Help/Advice needed - Starter Relay - Fuel consumption

B6/7 S4/RS4
#1

Gents, greetings form Greece.

Have been having some issues lately withe my B7 RS4. There are two distinct areas of consideration:

  1. A starter relay problem P3088; and

  2. Very high fuel and oil consumption issue.

  3. I have been having the same problem for the apst 2 months. Under cold morning weather >10 Celcius the car will not crank. Turning the key I can hear the fule pump, press the starter, I hear the strater realy “clicking” and nothing. Have been reaidng that this could be a starter issue or a fuel filter issue. The latter has been changed about 15k km ago and as regards the starter, I would imagine that since I can hear the starter relay on the left hand side panel (where the fuses are) “click” that means that the button works… or I am wrong? Any ideas where else to look?

  4. The 2nd looks more challenign as a problem. I had a big service check with a carbon clean up. It was “the worst carbong build up” that my mechanic has ever seen in my car. The service also included oil change. Got the car which run just fine, no fault codes other that the relay mentioned above and a Bank 2 intermitent intkae manifold flap sensor (which I think I will be changin this part 079135619 as the mechanic did a pressure check and there was no apparent solenoid leaks/issues). After 2k-3k miles got an oil light. That took me aback. It was sthe first time teh car asked fro more oil after such a short period. I also got to think the “worst case of carbon build up” my mechanic has seen in my car. On top my fule consumption has gone north! A full tank got me around 420km (260 miles) before the reserve light lit. now it barely makes it to 360k (220 miles).

I got to think that my oil stem valves have gone bad and need replacement, or my PCV. He had a lok at the PCV, it had some oil inside but he said this was normal (could he be wroing?).

I plan of pulling some loggs to check the fuel trim and the lamda, in case I am running reach. But if I did, wouldn’t there be a fault code?

In any case, I would appreciate your 2 cents on potential areas to look at.

Thanks in advance

#2

By the way forgot to give you some specs:

JHM tune
Gutted pre cats
Forge 2nd radiator

#3

The starter click and no starter turn over wouldnt be a fuel issue. That would be a starter or other relay issue. We see your starter no start issue with the starters on the S4s. If it gets warmer out and the car starts that would be a sign that its probably the starter.

as for the fuel consumption after the carbon clean. That sounds like you might have a vac leak or something not installed right after the clean. It would make less sense to get worst gas mileage after a clean when you should be getting better mileage.

Also if you can post some pictures here on the carbon and how bad it was. If you can just load it up to the ste.

#4

easy way to load pictures to the site

just click and load

http://audirevolution.net/image_uploader.php

#5

Regretfully there are no pics available.

I have been carefull in carbon cleaning the car every 40k kms. The task is performed by the same person every time. Maybe he made a mistake this time in putting things together… who knows?

#6

How old is your battery?

#7

Changed it two weeks ago!

I noticed something very strange this am. With 3 Celcius and having had to take the car early am I feared that I would spend quite some time until it started. I was wrong! It fired up immediately. While I was driving off I noticed that I had not left the seat heater on as I usually do… I had lowered the switch to “zero” when I normally leave it on at “3” throughout the winter. Could there be any battery drain or sth else that creates the problem with the ignition?

Will check again tmrw am…

#8

Managed to pull 3 consecutive pulls today…The car is running rich based on lamda cpntrol (001) with an vaergae correctino of negative 4%. Well within specs but this is apparent at even low \RPMs. The ugloy stuff is cylinder retardation that is apperent from very low RPMs but below double digit figures.

What is the bet way to upload the xls file? A link to dropbox for anyone that is polite enough to have a look.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nj9ncegepk7q21t/LOG-01-014-02B-03C-20F-1061-1072.CSV?dl=0

Ambient temp was at 21 celcius

Thanks in advance for any input.

#9

Any help in properly reading the file is much appreciated guys.

#10

I tried to look but I couldnt open the file.

If its cold out side the car will run rich for a while. The warm up time on the car will depend on how cold out it is. So if you dont see the car correcting more then 4 its because the car wants to be doing that.

As for the correction. That too will be upped when its cold out. The correction of or pulling of timing will leave more unburnt fuel and act as a way to heat up the motor and cats. Also when the outside temps drop so will the timing until the car is warmed up.

the temp 21c isnt very cold but the car will still go into warm up mode in anything under about 25c

#11

Thanks a lot for trying to read this.
I am lisitng below agian the link for a 2nd try
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nj9ncegepk7q21t/LOG-01-014-02B-03C-20F-1061-1072.CSV?dl=0

Is there any other way to upload the xls file?

Some initial reposne is that it was not cold (at 21 Clecius outside) and I remember seeing intake temp of 40 celcius and before logging the car had already run for some 50-60kms. So I guess it was warmed up.

#12

I tried to mention that 21c isnt very cold its actually close to 70f but its cold enough that the out side temp will put the car into warm up mode.

As for the logs it actually all looks good. When you look at the corrections they fall as you make more pulls and that would show the plugs cleaning up along with the cylinder charge allowing less knock. You can see that the corrections drop more then the ingition advance pics up. The cars usually settle in around -4 or -5 in the upper rpm range. more or less depending on the temps outside and the other conditions

As for the fuel correction thats actually right where most cars are that are in good condition. So it didnt show your actual AFR but the correction and the rail pump all looked good.

#13

Thanks again for the quick response. It is a great relief to read that this is normal and nothing to worry about.

Truly appreciate it.