ZT-T gone, now an Audi w@nker. Piaggio Porter still poorly.

[Sigmund Fraud]

2 hours ago, High Jetter said:

The A4 started to play upat lunchtime, running (even more) unevenly and vibrating. The EML (which is on due to a Laamda sensor wiring fault) is now flashing. The HT leads seem firmly attached. Earlier on I did fill up with E10 from a garage I haven't used for this car before - might be connected or coincidence?

It's already eaten one pencil coil, so another may have gone.... German quality*.

You really need a code reader for this, but not necessarily VCDS - a shitty £10 ebay one would do. There's bound to be a cylinder misfire code. Clear the code and move the pencil coil from that cylinder to an adjacent one. If the misfire moves with the coil, you have your diagnosis. You can get a half decent brand coil for £20-30 - I think I had installed a Beru one.

Edit : Here's one on evilBay for just under £25.

[High Jetter]

27 minutes ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

It's already eaten one pencil coil, so another may have gone.... German quality*.

You really need a code reader for this, but not necessarily VCDS - a shitty £10 ebay one would do. There's bound to be a cylinder misfire code. Clear the code and move the pencil coil from that cylinder to an adjacent one. If the misfire moves with the coil, you have your diagnosis. You can get a half decent brand coil for £20-30 - I think I had installed a Beru one.

Edit : Here's one on evilBay for just under £25.

Thank you. I was wondering if it might be that, but cars with more than one coil are not something I've had to tackle yet. The symptoms sound like that to you?

I have a shitty OBD reader, will dig it out tomorrow.

[High Jetter]

OBD says misfire on cyl 4, so have ordered one which should be here Tuesday - that ebay one wouldn't have arrived until next Saturday.

Never changed one before, looks like they just fit on top of the spark plug like and old plug lead top, so lever up carefully with a screwdriver? I can see how the lead unclips from the coil. Oh, and Cyl 4 is the one at the back nearest the bulkhead, right?

[Sigmund Fraud]

5 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Never changed one before, looks like they just fit on top of the spark plug like and old plug lead top, so lever up carefully with a screwdriver? I can see how the lead unclips from the coil. Oh, and Cyl 4 is the one at the back nearest the bulkhead, right?

Yeah, they're really easy. Number 4 is closest to the bulkhead. Undo the loom screws, disconnect the coil from the loom (carefully - the connector is brittle 25-year-old VAG plastic) and pull the coil up to remove. Installation is the reverse of removal. 

[High Jetter]

Cheers, wasn't aware I need to release the loom.

[High Jetter]

That ebay coild wouldn't have arrived until Saturday, so I got a new Hella one from Amazonfor £28 + change, it arrived today. Fitting was painless, though the old one took a bit of prising to get it off the tip of the plug. From a quick run round the bock all seems to be well, will be going further in it tomorrow. The red plastic sheathing is indeed starting to break up, so I was very gentle with it. Thanks your your advice, Mr. Fraud.

[High Jetter]

Bock? Block, lol.

[High Jetter]

Coild? FFS, can't spell.

[High Jetter]

My A4 has a fancy starter button, maybe fitted for anti-theft or due to a faulty switch on ignition barrel. Recently I've been having to press the button harder to get it to make contact, which of course I ignored. Took me ages to get it started in Sainsbury's car park earlier but fortunately it did and I went to my shop where I keep electrickery bits and attacked it. Here's the problem switch:

and here's the (temporary) replacement:

I'd like to get a new button switch similar to the above, need to hunt online.

[loserone]

I used to use those for turning on computers.  Might have one in a drawer

[High Jetter]

58 minutes ago, loserone said:

I used to use those for turning on computers.  Might have one in a drawer

Thanks, but I think I can pick one up locally, and fit it over the weekend.

[High Jetter]

Purchased from The Range, of all places!