Power problem

[Lyric]

Alright everyone, new member here.

Recently got myself a 2000 B5 A4 as my beloved old 80 finally packed in after 21 years of service. Had it a couple weeks and decided to get the cam belt changed - was at 70K and while probably ok for another 10K at least I really didn't want to take the chance, especially as it was 9 years old.

Got the car back yesterday and it is a mess. It pulls worse than my 80 did after 21 years and many more miles. Don't get me wrong, it is quiet and smooth it just doesn't bloody pull. I can floor it from stop and absolutely no response for a good second or two until it kicks in. I can drop a gear and floor it and again, no response for an unacceptable length of time.

It is only a 1.8 litre but it was bloody nippy around town, now big gaps appear between me and the car in front all the time. I can't keep up with anything.

Bit of a whiny first post, I know!

[docurley]

Could be a number of thing from being a tooth out to something not put back correctly so I would take it back and state that the car is slow and not like it was and you would like it checked out.

[mikeresnik]

check your air intake tube it uses a quick connect with an o-ring and oil gets in there and swells the seal and sometimes when you take it apart it wont reseal and the o-ring needs to be replaced because if this is the case you are leaking boost. in fact check all of your intake air hoses because the 1.8T is a very close tolerance motor and if the timming belt was off a tooth i dont think it would be running at this point(you would have smashed intake valves at the very least) you may want to take it back to them but based on what your describing i would check the air intake duct work for leaks.

[Jkilla71]

I have had a bad diverter valve cause a similar problem. When it happened it felt like I lost at least 50hp. I was running a 710n while boosting at 19+lbs, I pulled the DV out and when I looked inside the diaphragm was visibly ripped. I could actually breathe in and out through the vacuum line. Once I put the new DV in all my power was returned.

[Lyric]

Thank you for the replies everyone.

It's been back with them for a while and today they have told me an engine diagnostic check has shown the air mass meter has a fault, as do the coolant and lambda sensors.

I'm a bit new to cars with computing stuff so am a bit ignorant on how exactly these computer diagnostics work. With my 80 it was easy - it wasn't running right so check everything over by sight or elimination. I'm worried it really is something simpler that they're missing because they're reliant on the computer to fault find for them - my own main suspect was the air intake as mike said, saying as the tube is fiddled with during the timing belt change?

Though to be fair, I test drove the car with one of their mechanics and he said right away air mass meter, so I'm possibly just a bit paranoid. He was a nice fellow and explained things well, I just wish this kind of access to the mechanics was par for course instead of dealing through customer service. I'm letting them change it because at 9 years old and at 70K it'll need doing anyway, even if it isn't the main culprit. For the rest I think if the lambda and coolant sensors were causing problems I'd be aware - my old 80 had a manual choke so I know, by my own misadventure, what these problems feel like. I can live with error codes (which aren't even displaying on the trip computer anyway) and, these problems aside, the car is running like a new one.

Something has happened in their care and I'm not entirely convinced with their explanations. It had a full service with the timing belt change and I feel these engine errors should have been reported then but, like I said, I'm new to these computer diagnostics and I'm not up to speed on when exactly they plug in into the computer (if at all). I hope, for their sake, it isn't as simple as the air tube connection and a new air mass meter sorts it. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, and the girlfriend is considerably less than impressed at this moment in time. It was a new car for my girlfriend and she wanted it done 'properly' (officially) for just just this once. Time to start maintaining it myself!

Thank you again for your replies, I'll let you know how it goes. If it comes back with the same issue I'll check everything suggested. This is a great forum you have here and I'll be sticking around to discuss all things Audi. Sorry if this post has descended into a moan once again, as you can tell I'm deeply suspicious of dealerships - I prefer doing things myself, even if I don't know what I'm doing initially. That's how you learn, no?

[Lyric]

Back today and pulling like it did. Not much to say except the smile is back on my girlfriend's face, though she is annoyed at having to fork out for a problem that appeared instantly on first drive after service and belt change. She, like me, is paranoid