Horrified drive

[keo]

Well, this might not associate with RS6 topic but after what I experience today I thought I should share it to all the RS6 owner. Due to rainy day, I drive my 2002 sl500 today instead of rs6 because it was wash and clean on the weekend. Anyway, as I was crusing down the triffic going up the hill 2 buses was ahead of me going side by side. Because it was wet both buses blocks the traffic for a while. As it goes down hill, soon one of the bus lead ahead and with the little space I pass the bus and start to rush down the hill(you know after being block for about 5 to 10 minute going up hill in 20-30km, you tends to heavy on the thorttle once it was clear). Than it happens, as the speed reach about 110-120km. I can see the traffic light ahead of me about 150m away. First thing I notice is that the music shut off and the big screen monitor went off as well. I step on the brake and knowing that no brake was available. Than I realize the car engine has also shut off. All sort of Warning light went on in the center of the dash board felt like the christmas light jingling in the total darkness. Although the power of the car has shut off, there is still very little brake as you press as HARD as you possibley could. It like watching the movie Apollo 13 that the crew is waiting the power to come back again. I guess God is on my side this time. The green light freeze in a slow motion as I drive through the intersection with hardly no brake. Once I pass the intersection the car start to slow down to about 30 km than the engine start itself. It like you drive a stick shift with no battery and you have to push the car to start it, that how it felt. I really cannot figure out how the auto transmission start by itself I step on the throttle trying to move my car to the slow lane where I can park it. Than the engine shut off as I approach to stop and back on again when the car has totally stop it. I sat in the car thinking about what has just happen and with goose bump all over me. I shift the lever to park and trying to pull it down to drive but was unable to do it. The car simply just lock it but you can start the engine on and off without a problem. The car has a read of 7 melfunction. I have the car tow to the dealer hopefully I will know what happen tomorrow. Later today I drive out my rs6 but honestly with blank in my mind. I hope I will recover tomorrow. Anyone of you has such experience.

[Bauer]

First off glad to hear you are all right andd that this did not turn in to an accident. I have very little experience with MBZ so I have not heard of this problem and a HUGE problem it is. Let us know what the dealer says.

Cheers,

[Graeme]

I have a freind with a newish SL MB and he had a similar problem. He was doing around 100mph and the whole car just ground to a halt. The engine cut out and he was driving against the compression of turning the engine over without ignition. He went pretty nuts at the guys at MB as the car was only two weeks old at the time and he'd paid around 90k gbp for it. Anyway. MB said they didnt know what had happened, so they reset the ECU and changed the parts that had been damaged by the engine running on compression. It hasnt happened again since, but it's not confidence inspiring..
Lucky you are ok though anyway, that sounds like a mean rollercoaster ride.

[RS4Ever]

whoa

what a story

good thing nothing happened.. that is totally crazy!

i like how you wrote that "it was like christmas" that made me laugh.

very strange how the engine restarted by itself.


yeah, inform us of what the stealership "told" you .. sounds interesting.

[SpinEcho]

:MTM: :MTM:

Glad you're OK. That Benz is not a lightweight. Reminds me of the time I was driving my dad's Olds 98 on the highway when the same thing happened. It's no fun trying to brake or steer a 4,000 lbs.+ tank without power assist!

[keo]

Yes, it is isane and pity to drive a car that cost double the price where all of you guys locate. The MB has only 13000km on it when this happen. Don't know what kind of failure that cost the car to go nut. Let you guys know the result when I get the car back....if i do get the car back or just change another Audi...I have lose faith in MB.

[minimad]

Keo,

I like to hear the story in person. Let's meet up sometime in coffee shop.

[wasn]

Over the year our family owned numbers of MB, But ever since the whale we change, and from then on i've notice MB been having issue with build quality and electronics,
But this takes the cakes i wonder if something did happens what would they react, or have they send out recall yet?

[keo]

Believe me come to think about it. It really worries me. Usually my Mom use this MB once every week. I am glad she wasn't driving when this happen. Yes, I really felt that MB should take more seriously about this issue. Good thing someone escape clean this time but who know what next????? Just receive the call from the MB dealer. I am sorry if some of you might not understand my English since I will need to translate the technical term into English of my own word.. sorry...Here we goes.

They told me the computer pick up one fault (s.,,%#..t to me when I leave the car it has 7 fault on the dash) that the "POWER AMP CONVERTER" is burn (either itself is burn or the IC is burn I don't know) This power amp converter is use so that a stable current is being recharge back to the battery. So when this so called power amp converter is burn (ampereage too much) it send a message to computer to shut down the central unit so it will not damage the rest of computer component due to unstable ampere. So I ask them, is that the cause for what had just happened to me yesterday. No confirm reply. The MB guy answer...Yes.....but ...no we also detect a computer fault saying the computer unit that control the window and seat movement has a problem and we are now waiting the part to be replace and we are thinking that might be the cause for unstable current. Anyway, I stop talk to this guy on the phone and told him I'll be there tomorrow.

