EPC light. Anyone got VAGCOM?

[guss]

After 30mile drive stopped at garage for food, start car and drive 100yds, EPC light comes on solid and no power, have to crawl in to layby. Engine turns over on starter but won't fire up. Battery power seems fine. Full tank of fuel less 50miles. Slighwet outside but not raining. Nothing obvious to me plus it's dark so can't nosey under bonnet too well. AA on way to relay.

1998 S4 B5 unmodified, 125k miles, well serviced.

Any ideas?

Anyone with VAGCOM in Newcastle upon Tyne area?

[Blue_Thunder]

Have you tried unplugging the MAF?

[guss]

Not yet mate. Should I just unplug it and then try and fire her up?

[guss]

Checked under the bonnet this morning and the MAF sensor wasn't even connected. The position of it suggests that it hasn't been connected for a while. There's no way I can see that it would come loose and fall to where it is (see attachment below).

http://www.angus.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/maf.pdf

So, I must have been driving around with no MAF sensor plugged in for a while, but the car seems to have been running ok and I've averaged 21mpg mostly urban driving round the doors but have done some longer runs of 200miles or so. How can this be?

Removing the broken red bits of plastic from the connector and plugging it back in the car now fires up. Even before starting the engine, the EPC light goes out after 3 secs. The car runs like <beep> with the sensor plugged in and can barely rev above 1500 rpm. I crawled home from the garage (where the AA dumped the car last night) about 1/4 mile and the car felt like it was wanting to stall all the time whilst in gear. Disengaging the clutch or in neutral the engine ticks over consistently but around 800 rpm instead of what I think would be normal around 900 - 1,000 rpm.

So, new MAF ordered which will hopefully solve the problem.

Anyone got any ideas as to how I could be running with the MAF disconnected and in the position shown the attachment? I'm puzzled by it.