1998 Audi A4

1998 AUDI A4 2.8 - DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY, IN 7 DEGREE TEMP, CAR STARTED ACCELERATING ( FEELS LIKE IT IS DRIVING ITSELF) EVEN AFTER FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM PEDAL AND FULL FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR AT WHICH POINT IT WENT INTO HIGH REV AND ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF. MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THIS CAR ALSO HAD 2 SIMILAR INCIDENT (ONCE WHEN NEW) AND ONCE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. AFTER MUCH BACK AND FORTH WITH AUDI, THEY TOOK THE CAR IN, AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. AS A PRECAUTION I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL DISCONNECTED AND THE THROTTLE BODY CABLE REPLACED SO FELT THE CAR WAS SAFE. (ALL AT MY EXPENSE) *TR

NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, NO MODIFICATIONS TO VEHICLE, AT 80K MILES THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE MODULE FAILS AND THE ABS NO LONGER WORKS. THE BRAKES ARE PRONE TO LOCKING UP. THE REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE VEHICLE WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY IS $1200. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE UNTIL I CAN SAVE FOR THE REPAIR. ADDITIONALLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING OUT OF THE BLUE AT 55K MILES. THIS MODULE HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED EITHER DUE TO COST.

THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA AROUND 11:40AM THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS TWO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I WAS DRIVING MY 98 AUDI A4 2.8 QUATTRO NORTH ON A TWO LANE CITY STREET WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35MPH. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR TWENTY MINUTES AND SMELLED A VERY POWERFUL GAS SMELL SINCE I STARTED DRIVING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ACCELERATION OF MY CAR INCREASED TO 45MPH. I TRIED BREAKING TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND THE BREAK PEDAL RESISTED MY EFFORT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW TO 40MPH BUT NO LOWER. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK THE CAR ACCELERATED GREATLY. DESPITE BREAKING, THE SPEED KEPT INCREASING. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY CAR. I WAS TRAVELING FOR OVER A MILE AT SPEEDS REACHING 60MPH ON A 35MPH SPEED LIMIT. I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT, LUCKILY IT TURNED GREEN THE MINUTE I WENT UNDER IT. HAD IT NOT, I WOULD HAVE RUN THE RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. MY CAR REACHED SPEEDS TOO DANGEROUS FOR THE ROAD I WAS ON. I MOVED INTO THE CENTER LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, FEARING I WOULD HIT THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME. WHILE DRIVING OVER A MILE UNABLE TO CONTROL MY SPEED I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO PULL OFF AND GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. WHEN I DID PULL INTO THE CENTER LANE I WAS ABLE TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT AT 50MPH. I PUSHED THE BREAKS WITH ALL MY MIGHT; IT DID NOT STOP THE CAR, SO I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. HAD I NOT FOUND THAT PARKING LOT, I WOULD'VE RUN INTO A SNOW EMBANKMENT OR HIT A BUILDING. THERE WAS NO CHANCE MY CAR WAS STOPPING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE SPEED OR BREAKING. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT PARKING LOT WAS EMPTY. I REALIZE THAT MY SPEEDS WERE VERY DANGEROUS ON THIS ROAD. SPEEDS OF THIS NATURE COULD'VE RESULTED IN DAMAGED PROPERTY AND INJURIES OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND/OR OTHERS. THIS WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING AND UPSETTING EXPERIENCE THAT COULD'VE RESULTED IN MAJOR DAMAGES, INJURIES, OR EVEN DEATH. MY SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED. *JB

THROTTLE STICKING ON ACCELERATION IN SUB-ZERO DRIVING TEMPERATURES. BRAKES ENABLED ME TO STOP CAR AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. IF I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR RE-ACCELERATED TO THE STUCK POSITION. ONCE THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF, ENGINE HEAT EVIDENTLY MELTED THE ICE AND IDLE SPEED RETURNED TO NORMAL. HAVE SPOKE TO OTHER AUDI OWNERS AND THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR STUCK THROTTLE PROBLEMS IN SUB-ZERO DRIVING TEMPERATURES. INDEPENDENT AUDI REPAIRMEN HAVE SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BECAUSE THERE IS NO SOURCE OF HEAT (EXHAUST HOSE ROUTING OR ENGINE COOLING ROUTING) NEAR THE THROTTLE PLATE AND THERE IS NO FIX OR REPAIR TO THIS DESIGN PROBLEM. IF A CRASH OCCURS, THE ENGINE HEAT MELTS THE ICE BUILDUP BEFORE A CAUSE OF ACCIDENT CAN BE DETERMINED. WHEN I CONTACTED AN AUDI DEALERSHIP TO ASK IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH OTHERS AND TO GET REPAIR ADVICE, THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM TYPE AND JUST SAID TO BE VERY CAREFUL DRIVING. I ALSO CONTACTED AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE TO FILE A REPORT AND THEY ALSO SAID THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM BUT DID GIVE ME A CASE NUMBER (881108347). IT IS -9 DEGREES TODAY AND -18 IS FORECAST TONIGHT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES. NEXT TIME I MIGHT NOT BE ON A BACK COUNTRY ROAD WHEN THE THROTTLE STICKS. *LA