Lack of Drive (the car not in life!)

Post by **boogerloo** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:47 pm

I handed over two thousand quid to the usually inept dealer last night (brakes, water leak, plus a few other issues) and as I hit the motorway this morning I lost all power. Coasted to a stop, the engine appeared to be running and sounded smooth. When I put the car back in gear and tried to pull away I was welcomed with the sound of the engine revving but no movement, as if my foot was on the clutch.

I am not mechanically minded but presume the issue is something to do with the clutch. Could anyone with more knowledge than me give an indication of a potential diagnosis? Any advice would be appreciated so that I can be prepared for the usual drivel from the dealer.

Post by **Contigo** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:05 pm

Gear linkages? Dunno sounds really weird that one.

Post by **Contigo** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:08 pm

Have a read of this mate and see if it sounds similar to yours.

http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... ar+linkage

Post by **sfrs4** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:35 am

was there a funny smell in the cabin? did it rev faster than it was accelerating before you lost drive? if the answer to the questions is yes then it's probbaly clutch if not then it's more serious.

Post by **Contigo** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:56 pm

If it's a short shifter then it could be as simple as a linkage coming off, if you read the thread I linked above you will see a person on there had exactly the same problem. My guess is either linkage or release bearing.

Post by **boogerloo** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:36 pm

Thanks for advice, dealer phoned today to tell me it is a driveshaft. Waiting for it to be shipped from Germany. I wonder if it is anything to do with the the work they were doing on it, as he was very apologetic on the phone and they replaced the brakes and CV joints when it was in, just 10 km's before it failed.

Expecting a big bill so might be a negotiating point!

Post by **Contigo** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:13 pm

Well seeing as they replaced the drivehaft or at least part of it when it was in what exactly do they expect? Have you seriously sat down with them and understood exactly what they have done here?

To have a dealer work on your car and spend 2k on it should be enough to be abel to drive it away, I would NOT let them charge you for any more work, it has got to be related to the work they have just done surely?

Post by **boogerloo** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:14 am

Well things are not always so easy or simple in Abu Dhabi! I had a discussion this morning and last week they replaced inner CV boot, front discs and pads and removed reinstalled an oring (although I could not establish if this was anything to do with the drive shaft or was due to the water leak problem).

They are saying that the drive shaft has completely snapped and could not be connected to the work they had done. I have no clue if this is true, but the driveshaft is in the boot so I may try to find someone who has a clue if their story holds together. It happened less than 12 hours after picking the car up so I am naturally sceptical that this is a coincidence.

No one said owning an RS4 was cheap, just wish I was in the UK and could take it to one of the reputable indies rather than pay through the nose for sub standard service and understanding of the car (to be fair a B5 RS4 is one of the rarest cars you could drive in the UAE).

Post by **Contigo** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:25 pm

Been there a few times and seen the B7's but no B5. Didn't realise you were out there in Abu Dhabi.

I stay in the Rotana when I go there, great hotel! Traders downstairs helps too

Post by **boogerloo** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:26 pm

It never rains!

You will have to stick with me as I am no mechanic or engineer.

My friend has had the car for a while whilst I have been out of the country and probably only a thousand clicks on the car since the new drive shaft. He was hearing some tapping noises form the engine and took it in. No surprise that it was cam wear, reasonably serious on one lobe. The lifter has been eaten away. The valve is stuck so has not dropped to cause terminal damage. However, there are a number of small (barely hairline) cracks on the cylinder head that Audi say are totally unrelated to the cam issue - is this unusual for an RS4?.

As a consequence they say I must replace the whole cylinder head with complete cam shaft? The reason varied between the small cracks and the fact that the valve is stuck depending on the question I was asking???

I am expecting the worst (estimated bill for repair £7k), it would be nice if someone made my day and told me it was not as bad as it appears.

Forever hopefull in the Middle East.

Post by **stumpyrs4** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:00 pm

Now re-considering buying an RS4...

Post by **mikeyquattro** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:07 pm

stumpy67 wrote:Now re-considering buying an RS4...

Ha ha!!!!! With bigger peaks there are bigger troughs

Post by **stumpyrs4** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:46 pm

Yeah but how do you deal with being given a £7k bill ?!

Post by **mikeyquattro** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:50 pm

Minor heart attack and a large credit card bill!!

Careful ownership should help with it. Regular pressure tests and cam inspections will help

Post by **boogerloo** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:37 am

Having a decent garage that can pick up on these issues earlier would also help. On two occasions I have asked the dealership about checking and replacing sensors and pressure testing the turbo because of perfromance issues. When we took the engine cover off recently we found that one of the pipes to the turbo was just flapping around and that a second had been overtightedned to the point that the clamp had broken. Audi's incompetence in Abu Dhabi truely manages to astound me time and time again.

Really I just want to get it patached up by these monkeys so that when I bring it back to the UK I can give it to MRC and get some value for the money I spend

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