles or anything. The only real issue was a rough idle and on the highway i would get misfires to multiple cylinders. I also had a very weird vibration at 60mph and 72mph (right at 2K rpm thru 2150 or so). All in all, the car ran fine except for those issues...but they were always terribly ill timed occurances (ie. 2.5hrs into a trip in the middle of jersey!). In my quest for the cure i replaced the following items to no avail, however they DID clear it up for a little while:

(8) Spark Plugs (NGK IRIDIUMS)
(2) POS or spark control modules
(1) coilpack (my brother had a spare sitting around and didnt have an audi anymore)
(4) bottles of Techron (for 20gal. tanks...not the cheap small 12gal. bottles)
(2) hydrostatic motormounts
(1) front motormount
(2) transmission mounts
(1) Driveshaft
(1) ECM
-Re-coded my transmission to 001
-transmission fluid/filter change
-rear diff fluid changed
-cleaned roof drains

-and finally, the repair of all repairs - a full timing belt change, waterpump, new serp belt pulley (as it had been bent! but the asswipe who tried to do the Tbelt job before i owned it) and a new fan clutch for my radiator.

Hopefully something on that list will fix your problem and i hope for your sake its not the last one. Good luck.

Swanson

Your symptoms do sound a lot like mine. You say check the compression all around and if its low... I'm on it.

Dare I ask how much is was to fix the tbelt?

KYNZ

that was on TOP of all the other **** i replaced...i'd say im in the car around $6-7K right now...but hey, i now have all kinds of new parts that WOULD HAVE gone bad eventually! Gotta stay positive ya know.

As far as what to look for...im not a mechanic but i know that my bank 2 was low on compression about 30%!!! and bank 1 was variable. 50, 60, 60, 75psi on bank 1 cyls. My timing was off in opposite directions on each cam (i think thats correct terminology). It was causing the misfires, rough idle, and that weird vibration...all of which are gone now (well the idle is still a lil rough but nothing like it was). My car was a flood car so who knows. But after 2wks and $3300 its running great! *knocks on wood*

Swanson

I got the VAG-COM today, and took off for a "long lunch". The frequency of the misfire related vibration has decreased signifcantly - I had no misfires or issues during some really "spirited" driving up and down the canyons or on the highway. Could this have been it? God, I hope so... Too early to claim success...

Pulled the codes and Tozo was right (of course) about the shift lock solenoid - fault to ground indicated by Vag-Com. Now I'm going to try and recode the tranny....

It is interesting that I get misfires on all cyl. except 2 and 8.