Ignition

[Larsa]

is it common to have a fault ignition spole on one cyl?
mine is running on 7 cyl and the fault is nr 7. I have ordered one new ignition spole, it startet with some faults at ignition on 7:e cyl and now its not running at all. The kat lamp is switched on when this happens.
The spole cost about 110 Eur with the long tube to the spark.
Could it be something else?

[Marc Welsch]

Yes, their is a second possibility. You have two power-amplifiers, which are controlling the 8 ignition spools. Until know I know 5 PLUSes which had one broken amplifier.

You can check that, if you change the first and the second amplifier, if you have the problem at a other cylinder, it's the amplifier. Those amplifiers are placed next to the fuel-filter, very easy to find!

[Larsa]

Ok thanks Marc,
I tryed yesterday to switch the spole to nr 6 and dont connect any of them, 6, 7 and se if the engine runs at 6 cyl. Then after that i connected nr 7 with the switched spole and i think that its running at 7 cyl again and the fault is now nr 6. But its hard to listen if its running on 6 or 7 cyl.

Could juste one cyl become fault if the power-amplifier is wrong??
Arent the running one per side 1,2,3,4 and so on.
What is the price?

[Marc Welsch]

Normally, if one of the amplifiers is broken, one complete side would not work any more...

In Germany the price for one amplifier is about EUR 300.

[René Hazejager]

Hi,

I had the same problem, broken amp (power FET). This results in min. 2 cyl not firing.
Your problem is only 1 cyl. I think it is the spark plug and/or the wire. Take off the wire (out of the plug extension) and check against your block the spark. Should be 1 cm.
Maybe your extension is short circuited. (The device which extends your spark plug connection) Look carefully with good light for tracks of carbon (black), this indicates a voltage leak->no spark.

Hope this helps.

René.

[Larsa]

Hi Rene,
Hi tryed the "wire" one week ago, switched nr 8 and 7 and its still no ignition on nr 7.
I ordered ignition spole and "wire" for 110 Eur.
I kross my fingers for the spole on monday when it arrives...

[Larsa]

Strange!!
Today the car worked fine
I hope its the ignition spoole that is doing this.

[René Hazejager]

Larsa,

Indeed strange. Means your ignition coil is functioning. Does not say it's 100%. Tomorrow maybe it stops again, then you have a loose contact inside.
I recommend you to check your sparkplug (porcelain isolator!) and the extension 'wire' on black tracks, so called burned carbon tracks, which are conducting the high voltage to the metal block->no spark! Also dirt is often a problem.

Question: has it been rainy just before/during this problem? Than you have water damp underneath your coil. I've had this after a full service of AUDI Thank you mechanic! I never go back there, because I had to clean all plugs and wires! Problem disappeared (although I have to say, the weather improved as well...).

Good luck!
René.

[Larsa]

Tändspole = Induktionsspule = Induction coil
Tändstift = Zündflansch = sparking plug
Högeffektförstärkarrör = Grossverstärkerröhre = Power-amplifiers
Tändkabel = Zündkabel = Ignition cable

Hi again,

Last time this happend on cyl nr 7 I exchange the Ignition cable beetwen the sparking plug and the induction cole for cyl nr 6 and 7. Its still problem at nr 7 cyl. Its coming and going, this time it lasted for two days, usualy its a problem for a cuple of minutes.
I checked the sparking plug but i did not exchange it, it looked ok. It has only 8000 km since the last service.

The weather is not the problem, this time the car was in a dry garage for 2 weeks and it dident work after that. The engine compartment is in a exellent chape and is newer wet or dirty.

I ordered a new "ignition cable" and a induction cole for 110 Eur. Could the induction cole be the one??
I heard that if it is broken it is not working at all...
I try to se if there is oxidation on the cables to the Power-amplifiers and the ignition coile later on.
It is hard when i dont have the right electrical tools at home or could se with a computer.

It is going to be an expencive year, i think i want to change the lambda sonds as well later on when i have money. They look ok at the vag-com at the service but that doesent say if they are not working well. I think that the car would go better with new ones. It has 140 000 km now so..
What is the price in Germany for the lamdas?? here they cost 170 Eur each. Any one else who felt a differece in replasing them?

[René Hazejager]

Hi Larsa,

Keep up the spirit! All problems you are facing, I experienced between 120.000 and 150.000 km including a new cat. At that time I was not aware of this forum, which is a great help now. (I'm currently diagnosing hydraulic problems in my brake servo... NOT fun).

Thanks for the short dictionary, I like that. Looks like my tape recorder Tandberg (1968?!), with the big reels.

You still haven't exchanged your spark plug... (Very little chance that's the problem). I suspect the coil, look for hair cracks. By the way, those electrical components are difficult to test, and the test equipment is expensive. I'm convinced the problem is over on monday!

For the remaining problems I would take your time, not critical at all.

Take care and let me know.
René.

[Sebastian]

It is going to be an expencive year, i think i want to change the lambda sonds as well later on when i have money. They look ok at the vag-com at the service but that doesent say if they are not working well. I think that the car would go better with new ones. It has 140 000 km now so..
What is the price in Germany for the lamdas?? here they cost 170 Eur each. Any one else who felt a differece in replasing them?

Why do you mean, that your lambdas work not correct, but vag-com says they are working well?

You can show at vag-com the correct working of the lambdas...and my lambdas working very well at 205.000 km !

In germany, you must pay about 130 EUR for one lambda!

[Larsa]

Why do you mean, that your lambdas work not correct, but vag-com says they are working well?

You can show at vag-com the correct working of the lambdas...and my lambdas working very well at 205.000 km !

In germany, you must pay about 130 EUR for one lambda!

I have always heard that the lamdas report "go or no go" = the correct value you have to messaure with an electrical instrument manually at a surtent rpm. the lamda report on vag-com say in this early year 97 that it is function but it doesent say how quick it respond or if it has a damage value. = higher fuel value. Mabye Marc has some other info. The lamdas cost here 190 Eur each.

Now tho the real gooood thing!!!!!!!!!!!
My car goes like a rocket!! i have found the failure on the ignition. It was one of the connector on the power amplifier, the one that sitting under.

Some one have during service or something forgott or happend to pull out one end a tiny bit so it was not connecting correct at one-two pins. It is a wire holding the connector and if you press it you loosen the connector. You cant se at first, i was invitet to a barbeque today and i had some spare time when the kids where playing. I took away every connector and clean it. i think it has always been like that, the car goes smother and quicker and life is smiling

Now i have to tell my VAG chop that i dont want the ignitioon coil

Thanks for all the help!!!

[Sebastian]

I have always heard that the lamdas report "go or no go" = the correct value you have to messaure with an electrical instrument manually at a surtent rpm. the lamda report on vag-com say in this early year 97 that it is function but it doesent say how quick it respond or if it has a damage value. = higher fuel value. Mabye Marc has some other info. The lamdas cost here 190 Eur each.

´

With CAG-COM you can see how quickly the lambdas work...it works in the same way as an electrical instrument!

Believe me