V6 12V VAGCOM badness

[S2central.net]

Spent much of last night trying to get the new donkey to talk to me... Cleaned up all the K/L wires - crosschecked them twice. Verified that the aircon controller wasn't blocking out comms. Checked that 12V is good on the link adapter.

Tried this with two good laptops that work well with VAGCOM - one old school serial machine and a newer one with USB.

Is there some deep dark trick I don't know about here ?

Searched the 'net a little bit today on the subject but this engine (AAH) gets very little coverage online - there is 12V.org with limited info and a few sporadic posts on Audiworld and Audifans but no real beef... Reminds me of the frustration I had when I bought the S2 - not that I want to setup a 'V6Qcentral.net' resource (one half baked website is bad enough).

Any other V6 owners on here with experiences they can share??? AAH engine is common to Audi 100/A6 platform as well as 80/90/Coupe n Cabrio. A later variant appeared on Audi A4 as well.

I learnt there are at least three ECU variants on the AAH - mine is earliest MMS200 - not been bothered to pop it open yet. There is MMS300 and 311 as well - I believe there was a MAF change for the 300/311 but its all a bit confusing... I think/suspect the 311 also has soft coding for things like territory/emissions and gearbox type. I have ordered the obligatory MPI diagnostics manual thru Erwin - thought I already ordered it when I ordered the 7A ones last year but alas and alak... No.

The ECUs are all pin compatible AFAIK - maybe somebody has one they can swap with me for a sanity test either way. This car runs OK - just some hesitation and lack of any top end oomf (might be just too used to S2 - I dunno what 180bhp is supposed to feel like) - I want to pull codes out of it before I do anything else really.

I'll have to wire up a MIL circuit in the meantime. There is some remnants of scatty wiring under the dash - looks like an alarm has been removed. I've seen a lot worse, but I suppose there exists the possibility of wiring damage... Probably have to bite the bullet with the breakout box and a buzzmeter (sigh).

[mcandmar]

Sounds very similar to the issues people have with early 7A ECU's. Have you tried the old fashined paperclip and LED method? Just to confirm the diag part of the ecu is alive and working..

[S2central.net]

I would have done that except this donkey hasn't even got a BLUE OBD plug... I need to unpick the wiring at the ECU to get at that - according to the schematics there are no vias thru the footwell wiring panel for the MIL output (unlike S2/RS2) - but I hope to be proved wrong on that.

[220bhp]

Let us know how you get on Paul, I have to do this on my wife's v6 cabby, together with another job I am not looking forward to, cam belt and thermostat.

[mcandmar]

I think early 7A's dont have a blue connector either, just the black and white one.

I have used my vagcom on a V6 cab and worked fine, ABS and Slushbox controller too.

[jevrem]

I had a V6 12v about 4 years ago. I have the same problem. The vagcom program didn't comunicate with AAH ECU. It's only work with original handy VAG diagnostic instrument. Also ECU in that V6 was a earlyear version from 1991.

[Error404]

My old V6Q was so smooth in terms of power delivery it never felt like it was picking up speed - until you changed gear and looked at the speedo. Big lazy engine and there is definately no kick at any point in the rev range.
Get a cone filter and exhausr on it and enjoy the sound track

you sure that ECU even supports Vagcom? My early 7a (without the blue connector) doesn't support it

[john881000]

ecu

hi mate

youve been PM ed
cheers
john

[S2central.net]

Got your PM John - a fine idea, but I'm on the wrong island (again).

[S2central.net]

Let us know how you get on Paul, I have to do this on my wife's v6 cabby, together with another job I am not looking forward to, cam belt and thermostat.

Apparently the cambelt on mine was done 30k miles ago... can just see a sticker in the engine bay - but I'll have a proper look.

From the manual, the cambelt doesn't seem too bad a job - once you have the bumper and radiator out the way its very easily accessed. I have the crank lock tool already if you want to borrow it BTW - same as V6 TDi. I dont have the cam lock.

Ever got VAGCOM talking to your V6 cabby ?

[S2central.net]

I think early 7A's dont have a blue connector either, just the black and white one.

I have used my vagcom on a V6 cab and worked fine, ABS and Slushbox controller too.

@Mark - Do you remember if that was MMS200 or a later one ?
I'm guessing later if it had ABS that talked to you - makes it a late MY92.

[baltiboyS2]

Let us know how you get on Paul, I have to do this on my wife's v6 cabby, together with another job I am not looking forward to, cam belt and thermostat.

Dont be put off with the car being a V6 the timing belt on this car is a piece of piss 45 mins done and thermostat is a straight forward job once belt is off just remember the hidden water bleed screw its on the steel water rail running behind the pax side head its a small allan key headed bolt

cheers Raj

[mcandmar]

Car was much later, think it was a 96/97.

[john881000]

ecu

hi

sorry i couldnt help

cheers
john

[HPmuirt]

I had a V6 2.8 Coupe before my S2, but I only tried (and failed) once to VAGCOM it, just before I sold it. It was a MY93 with the switchable ABS and one-touch up driver's electric window, but I think that may have just had the black and white connectors in the fuse box too

As for the engine, 174BHP but as said above, very smooth and no turbo kick so you never felt like you were at warp speed until you looked at the speedo. 108 in third (5 speeder) and gets there fairly quickly plus I had a GPS 162mph but ran out of track (why are private test tracks are never long enough ) before I got absolute Vmax...maybe had another couple of MPH in her

The car was great for high speed cruising on the continent and lapped Le Mans effortlessly, including out dragging an old M3, 3 up against his 2 (but he nailed me into Indianapolis - damn fine suspension setup he had). We passed 150MPH 6 times per lap much to the shock of the M and and old Porker that was trying to stay with us.......scrapped my 3 day old front disks and pads though They plus another Coupe pulled me over for a chat to see what the hell was in that old Audi 80....even the other Coupe was shocked as his was the 2.6 and the speed difference was night and day

Not much to be done tuning wise, just open up the breathing (properly, not the Orificer chavy drill the airbox way), decats and a good service and she will nudge 180BHP. Off the shelf chips will only give another 18 horses

They have been supercharger but no point really; this engine is all about smooth high speed cruising. Oh and if you are lazy, just select 2nd or 3rd for slow or medium speed town driving and don't change gear all day

Cheers n

Si