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1997 Audi 80 Cabriolet issues, Please Help

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  • 1997 Audi 80 Cabriolet issues, Please Help

    Good afternoon Gents, (Good evening or morning wherever you may be in the world)

    I am new to the site so I'll start with a small introduction to get the ball rolling. I'm 24 years of age and have had a few cars in the 4 years I've had my license. Don't want to bore you with the details but I have some ability to work on cars, however more so the older stuff with less of the electronics. My first car was a 1984 mk2 Ford Fiesta where I swapped the little 1 litre engine for a 1.6 xr engine and gearbox, nothing spectacular but was a fun little car to drive which I owned for 3 years. Since then, I've had a Renault clio, bmw e39 520i (both now sold) and I am currently restoring a Mercedes W123 280CE.

    Last week, I had acquired an 1997 Audi 80 Cabriolet with the 1.8 ADR engine 114k miles on the clock (sorry it's not an S2 guys) which I plan to run as a daily, however it came with it's fair share of issues. I was wondering if any of you fellas could help me identify and fix some of the issues I'm facing, all suggestions are welcome! The issues are as follows:

    1. The car has a slight misfire on idle, however once in motion, the car drives faultlessly. I imagine this is down to shot spark plugs which I'm planning to replace sometime this week along with oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter.

    2. Everything on the left side of my cluster (Rev Counter and Temp Gauge) does not work or move at all. My initial thoughts are loose connection??? Can anyone tell me how to safely remove cluster and connection points of sensors? Or if there's something I've missed?

    3. The driver window does not respond to switch, no sound is coming when I click the switch to pull window down. My thoughts are that the motor needs replacing? Or am I missing a trick with the relay/fuse box?

    4. Roof opens from handle at center however does not move when I click switch to take roof down. All the windows go down (EXCEPT DRIVER WINDOW) and then nothing happens. There is no sounds from roof mechanism either. Just flashing red light on the cluster with roof opening icon. Is there no response because driver window is not functional?

    5. Boot lid just does not want to open. I've tried opening it at different rotations and clicks but everything I try doesn't seem to work. Is this issue related to the roof and driver window issues?

    6. The 2 out of 3 of the gauges at center in front of gear stick do not seem to be giving me correct readings. Oil pressure is always stuck at maximum and Oil temp dial does not move from minimum.


    I really enjoy the driving experience this car has to offer so I'd like to invest some time into sorting out these issues. As I mentioned before, I'm pretty useless when it comes to complex electronics, so I'd appreciate any feedback/input/suggestions anyone has to offer.

    Look forward to hearing from you.

    Kind regards,
    Shyam
    Last edited by Shyam; 14 February 2017, 17:30.

  • #2
    The roof not working will be in part due to the window not working, check the switch first and work from there. The roof works in sequence as soon as something doesn't go as it should it will stop the process.

    If the boot lock isn't working either this could cause problems with the roof too. There is a sensor attached to the boot lock which often fails, check that after fixing the window. Will the boot not open with the key? Locking it with the key will sometimes make the roof work.

    Comment


    • #3
      Colesy, thanks for the prompt reply fella,

      Fingers crossed it is the window stopping the roof from working. There are two buttons that let down the windows, one is the switch on driver side and the other is the switch near the handbrake. Non of which are bringing driver side window down so I imagine it's a mechanical fault such as motor/regulator? Will need to remove door panel on weekend and take a good look.

      In regards to the boot, the guy who sold me the car showed me how to open the boot and it looked simple enough at the time so i didn't pay much attention. I messaged him asking him how to open it again and he replied saying turn the key a little bit before pushing the lock in and flipping it open. I've tried it different angles but cant seem to open the ******!

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi there.

        Having ng the same car in the family as my wife drive, the best i can suggest it's:

        Once you succed to open the boot have a proper and thorough check on the looms attached to the scissors hinges, a lot of electrical problems comes from them.
        You can either fix them by joining them back and soldering and heat shrink sleeves or treat yourself with the available kits on ebay dedicated to the Cabriolet (i suggest the latter for a peace of mind fix)

        Once that it's done go on with the driver window if it fails alone and on alldown process it could be the motor or (if there's one the thermal fuse).

        Once that it's sorted you better get vagcom to inspect the hood electronics, with my chinese portable one i get easy acess to this and you can have precise infos and guidance to where to search and what....
        Trust me going attempt to attempt trough this problems could drive you poor and frustrated or both....

        The solenoid on the boot rigthly suggested by Colesy can be repaired (better because it's very costy) there's a guide on Audicabrio.info.de, i use google translator and i can successfully source golden infos in there.

        Good luck!
        http://www.audisportclub.com/

        http://www.s2forum.com/forum/vbgoogl...227295&zoom=16

        Comment


        • #5
          Veneto_RS2, thank you for the feedback friend, it's much appreciated.

          I will follow your steps in troubleshooting the issues as they sound very much linked with each other. Unfortunately, the first step involves opening the boot lid! haha

          I will also take a look at audicabrio.info.de for guidance, thanks. It's good to hear that both the solenoid sensor in the boot and the looms going down the hinge of the boot lid can both be repaired. However, I now face a battle with my boot lid in trying to get it open! I am going to give it another shot when I get home from work today. I've never opened the boot so can someone confirm which is the lock position of the keyhole for boot lid. Is it locked when horizontal or vertical?

