A3 running like a bucket of nails!

[Puggy680]

 

 

 

First video is after the over oiling of filter.

Second video is after my neighbour looked at it! 

Hello guys, I’m new to this forum, but you maybe my last hope at getting my A3 running smooth again.

It’s a long tale, so should any of you nod off, I get it…

I bought a 2007 A3 2.0tdi Sport 170 with full service history, immaculate condition and low miles!

It arrived on the 18th Sept 2018, ran well, within 3 weeks, DPF light came on, the car wouldn’t regen on a long drive, nor with VagCom, I had family issues at the time, so walked away from it, and left it on drive!

Six months later,

A local mechanic I knew had started his own business and told me to get it up to him, and he’d sort, he cut the DPF OUT, gave it a stage 1 remap, and again, was purring like a kitten, car was due a service in March, I bought all the kit for a major service, oil filter, K&N air filter and  cabin filter, cam belt/fuel pump, oil & coolant.

A these parts were Audi recommended parts!

I dropped the car & service kit to mechanic, he rings me an hour later to tell me the car is smoking real bad, this since fitting the K&N air filter, he said it happen after fitting the air filter, instead of misting the oil over the filter, he used the whole !Removed! bottle, he wiped air box out of oil, and fitted my original Mann/Hummel one! He said the K&N oil would burn off, he completed the service, returned car, I refused to pay any labour, he took car away again and said he’d sort, was in no hurry to get it back!

Oh, by the way, the filter came back drenched in filter oil in the bottom of a Lidls bag.

Oh he sorted it alright! The car came back a week later even worse, I know, my fault with trusting this guy again.

I gave up on it at this point, I’d turn it over every few days to get oil round the engine, there it stayed for a year! 

A new neighbour moved in next door and introduced himself a few weeks down the line, asked why he’d not seen me driving it, he said to pass him the keys and he’d take a look. 

What did I have to lose.

It took him a day and a half, 11 hrs roughly to have it running smoothly again, but still slightly smoking.

It turns out, the injector rail wasn’t bolted down, electrics to injectors broken, air intake manifold wasn’t the original one that was on the car when I bought it, this one was the BMN ALUMINIUM one without the swirl flaps, since it still smoked we refitted the plastic swirl flap manifold back on, it smoked worse! 

It turns out the non swirl flap model manifold is a recommended upgrade, so we refitted it, smoking reduced again!

I finally took it for a naughty drive last week to find its dead rough bottom end, badly smokes when accelerating, mid range power not brilliant, but when turbo kicks in, it’s a rocket!
 

Have anyone out there in FORUMLAND come across this issue?

Plus, with us refitting the Aluminium manifold, do I need to tell the ECU I have no swirl flaps, and will VagCom do this, or do I need a remap company to sort!

This car has caused me so much anxiety, I’d just love it back on the road again!

one last word, it’ll tick over nicely without smoking for a good 30mins to 1hour, then miraculously it’ll smoke real bad!

 

can anyone help point me in the right direction please?

sorry bout the essay!

Lee…

 

 

 

[cliffcoggin]

Sorry Lee, I will not download anything from strangers. Put your videos on a public platform that checks for malware and I'll be happy to look at them.

Having said that, I doubt they will add any more information to what you have written. It is clear your engine was modified without investigation of the DPF fault, and then serviced by a cowboy who did not know what he was doing.

Given all the alterations to the engine the best advice I can give is to take the car either to a proper Audi mechanic or to an independent Audi specialist. It will be probably be expensive, and may involve returning the engine to standard condition, but I reckon starting from a clean slate gives you the best chance of a reliable car once more.

[Steve Q]

I second cliffs advice. To add though, you could take it to a specific tuning company like darkside developments, again it'll be expensive but sure they'll find the problems. 

[Puggy680]

11 minutes ago, Steve Q said:

I second cliffs advice. To add though, you could take it to a specific tuning company like darkside developments, again it'll be expensive but sure they'll find the problems. 

 

12 minutes ago, Steve Q said:

I second cliffs advice. To add though, you could take it to a specific tuning company like darkside developments, again it'll be expensive but sure they'll find the problems. 

Thanks for the replies guys, taking to a mapping company, or to a recommended Audi specialist isn’t an option! 
 

One last question to you both! Is the cars ECU looking for swirl flaps, when they’re not there?

I’ve been given VagCom, can this tell ECU swirl flaps are deleted!

[Steve Q]

Vagcom won't tell you they've been deleted I don't think. 

Why taking it to a specialist isn't an option? 

[Puggy680]

36 minutes ago, Steve Q said:

Vagcom won't tell you they've been deleted I don't think. 

Why taking it to a specialist isn't an option? 

Funds! The wife’s pee’d off with it sat on the drive, blagging VagCom from my friend put her nose out of place!

There is another option, buy another intake manifold that has the swirl flaps, and fit that! 
 

it does seem to act like a swirl flap issue, at tick over she purrs!
 

[Steve Q]

The way you have to look at it, having a stab in the dark hoping you did the solution could cost you more money than good quality diagnosis. 

It's worth a shot putting the original style manifold back on. 

Speaking from experience, you can't run an old Audi on a show string. My A6 has only covered 341k miles on the original engine and gearbox because of thorough maintenance. Including preventative maintenance. 

Old Audi's get cheaper to buy but bills always remain high. That goes for any German car. 

[cliffcoggin]

As Steve said, without accurate diagnosis you are simply guessing what is wrong. That way is a path to endless expenditure without any certainty of solving the problem. If that is what you prefer that's your choice, but you will be on your own.