Don't really understand technically. But is this what happen when power transmitter is down it will shut down all the power????...Can anyone understand what I am saying above or explain to me

[audirs6sport]

Damn that sucks. Glad you got out of it safe. Where's gmbhouse or carbonlord. By now I should expect their appearence on this forum calling this story a bs.

[7:53 RS6]

Glad you made it! That thing is my nightmare, but it never happend.

As MB owner i know many E55 and SL55 and more, all seem to have problems with their cars. Espesally electronics.

A car is just a car so i guess we all can have problems with it. But its to much MB problems now days i think.

[TaTaPiRaTa]

You are damn lucky Keo!

Do yourself a favor and sell the MB asap !!

[xscream]

I had the same experience with my old grand cherokee some years ago. When that happens you
really wish that you were driving a car without powersteering, abs, etc etc.
I had a hard time trusting my car afterwards, suspecting that it would do something again. I hope this experience won't spoil your car.

BR

[RS4Ever]

Originally posted by xscream
I had the same experience with my old grand cherokee some years ago. When that happens you
really wish that you were driving a car without powersteering, abs, etc etc.
I had a hard time trusting my car afterwards, suspecting that it would do something again. I hope this experience won't spoil your car.

BR

no way!!!

i wasnt sure if to post this..cause its only a grand cherokee and not audi related.. but anyways, here you go:

you wont believe me when i tell you that my grand cherokee was shutting off ALL THE TIME (for months) when i was driving until this past friday i got the problem fixed.. at first i thought maybe the air filter is really dirty (which wasnt).. so i changed it.. but still the engine would shutdown.
almost at every traffic light i would stop at it would shutdown.. it even shutdown when i was in the middle of a turn... luckily this happened to me at very low rpms in other words at low speeds.. finally, i had some time and decided i should get this checked (yeah, it took me a while, but i was already kind of used to the problem happening to me)

SO, FRIDAY
the "mechanic" hooked up the ECU reader to check what was going on.. anyways, turns out that the air accuator sensor was faulty and didnt report enough air for combustion.
they changed that and the engine had better response and didnt shut-off for when after i left the garage and used it in the weekend. they also did an induction flushing to the jeep and changed the serpentine belt.

the weekend - Saturday and Sunday:
didnt drive the car much at all.

MONDAY- driving to school:
HOWEVER, a new problem arose, for some reason, looking at the oil pressure gauge.. i noticed i have no oil pressure. the oil pump was not circulating any oil throuhgout the engine... thats when i heard the engine knocking. i was on the highway, about 1/3 away from home and 2/3 away from school and mechanic.

Still monday:
i stopped the car immediately, and called AAA (for friends outside the US,a Towing Service, unlock cars, etc. membership).. so i got to the same mechanic.. asking him why this is happening to me right after his repair (friday).. maybe they touched something by mistake, maybe they forgot to put a cap back on... i still dont know what they did.. they started the car and heard it bang so loud- louder than a rock n roll concert.. they shut it off immediately and claimed that my engine has gone dead.. no use for it. they claimed i had to replace my engine.

one of the piston rods bearings that connect the rod to the crank shaft were destroyed which made the piston jump up and down in an unwanted manner.. i was anyways, the mechanic said that my oil pump must have been clogged.. he went and got an oil pump that he just pulled out of another jeep to show me how easy it is for it to get clogged.. he was showing me how the filter part of the pump had paper stuck in it.. saying that while this pump was being installing on another particular jeep the oil pump had a little peice of paper the size of a penny from a fuel injector cable caught inside, on the filter part.

while im trying to understand... why the hell would i have paper or any other thing that could clog -in my oil , and also wondering why this happened only after they did the job on friday.

i change my oil (not myself) every 3000 miles and the car wasnt at a mechanic for a long time.. and this suddenly happens???

im not sure if this mechanic was "looking for work".. or whatever.. just such a waste of my time and money to deal with this.

so now, i'm checking with junk yards for used engines so that i can at least drive my jeep until i will get my S4 (date still unknown- will only be able to order around december).

another crappy part of the day (monday) was that the course i was going to go to at school was cancelled - so i didnt miss it. and so was the second class i had later on. this totally sucked since i didnt even have to leave home and maybe this wouldnt of happened.

[RS4Ever]

a quote from b4:

(yeah, it took me a while, but i was already kind of used to the problem happening to me)
------------------


when my engine would shutdown while driving i would immediately take the car out of drive, quickly put the car in Neutral , start the car, and then flick it back to Drive.

was very used to it.. it almost felt as if "thats how you drive a car"



:s4addict:

[keo]

Finally, got the car back and driving. Make the story short, the fault came from a alternator failure. The part that attach on the alternator so called electronic converter was burn due to excess ampere. When the computer detect the fault from the alternator it shutdown the power. That is the only explanation they have for me. The dealer share half the cost of this converter which cost me US$200. Anyway, will like to sell the MB because like xscream replied now I just don't trust the car anymore because all this happen during my hard acceleration.....again thanks for all the kind support.