          Also, in regards to the roof opening/closing sequence, I've read elsewhere that you can bypass the windows being closed stage by opening both doors, is this true?
          Last edited by Shyam; 14 February 2017, 17:11.

          Comment


          • #6
            Opening the Top

            You're getting good advice here.

            The top won't do anything if the windows don't go down.

            Also, since you're stuck in the middle of the opening sequence, the trunk gets locked by the car. That may be why you can't open it.


            Here's how to open the top manually in the mean time:
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBZYP_xRLlk&t=58s

            Go through it totally and see if the trunk will open afterward.
            1994 Cabriolet - 5 speed
            1995 90
            2011 A4 Avant
            1990 CQ - V8 (sold)

            Comment


            • #7
              All your roof issues can be resolved by perusing the attached forum link

              http://audifans.net/forum-45.html

              To remove the instrument cluster, there are two screws under the steering wheel cover, remove the top cover which will expose two copper screws at the bottom of the cluster. Remove those two screws and wiggle the cluster until you can see the electrical connections. Unclip those and the cluster comes right out. No need to remove the steering wheel.

              Comment


              • #8
                Grillage, I am indeed. I appreciate the warm welcome guys. Thanks for the youtube link, going to give this a shot when I'm home, either today or over the weekend when I've got more time on my hands. So the boot can be opened when the roof is completely down? Is there a risk of causing any damage to the mechanical system/looms which open/close the roof when doing it manually like shown in youtube video?

                Audicted, wow, it seems to be a massive issue, alot of people having problems with their roof! Makes me feel less lonely with the number of issues I'm having haha. Thank you very much for the clear and detailed instructions of removing cluster pod.

                You guys have given me a lot to crack on with, can't wait to get stuck in!!
                Last edited by Shyam; 14 February 2017, 17:40.

                Comment


                • #9
                  You can open the boot/trunk with no problems when the top is down. no risk of any damage that way.

                  If the tab that my finger is on in the below picture (1:20 in the video) is not locked down, the boot will not open.
                  those could be open or the wire that tells the car that they're closed could be broken. that would keep the boot locked no matter what you do

                  1994 Cabriolet - 5 speed
                  1995 90
                  2011 A4 Avant
                  1990 CQ - V8 (sold)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    That's very helpful Grillage, thanks for the information buddy! I'll let you know how I get on. The weather in UK is poor atm; its dark and cold outside already. Will probably try this on Friday.

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                    • #11
                      My Mrs also has cabrio (A4 2007), and although it's a later version- maybe some of the wiring/hydraulics are similar in setup?

                      In case it's any help, just for reference, I've had it fail twice.

                      1st time it was the drop-down shelf in the boot 'roof'. The long plastic lever that operates it opens an inhibitor switch when in the upper position (to stop the canopy opening if the boot is full), and the cable feeding the Right hand side had it's outer break through the housing. This stopped this side dropping down, and closing the inhibitor switch. A relatively easy, though time-consuming, fix.

                      2nd time (after i'd Google'd it a few times), I rechecked the inhibitor switch-ok. Then to several switches (and a Pot?), and wiring loom. All were good. Last time, Google told me that the most likely cause was the motor/pump assy, (Either low on fluid, motor seized, burned out, or seized brushes) and I'd had the motor in kit-form and it was as clean as a whistle, so on this occasion I didn't even look at it ('was only a few months after). Close to the point where it was going to Cardiff Audi, I decided to have another quick look at the motor/pump.....
                      Turned out to be one seized (although completely clean!) brush in the brass housing. I removed them both, gently took a few thou' off the sides, refitted and hey
                      presto

                      How much, (if any) of this is relevant to yours, I don't know- but if it helps.....

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        In general the above details are useful, ie fluid level etc, but the 80 derived ( up to 2000 ) cabby does not have the stowage tray affair that the A4 derived cabby has

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                        • #13
                          Tony, thanks for sharing your experiences if fella, it's all helpful. Fingers crossed, I'm really hoping the roof switch isn't working because the driver window has stopped responding..only time will tell once I've fixed the window.

                          On a brighter note, I took out the cluster pod last night, removed the two corresponding screws for the temp gauge and cleaned the contact areas beneath. I then put the screws back in, bolted it all back together and went for a little drive. Although slow at first, the temp gauge started moving! I was getting a constant figure that was between 90 and 60 mark, I'm not sure how accurate this figure is or if that normal for these engines haha.
                          Last edited by Shyam; 15 February 2017, 09:53.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Shyam View Post
                            ...On a brighter note, I took out the cluster pod last night, removed the two corresponding screws for the temp gauge and cleaned the contact areas beneath. I then put the screws back in, bolted it all back together and went for a little drive. Although slow at first, the temp gauge started moving! I was getting a constant figure that was between 90 and 60 mark, I'm not sure how accurate this figure is or if that normal for these engines haha.
                            How about the rev counter? is it working now? As far as the temp and pressure guages on the center pods, you may want to trace the wiring back to those sensors in the engine bay. Most times it is a disconnected wire or worst case a bad sensor for the inaccurate readings.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Window not going down: Could be the double relay under the steering wheel #367, probably broken solder joint.

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