Low power T/A
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 350
Likes: 25
From: North Shore MA
Low power T/A Hi guys,
My 2000 T/A feels like its down on power.... alot. Here is a run down of what happend.
I was driving the other day, and the check gauges light came on, and the gauges went flat. I hooked it up to my buddys scanner, and every sensor read not ready. I never disconnected the battery, and the car never went dead, so I dont know what thats about?
Also, When driving it, it feels slow. I've driven many other LS cars, and they all pull pretty hard even in stock form. The car is an A4, so I know it wont pull like a 6 speed, but something must be wrong. Even if I keep the car in 2nd gear, it just feels like it weighs 10k lbs.
I wish I had software to read the timing, knock, afr ect... but right now I dont
Any idea whats going on?
My 2000 T/A feels like its down on power.... alot. Here is a run down of what happend.
I was driving the other day, and the check gauges light came on, and the gauges went flat. I hooked it up to my buddys scanner, and every sensor read not ready. I never disconnected the battery, and the car never went dead, so I dont know what thats about?
Also, When driving it, it feels slow. I've driven many other LS cars, and they all pull pretty hard even in stock form. The car is an A4, so I know it wont pull like a 6 speed, but something must be wrong. Even if I keep the car in 2nd gear, it just feels like it weighs 10k lbs.
I wish I had software to read the timing, knock, afr ect... but right now I dont
Any idea whats going on?
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,627
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
This is a bit confusing to me. You say that all the gauges went "flat" while you were driving, but that the car never went dead. So in other words, the car continued to run normally even though every gauge was dead? Does this include the tach, speedo, fuel....all of them showed nothing? If the entire cluster stopped working, but the engine continued to run normally, then something must be up with the gauge cluster/wiring.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 350
Likes: 25
From: North Shore MA
This is a bit confusing to me. You say that all the gauges went "flat" while you were driving, but that the car never went dead. So in other words, the car continued to run normally even though every gauge was dead? Does this include the tach, speedo, fuel....all of them showed nothing? If the entire cluster stopped working, but the engine continued to run normally, then something must be up with the gauge cluster/wiring.
I threw the car in reverse today, and backed up around 400ft. After that I went back into drive, and the car felt like a new machine. Very responsive, it kicked down when you pushed the pedal. Its very odd.
Also, sometimes when you go to start it, and its hot, it'll idle low, and almost die out. Something is making me think its a sensor (I have a box of them) but Im not sure which one.
Im gonna tear into it this weekend and see what I can dig up.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 350
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From: North Shore MA
I was thinking that, but this happend today...
I started the car this morning, and it fired right up. I was sitting in it letting it warm up and I heard a clunk noise behind the dash, almost behind the headlight switch. Thats when the check gauges light came on and all the gauges died. The car was still running, although it seemed a bit rougher and would stumble if you gave it some gas. It stayed like this until I shut the car off. When I went to restart it I got nothing, not even the starter turning. After about another 5 minutes it fired right up, and ran perfect. It pulled hard and drove like a new car.
Does this sound like a VATS issue? The security light would come on when the key was in the on position, but when trying to start the gauges and all dummy lights would go out.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 350
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From: North Shore MA
Here is a picture I took of the cluster when the car started acting retarded this morning. Yes, the car is running in this pic. No, the oil pressure and volts are not that low, they just go there when the gauges decide they dont want to do anything.
It seems like a vats thing. Im gonna do the bypass anyways, so I'll see it that helps at all. The only thing I dont get, is that it resets all the sensors on the car, and the scanner says that they're all reading Not Ready.
It seems like a vats thing. Im gonna do the bypass anyways, so I'll see it that helps at all. The only thing I dont get, is that it resets all the sensors on the car, and the scanner says that they're all reading Not Ready.
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Though whatever is causing this electrical freak out might be triggering the VATS and thus the reason why the car didn't start right away after that last episode. But I think the root of the issue lies somewhere else.
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2013
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From: North Shore MA
I'll try and dig more into it today. I believe the car only has the factory alarm.
When the car acts up, and wont start, I cant hear the fuel pump prime when the key is in the on position. I thought vats killed the pump when it thinks something is wrong, but it sounds like something else is doing this.
Another buddy of mine has one of those Snap On scanners that can tell you and do anything, so I'll see what that comes up with and report back.
When the car acts up, and wont start, I cant hear the fuel pump prime when the key is in the on position. I thought vats killed the pump when it thinks something is wrong, but it sounds like something else is doing this.
Another buddy of mine has one of those Snap On scanners that can tell you and do anything, so I'll see what that comes up with and report back.
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Again, it's possibile that the VATS system is sometimes being triggered by whatever else is happening, but I don't see how it could be the root cause. VATS isn't going to cause the gauges to all die while the engine is still running, nor would it cause the rough running/lack of power.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2013
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From: North Shore MA
Its odd. I can go outside and start the car, and it'll run great. If I shut it off and go to restart it, I get nothing.
I can hear the starter relay under the hood clicking when I turn the key.
I can hear the starter relay under the hood clicking when I turn the key.
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Sounds like your computer is being a little *****. Only time I've ever had the gauges go flat and a loss of power, I had (A) in a Pontiac Bonneville, ESD bricked the computer. (B) In a Dodge, the battery was flat, dead as a doornail.
In the spirit of testing random things, would you mind taking some sandpaper, and get all terminals to shiny, then give the battery another full charge? It sounds like the vibrations are disconnecting it, but that may just be me!
In the spirit of testing random things, would you mind taking some sandpaper, and get all terminals to shiny, then give the battery another full charge? It sounds like the vibrations are disconnecting it, but that may just be me!
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 350
Likes: 25
From: North Shore MA
Sounds like your computer is being a little *****. Only time I've ever had the gauges go flat and a loss of power, I had (A) in a Pontiac Bonneville, ESD bricked the computer. (B) In a Dodge, the battery was flat, dead as a doornail.
In the spirit of testing random things, would you mind taking some sandpaper, and get all terminals to shiny, then give the battery another full charge? It sounds like the vibrations are disconnecting it, but that may just be me!
In the spirit of testing random things, would you mind taking some sandpaper, and get all terminals to shiny, then give the battery another full charge? It sounds like the vibrations are disconnecting it, but that may just be me!
I've already done some simple things like checking the battery (its only a year old) and the terminals look good.
I'll report back later on today.
Sounds like a body control module issue or possibly a bad ground from the battery, it could also be a bad ground wire behind the dash possibly from an aftermarket cd player or aftermarket gauge hook to the fuse panel
The performance issue sounds like a vacuum leak I would check your Pcv hose around the intake for cracks
The performance issue sounds like a vacuum leak I would check your Pcv hose around the intake for cracks
