Check engine light flashing, car shaking...help!

[ladybird]

Driving around tonight, everything going just fine. Put the car in park, and I noticed it started shaking...a lot. I looked down and my check engine light was flashing.
(I have an A4 1.8T (automatic) )
It's having a lot of trouble accelerating/switching gears, esp up hills. I've been told it could either be my coil packs, cat, or transmission...any ideas?

[Wet0willy01]

ignition coil ...the end

[dubgli]

it might be your turbo.. you should go ahead and order a GTRS.. and if that's not the fix, just sell me the GTRS for cheap. j/k.. it has to be the coil pack like weto stated.. the end.

[aaaudiprotein]

your coilpack.
now plz send mail me a gallon of apple juice

[Wet0willy01]

buy at least two, one to replace the bad one and a spare for the trunk. It will happen again.

[Wet0willy01]

your coilpack.
now plz send mail me a gallon of apple juice

I'll take a lager....

[NvrFllw]

it's your fluxcapacitor

[burns420]

even if you replace the coilpack and it turns out to be something else, you will eventually have a coilpack go bad so it wont be money wasted picking up a couple.

[terminaltone]

Switch all of the coilpacks out. I had my 1 and 3 go out and i switched them out. 60 miles later 2 and 4 went out. Go to genuinevwaudiparts.com for the best price. Its an easy fix.

[greyturbo]

scan the car and see what cylinder or cylinders are misfiring.

[beegeezy]

I seem to remember seeing R version coils for sale somewhere for less than $25 each.

[dynamic]

can someone give me a quick how-to for a 2004 b6 3.0L on how to change the ignition coils? my car is at the dealership and they want $600!!!

[[email protected]]

Change all the coil packs at once...that's the best way to go or more will blow about 2 miles down the road.

FYI, flashing CEL means continual and severe misfires.

[Valve_Cover]

buy at least two, one to replace the bad one and a spare for the trunk. It will happen again.

Am i the only one who replaces all 4 coils at the first sign of failure? I just hate changing just one since they all have the same mileage, i always throw in 4, normally all with new plugs too

EDIT: lol guess b6sport shares my opinion :P

[Smitty2A4]

can someone give me a quick how-to for a 2004 b6 3.0L on how to change the ignition coils? my car is at the dealership and they want $600!!!

It is a pain in the ass on the 3.0 since they are crammed in there so tightly. I remember I bought 3 of them at the Audi dealer thinking I could do it myself and then I went to attempt it and I could not even get the damn harness un-clipped, then someone mentioned that if you break the harness it costs much much more so I just said F it and had the dealer put in all 6 new ones even though only three were bad. Like mentioned once one goes other tend to go shortly after. I keep the three good ones in my trunk now just in case.

BTW I just look at my receipt, I paid $40 per coil so $240 for the parts and $210 for labor. $450 total so your price seems a little high. Not saying I got a good deal just that even the dealer should not be charging $600 for this job.

[crs]

Am i the only one who replaces all 4 coils at the first sign of failure? I just hate changing just one since they all have the same mileage, i always throw in 4, normally all with new plugs too

EDIT: lol guess b6sport shares my opinion :P

One went out around 60k, replaced the one, and then another went out within 200 miles. So I just bought a pack of 4 to replace the last 3 and keep a spare in the trunk now.

[[email protected]]

One went out around 60k, replaced the one, and then another went out within 200 miles. So I just bought a pack of 4 to replace the last 3 and keep a spare in the trunk now.

Let me get this right: One went bad and you replaced the one, and then another went out not too long after. So after that happens, you decide to only change out the other 3? That doesn't make sense. You should have replaced all 4 after you learned the first time...

Having one in the trunk is great to get you home when one goes out, but in the future, learn from your errors and replace all 4 regardless

I'm not hating, just trying to help.

[dfwhockey17]

I know I am going to take some shit for this but I bought 4 new coilpacks at my local O'Reilley Auto Parts for around $25/each. The nice thing about them is they have a lifetime warranty and when one goes bad I take it back and they give me a new one (I find out the closest store that has one in stock and take it there) for free, then it replaces the one I had in the trunk. So far none of them have gone bad, just the ones that came in the car when I bought it, just food for thought.

