996 C4 died on freeway last night, wont start

my 1999 996/4 (51K miles) died hard on the freeway last night 200 miles from home. The failure was immdeiate - engine was running fine, going about 90 MPH, and sudden complete loss of power, glided to stop on roadside. Cranked, caught occasionally and died. $540 in flatbed fees later its now in my garage and I am debugging. If I spray carb cleaner in the intake it will start, idle smotth for 5-10 seconds and die. Very strong smell of gas so I believe it is running very rich. If I let it sit for a while (10-20 minutes) it will fire up, run rough and die after about 5 seconds. Again, very strong smell of gas. If I apply any throttle at all it bogs down and dies immediately. Usually when an engine is flooded if you let it sit the excess fuel in the cylinders evaporates and the engine will start so I take this bevahior as a second indicator of running rich. So - any tips on what the problem might be? Thanks in advance for your help. Chris ADDED 10/5/2009 Summary - While I did smell gas in the exhaust it became clear as you will read later in the thread the problem was one of fuel delivery - or more accurately the lack thereof. The cause was a end cap that popped of the venturi pickup in the fuel tank. Once that cap popped off fuel pressure dropped close to zero. Repair was to zip tie the end cap in place - costs about a penny. Alternately you can replace the venturi assembly for $325. Needless to say I liked the zip tie Read on for more detail on the repair. ADDED 1/17/2012 the in tank quick disconnects failed after the repair. See my new post for more on that subject.

Sounds like the fuel pump or fuel filter, but others with more experience will chime in. Try Renntech as well. Good Luck.

Chris, Sorry to hear about the problems. I think medtech is right, sounds like the fuel pump. BTW - I don't think it's a good idea to have the word "boom" in your screen name if you drive a 996!

Sounds like the fuel pump too.

Thanks all for the tips. I think I am being decieved by the smell of gas in the exaust that its flooded as I have to agree that all other symptoms are of fuel starvation. I ran the fuel pump manually and verified it is running - so now need to start checking fuel system pressures. Stay tuned.

Is there a Check engine light? Was it flashing or solid before your car went caput? What up with no AAA roadside assistance? That's a big towing fee.

Chris, Check on Renntech.org too. There are alot of techs on there that may be able to help more. I remember on an old Toyota Supra I had, there was a vacuum leak that caused the same. The problem may NOT be fuel related.

Chris, Check on Renntech.org too. There are alot of techs on there that may be able to help more. I remember on an old Toyota Supra I had, there was a vacuum leak that caused the same. The problem may NOT be fuel related.

I would consider your coil packs might be the culprit. GL

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I assume car's gas tank not empty? Sounds like a fuel supply problem. You can test fuel flow and pressure. You have to be very careful when working on a car's fuel system though. One mistake can see the car go up in flames, or worse. You need to learn how to trigger the fuel pump on without having to crank the engine. Then with the fuel line disconnected measure the amount of fuel over a given time. The time and amount is given in the factory manual. I do not have the numbers nor do I have at hand the way to trigger the fuel pump. Try to make the fuel flow test as long as possible. The pump may deliver fuel for a moment or two then the flow will drop off. If you do a brief test all may look ok but had you let the test go on longer.... Try to route the fuel into say a clean 5 gallon gas can -- plastic so you can see the level and hopefully the can's got graduations on it so you can know where 1 and 2 and 3 and so on gallons are. Using a clean gas can means when the test over you can dump the gas back in the car with no problems. If flow ok you can test pressure at the fuel rails of the engine. These have pressure test points but the plugs are not reusable. Remove the pressure test point plugs and after the test you have to replace with new ones. You will of course need a proper fuel pressure test gage and the fitting to connect to the fuel rail. A visit to a well-stocked auto parts store, auto tools store, is called for if you do not have the tools. As with fuel flow and delivery pressure is also called out but I do not have the numbers handy. Be very sure you button fuel lines back up properly. Before you drive the car be sure you check fuel system for any leaks. Always remember gas fumes are highly flammable and have plenty of ventilation and no open flames around. When I worked on my car's fuel system I worked on fuel system out in the open away from the garage and house in case car caught fire it didn't spread to garage and house. Sincerely, Macster.

