Audi A6 - top of engine blew off...WTF?

Using Holts Cold Start to start engine this morning....big bang....top of engine blew off. WTF??? One Audi A6 now available for spares or repair. LOL

Reply to
Les
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On the basis that this is not a Troll......

What do you mean the top of the engine blew off ? That's not really possible is it?

Reply to
Usenet Nutter

I assure you it's not. Had I been standing nearer to the engine, it could have gone off in my face. The Audi badge from the bonnet ended up in the nearest tree!

Please see ebay item No. 320476015996 for pictures.

Reply to
Les

the inlet manifold has cracked and blown itself apart. Probably a crack was why it was difficult to start in the first place, you have sprayed an explosive gas into an enclosed space and a minor backfire has lit the gas and the resulting 'explosion' has blown the enclosed space apart. A new inlet manifold would probably be all that is needed. Still not worth doing unless you really wanted the car though.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Many thanks. Could this have happened if the manifold wasn't already cracked? The (bits of) manifold looks like it's made of some kind of ceramic material. There was actually a much smaller bang and a puff of smoke when I tried the same thing yesterday. Perhaps that's what created the initial crack? It had been driving fine up until Friday, although there were a few times when it wouldn't start in the last month.

Given the price of Audi parts, probably not.

Reply to
Les

aah...Now I understand .I had visions in my head of the cylinder head having flown off..lol Probably a good buy for someone with the ability,time and premises and a few quid .

Reply to
Usenet Nutter

Only if you're very unlucky.

Aha...probably thats when it appeared. It would be sucking in air and weakening the mixture.

What about breakers yards?

Reply to
Conor

So the backfire was the result of a crack?

A possibility is that something got damaged during the installation of the replacement steering rack in October - apparently you get at it from the top of the engine at the back. Especially as the job had to be done twice!

Or, given the mileage (208K) it could have been something totally different, e.g. age.

That would have been a possibility, but the missus wants something smaller. Anyway, it already has a starting bid of £100, probably more than I'd get from the scrappie if they had to tow it away.

Reply to
Les

going price round here is 130 from a scrappie

Reply to
Mrcheerful

For a car that they have to tow/trailer in? I only got £50 for a Volvo 360 a couple of years ago, and I delivered it myself!

As an aside, a cracked inlet manifold now makes a lot of sense. The car always idled high (around 1000 rpm), and more recently it has been up to 1300 rpm. The last garage blamed it on a faulty idle control valve; I wonder how long it would have taken them to find a crack in the manifold?

Reply to
Les

about 1 minute with a tin of carb cleaner

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Assuming, of course, that they knew what to look for. I've never seen an AA patrol do that in the four times they've been called out for no-start situations with this car.

Reply to
Les

well you should have got an actual mechanic to look at it after the first time it would not go. Faults like that are not rocket science to fix.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

The first two occasions it wouldn't start were (correctly) diagnosed as faulty crankshaft sensors (no fuel delivery and no spark).

I've always thought the AA patrolmen were pretty good mechanics...

Reply to
Les

Would you believe the price from Audi (top and bottom, they won't just sell the top part) is almost £950???

Reply to
Les
[...]

Yes.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

I wonder if they ever actually sell any?

Reply to
Les

Very possibly with easy start or LPG!

Obviously caused by a backfire into the inlet tract caused by weak HT system (most likely), or acouple of leaky inlet valves.

Easy start is NOT something that should be onsale to the general public in my opinion.

Tim

Reply to
Tim..

In message , Tim.. writes

Agreed..... we should use the Aussie version!!!

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Reply to
Paul Giverin

They have a rather low failure rate.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

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