kmascotto

thanks Malcolm, i understand now. ill check again

kmascotto

i will also pull the covers and check the timing marks as you both suggested.
thank you all for your suggestions and help.
k

the flyin' scotsman

you dont have to pull the covers.......set the crank to zero then look down the cover vents. Theres a pointer built into the cover which should line up with the marks on the cam gears.

jeff spahn

Be interested to see what the timing marks on the cam gears say. Hope it isn't a broken camshaft or something like that or your are looking at some time to tear the engine down and a valve job. Not the worst job in the world. Just takes time and a little money.

outbackgeorgia

Yes,
It can be the LH computer. I chased the same symptoms for a long while before changing out the LH. Ran perfectly, then like yours, would not go above 3000 RPM in neutral. Then would run fine for a while.
It is known that they will ALL FAIL due to a hybrid chip inside that dies a slow death over time. Not sure anyone has determined what influences the decay, but replace it now. Or later. Might as well get it over with now and eliminate the possibility.
This assumes it has not been rebuilt already.
Louis Ott in the US, and possibly Canada is the JDS rep., is one recommendation.
Dave

Don Carter

You can also get a set of noid lights and make sure the injectors are firing. Some auto parts stores rent them in the US. They are wired 4 to a circuit, so if there's a wiring problem, you can lose 4 injectors.

kmascotto

so here is the latest. I turned the engine over by hand to top dead center. both cam sprockets line up as they should. so that's not an issue. i went to start it...and the battery is dead. which is strange because power loss on the battery has not been an issue. i'm going to put a charger on it next and then try testing the spark on one side of the motor.
any other suggestions

the flyin' scotsman

great news..........while waiting for the battery to charge pull all the plugs from one side of the engine and compare......post pics if you can.

kmascotto

ill post the pics tomorrow, but all four ( 1 - 4) are black

kmascotto

i also removed both coils and tested them. both had .9 ohm.

Adamant1971

What about the two igniters mounted in front of the rad. There is one for each bank.

Sorry if those have been covered already.

I found this thread with a similar issue, his ended up being an exhaust temp wire. Not sure if this is helpful, but worth look.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...n-problem.html

the flyin' scotsman

sooty or oily black?

outbackgeorgia

I know it's fun chasing all of the random, if logical possibilities, but it is so easy to test the LH why not?
Just put your LH into a known running car and check for symptoms. Just my opinion and experience.

kmascotto

I would, but I don't have access to another LH to test.

the flyin' scotsman

its a car you need..............your LH in another S4 or newer 928