thanks for all the tips: re AAA - I have it, but basic only which includes only 3 miles towing. OK - did diagnostics today. Pulled the fuel supply lin at the tank, ran the pump, plenty of fuel. Must be clogged filter?? So pulled hose from outlet side of filter, ran pump, plenty of flow! Ok, now what. Put hose into 5 gallon jug (I have 4 of them ready for this phase of the debugging) and started to run the fuel pump to empty the tank. This is where it gets intersting. I know tank has about 14 gallons in it, but flow stops after 7 gallons are pumped. I here bubbling in the gas tank. Turn off pump, wait a few minutes, turn on pump, pumps a few ounces then quits and I hear bubbling in fuel tank. I add a gallon to the tank, turn on pump, it pumps out a gallon and quits, I hear bubbling in the tank. I open up the tank and I can see tank is about 1/2 full and of note is it is full exactly up to the level of the top of the fuel pump module. It will not pump out any lower than that. Turn on pump and see bubbles coming from rear passenger side corner of the tank, near where the fill tube comes into the tank. I can not specifically see the hose the bubbles are coming from but best I can tell its the larger diameter hose on on the top left of the pump module as viewed from the front of the car. So - if I had to guess, there is a pressure relief valve that is malfunctioning? I should note I have a C4 which has the same tank setup as turbos - smaller tank with more stuff jammed into the tank itself to make space for front drivetrain. Ok - anyone have any tips on where to go from here? Any of this ring a bell with anyone? Thanks, Chris

oh - and while I have not pressure tested the pump I am almost sure that when it is pumping that the pressure would be almost zero, but I will verify this soon.

Ask Loren on Rennlist for a diagram of the tank. I'm just guessing, but shouldn't there be a hose that goes from the inlet of the pump to the bottom of the tank? Could that have come loose?

Out of curiosity, did you check to see if there were any stored or pending obd codes in the computer? air, fuel or spark, troubleshoot all independently before going crazy or ordering parts, e.g. pull the MAF off and see if it stays running, watch voltage / examine coils/plugs. If running smooth and then dying cleanly without a lot of stumbling, maybe vac/sai etc? from description I suspect air issues first, then spark then fuel. might be as simple as a bad hose or joint somewhere, inspect all the rubber and plastic! Good luck, try checking for stored codes and "pending" codes, sometimes incredibly helpful in zeroing in on the problem.

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Most likely not coil packs. It unlikely that coils would cause the engine to not start, it would just run rough, because you would need a total failure on more than one, which is unlikely. It is a fuel or some other electrical problem.

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That makes sense. My bad.

see my post above - problem is now isolated to the fuel pump/hoses/valves etc INSIDE the fuel tank. re diagram - there are parts blow ups on the porsche usa web site but they are not enough as they are (1) missing some of the part names (ie there are numbers on the exploded view but now corresponding part number/name) and (2) the names are not adequate to divine the part function in all cases. Shop manual would be helpful. Note that porsche's we site does not specifically have a 996/C4 so had to go to 996 turbo to see what my fuel tank looks like, assume its the same as the C4. re OBD codes - my reader is in my volvo which is currently parked at the airport - my wife took it. I doubt there would be any codes other than perhaps low fuel pressure assuming ther system has a fuel pressure sensor. Like I said above, fuel pump is unable to pump tank below about 50% level after which a hose from pump seems to be blowing bubbles in the tank. I think the pump must have a pressure relief valve which is faulty OR the pump sucks air when it gets below a certain level. Anyone ever had a similar problem? Chris

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Good job of checking pump action all the way down! I don't think I would have thought to be that thorough. Suspect fuel intake hose/line has crack/split and the bubbling sound is air being sucked into fuel pump through crack/split in hose as level of gas gets to crack/split. If any air getting to pump it will make noises too. Time to carefully remove fuel pump/filter assembly and inspect it and associated hoses/lines for any cracks, loose connections, etc. I believe once you get unit out of tank source of problem will be obvious on inspection of assembly. Sincerely, Macster.

