Audi is a luxurious brand that is synonymous with comfort, excellent performance, and top of the range designs. This car has been in the market for ages, catering to the needs of people who love the finer things in life and want a car to match. The manufacturer is also dedicated to giving their clientele the perfect driving experience through their high standards of engineering and designs. However, vehicles under this brand still fall short of perfection. This is because they are also susceptible to mechanical issues.
One such problem that has been reported by many an Audi driver is a bad ignition. The ignition of the car is responsible for triggering a spark that lights up the mixture of air and fuel in the combustion chamber of the car, causing the engine to start running. The ignition in an Audi is powered by electrical energy that when switched on initiates the firing sequence within the engine. The ignition is made up of a number of smaller components, all of which play very important roles in ensuring that the car starts and keeps going without fail.
Causes of a Bad Ignition
The ignition in your Audi could be failing for a number of reasons. The major culprit in the failure of the ignition system is the usual wear and tear that occurs when the ignition components have outlived their normal lifespan. From the coils to the plugs and switches, there are several smaller parts, all of which become old and worn and can cause ignition failure.
The ignition is also an electrical device that can develop electrical problems. Blown out fuses or wiring issues are some of these electrical problems that can cause the ignition to fail to spark and trigger the combustion process in the engine.
Signs of a Bad Ignition
Some of the signs that should point you to an ignition problem include:
Difficulty turning the key in the ignition
If you find that your key doesn’t easily go into the ignition or is not secure when it does, then chances are that the ignition is bad. This scenario is caused by uneven wear in the ignition and the key. When the key is loose in the ignition, it may not switch on the ignition.
Stalling
A bad ignition will make it impossible for the spark plug to receive a charge and so the fuel and air mixture will not be ignited. This means that the engine will not be able to start. When the car stalls, even the accessories may not be powered on, a situation that will be clear on the dashboard of the car.
Failure of the car to start or sudden stalling after starting
While the car may fail to start completely, in some instances it will start as usual but then come to an abrupt stop in the course of driving. This is usually caused by the failure of the spark, which then stops the fuel from being ignited.
Dead battery
A faulty ignition resulting from a short will cause the battery to continue supplying power to the ignition as well as the fuel system, keeping them on the entire time. This will go on even when the key is taken out of the ignition and in turn cause the battery to be drawn till it’s completely empty.
What to Do
A bad ignition can have devastating effects on the engine of your car. This is because if left unchecked it could cause you to be unable to crank the engine at all. Additionally, stalling as a result of the ignition faults can be inconveniencing when you really have to get somewhere. Since wear and tear is inevitable, constantly monitoring the condition of different car components in the course of frequent servicing will be very beneficial towards identifying such problems before they start to manifest.
Should your Audi exhibit any of the signs associated with ignition failure, you should immediately seek the services of a reputable auto repair shop, hopefully one that specializes in the Audi models. This will ensure that you only get quality replacement parts fitted into your car by certified seasoned professionals.
This is the caliber of services that we at Dart Auto pride ourselves in providing. Audi owners in areas around Centennial, Englewood, Littleton, and Denver, CO should worry not as we are only a phone call away from coming to their assistance.