[Scubasteeve]

The best advise I can give you is to buy a OBDII code reader and figure out which cylinders are misfiring. Then just buy a few new ignition coils and replace the ones that are shot, and keep 2 in your trunk.

[Vince Stark]

change all 4 coil packs
cause if u blew one the other 3 took too much obuse and gonna go fast

[[email protected]]

...Then just buy a few new ignition coils and replace the ones that are shot, and keep 2 in your trunk.

Don't do this ^^

The best advice you can get...period...is to ALWAYS replace ALL coilpacks. Keep a couple spares in your trunk to get you home when one goes out, then take the spares out, put them back in the trunk, and put in 4 new packs.

OR--

Keep 4 in your trunk. Replace ALL 4 when one goes out (on the side of the road), then drive to your closest dealer and get 4 more for the trunk.

[Vince Stark]

Don't do this ^^

The best advice you can get...period...is to ALWAYS replace ALL coilpacks. Keep a couple spares in your trunk to get you home when one goes out, then take the spares out, put them back in the trunk, and put in 4 new packs.

OR--

Keep 4 in your trunk. Replace ALL 4 when one goes out (on the side of the road), then drive to your closest dealer and get 4 more for the trunk.

yeap thats what i do

[cruzin210]

Can you speak to the reason for changing all 4 when only one goes bad?

[[email protected]]

Can you speak to the reason for changing all 4 when only one goes bad?

Yes...

When one goes bad, whether it's because there's too much strain on it or it had some flaw from the factory, there's extra strain put on the rest. Coilpacks are very sensitive and any change in equilibrium will throw everything off.

If you read a bunch on this subject, almost EVERY time someone changes out a coil pack, another goes bad right down the street. It's because too much strain is put on the remaining packs...so once one goes, the rest are sure to follow.

It's a pain in the ass, but the only way to keep them all good is to replace them all at the same time.

[ImageX]

Everyone is pointing to coilpacks... waht about vacuum leak... it acts about the same... this is on a 1.8t... also turn on the engine and pop the hood and listen for a loud sucking noise anywhere... if it is a vacuum leak i suggest checking the suction jet pump behind the intake mani.. it looks like a y shaped piece of plastic... good luck....

[[email protected]]

Everyone is pointing to coilpacks... waht about vacuum leak... it acts about the same... this is on a 1.8t... also turn on the engine and pop the hood and listen for a loud sucking noise anywhere... if it is a vacuum leak i suggest checking the suction jet pump behind the intake mani.. it looks like a y shaped piece of plastic... good luck....

That would have to be one gnarly vacuum leak. I've never seen one violently shake the car and show continual/severe misfires....maybe random misfires (but not blinking CEL bad).

All the symptoms point directly to the coil packs.

[dfwhockey17]

Yes...

When one goes bad, whether it's because there's too much strain on it or it had some flaw from the factory, there's extra strain put on the rest. Coilpacks are very sensitive and any change in equilibrium will throw everything off.

If you read a bunch on this subject, almost EVERY time someone changes out a coil pack, another goes bad right down the street. It's because too much strain is put on the remaining packs...so once one goes, the rest are sure to follow.

It's a pain in the ass, but the only way to keep them all good is to replace them all at the same time.

I have not had that experience AT ALL. I just replaced the bad one and the rest were fine, in the little over a year I have had my car I have only had two fail on me and they were about ten months apart. Replacing all of them seems like overkill to me, but hey, its your money...

[[email protected]]

I have not had that experience AT ALL. I just replaced the bad one and the rest were fine, in the little over a year I have had my car I have only had two fail on me and they were about ten months apart. Replacing all of them seems like overkill to me, but hey, its your money...

That must be nice. I don't know of many people with the same situation as you...but hats off regardless

[dynamic]

Replaced all 6 today in about an hour. Saved a ton! Thanks for the info...fairly easy DIY.

Got'em for $22.61/ea at http://genuinevwaudiparts.com

[drow]

I have an 2003 a6 2.7 bi-turbo and my engine light flashes for about 20 seconds then stops flashing and runs fine, also had the coil packs replaced per recall about 2 years ago,,,, any suggestions good sir,,,, Thank you,,,,