New Noise - Engine noise while in Drive - '02 1.8T Quattro

Thought about it some more - the noise almost sounds like a vacuum cleaner motor (but much higher pitch) when the vacuum hose is clogged or blocked.

Thanks Tony. I am also puzzled. Incidentally, MIL illuminated as I was driving home last night. Performance (acceleration) seems "soft" - noise is still occuring.

My 1.8TQM with APR 1 bar chip had another issue due to the wast gate actuator on the K03 Turbo failing. When that happens you loose boost >> loss of power :-( It is typical to hear a rattling in mid range engine RPM. I wouldn't call the sound a buzzing but more of a high pitched rattle.

You can test this by looking beside the engine and above the turbo to see a shiny rod running parallel to the length of the engine. It is quite difficult to see or reach but can be done (when engine is cool). If you can reach it try to move it with a stick to see if it is loose. If it is this may be your problem. The K03 turbos have this happen quite often at 60 - 100 K. Fix is to either replace the turbo or the just the waste gate assy can be found for around $200. Labor will be three or four hours. DIY is possible but a bit challenging.

If this is your problem, you could also th> Thanks Tony. I am also puzzled. Incidentally, MIL illuminated as I

Thanks Tony,

I am bringing it in tonight. I will have them scan the ECU (I think that is what it is referred to) to get the code (since the MIL is illuminated there should be a problem code associated with this). I will also mention checking the Waste Gate Actuator.

Incidentally, I have never worked on cars (other than a 1980 Chevy Citation) so a lot of the terms that are used are a little foreign to me.

Thanks for the tip.

Cheers

BTW - Turbo is shot - being replaced under extended engine warranty (phew).

Now being told that the evaporator unit is acting up - what is this and what does this mean? Can it be related to the Oil Sludge problem that was supposed to be fixed last week?

What are these "chips" you mentioned. I am assuming this is an "aftermarket" part - in this cased something to do withthe on-board computer system that flashes the system and removes some of the restrictions the stock system puts on the engine. How do I go about looking into this and are there any good online resources?

Thanks

You are lucky that the warranty covers it.

Evaporator is a component in the air conditioning system that cools the interior air when the gas evaporates. It is located in the area below the windshield. Not related to the sludge issue. Still the condenser part of the system is loosened and swung down under the engine when major work is performed on the engine. Any stress on the AC components risks causing a leak but not likely where they are claiming. They are probably looking at an AC oil leak at a joint in the system. Ask them to test with a 'sniffer' to confirm the problem. I would be suspicious that they are just looking to get more $$$ from you to cover some of the warranty costs.

Chips: various after-market performance parts companies sell chips that replace the stock ones in the ECU. They reverse engineer the factory algorithm than controls boost level, fuel mapping and ignition timing to optimize various things including hp / torque. The stock chips are rather conservative and an after market one can make a very impressive difference.

My chip is rated at one bar which increases boost from 7 - 10 up to 15 - 18. It is available from APR performance parts.

If you are th> BTW - Turbo is shot - being replaced under extended engine warranty > (phew).

Thanks for the info Tony.

Interesting story on the Warranty. When I purchased the car I was told that the 1.8T engines have a problem with oil sludge but the engine was to be covered by an 8 year warranty (i.e. on an '02 this would take the warranty period to 2010). To me this sounded great. I did not anticipate any problems and my mechanic said the car seemed in great shape (obviously didn't look into the engine). About 200KMs into my ownership of the car - it died - oil sludge.

Downside - I did not have the service records for the vehicle. Upside was that the local Audi dealer/service center provided this information and certified it in the Service Manual. Downside is that the previous owner lapsed a few thousand kilometers on a couple of oil changes and Audi was not honoring the warranty (initially) - after some heated discussion and a very useless call to Audi Customer Advocacy center (HAHAHAHA), VAG is now covering the car under the warranty. I would have been screwed if they did not.

The turbo should be done by today.

This vap thing sounds a little fishy to me and I do wonder if it is the center trying to recoup some margin off me since all of the work done on my car to date is under warranty.

I may consider a mod chip in the future but at this point I want to keep the warranty intact. It sounds like I will need it!

Cheers