I had my C4 that died on me and would not start. Seemed like it was the fuel pump but was not. Turned out to be (can not remember the correct name) a fuel pick up jet, or something like that.

thanks Macster, RAC. Next step will be to pull the guts out of the fuel tank. I have to say I was expecting, when I opened up the tank, to see just the pump with 2 hoses one each to a high pressure side and a low pressure return. I was not happy to see a veritable rat's nest maze of tubes with, so far, unexplained functionality. Fortunately I have 4 children (9, 7, 4, and 2 months) so much like a socket set I should have just the right sized set of hands to get the stuff out of the tank Its _tight_ in there! Chris

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That's too funny, here's hoping those kids are metric ! Out of curiosity, was your fuel level below the level of the pump when the motor stumbled initially (i.e. before you pumped out the fuel to isolate the problem?) I'm trying t find the diagram and the pressure specs

OK my apologies if you already have the info: Actuate Fuel Pump A) With PST2 B) or via fuel pump relay Disconnect fuel pump relay from central electrical board and bridge contacts 30 and 87 (identified as 3 and 5 on board) with a fused shop made cable Nominal Test Values Stationary engine 3.8 +/- 0.2 bar Engine Idling 3.3 +/- 0.2 bar Flow Test from fuel return line should be 850cc / 30 seconds PM me your email address if you want this section of the shop manual and don't have it Best, Hans

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When motor died initially on freeway fuel guage was at 31 miles left so assuming about 1.5 gallons give or take. It will now not pump out below about 7 gallons, so guessing that the failure on the freeway was not gradual but more a falling off a cliff type failure - ie a hose came off a fitting, a hose burst etc. That the pump runs dry and blows bubbles inside the tank with the fuel level right at the top of the pump module is mighty suspicious - going in for a deeper look now. Chris

I am a little worried I might be jumping to conclusions in that normally the fuel delivery system is closed - the pump pumps high pressure to the rails and whats not used is returned at low pressure to the tank. Right now for my tests I have an open system - ie the return line is open and disconnected so possible the pump is sucking air from it? In other words, is my test methodology valid, is the data point that I cant pump past 1/2 full valid, and the conclusion there is a problem in the tank with the plumbing valid? Chris

i think you are getting ahead of yourself and i hate to see you tearing your p car apart. 1. check for codes 2. do a fuel pressure test with ignition on, engine off. 3. good fuel pressure? check condition of plugs/color. got to run--for now. will check back in later.

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If pump supply/pickup hose (assuming there is one, I have yet to dissassemble) were to be loose that fits the clue that the pump quits pumping at 50% full but guessing that engine should run up to that point and it does not run at any level of tank fullness.

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Chris, I agree exactly on this basis (reason for my seemingly stupid questions, just hoping to encourage you to take a step back and slow down!). I would do this methodically even if it feels elementary and painful, just because the modern electronically controlled Porsche relies on so many feedback loops and signals and gadgets to run. First pull "pending" codes from computer (i.e. those that haven't hit the CEL threshold, but have been logged), and in the absence of any codes for guidance test all air (maf, throttle, ICV if applicable, the works), then basic electrical, then all fuel (starting at gas cap, then sender etc. before going to areas that require replacement parts just for testing) I emailed you the manual chapter, let me know if you don't get it. Hans

great pictures of 996/4 fuel tank - now I can see what I am dealing with ... http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...-pictures.html relevant quote from the link above "It seems that one of the fuel pressure failure can be on those venturi tubes, if one fail, all fuel pressure goes to that pipe and back to the fuel tank and you get almost no pressure to the injectors. So it is a good time to inspect them if you remove your fuel pump from the tank." Given I am getting bubbles blowing from the passenger side venturi tube, and RAC's comment about his car dying due to a failed "fuel pick up jet" I think thats the component I'll focus on.

Also, from what I remember C4/TT tanks are only like 1/3 of a gallon smaller than C2, that front drive is pretty compact I guess!

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thats a great post, beats the heck out of the diagrams! keep us posted, and good luck! -Hans

When I hear flooded and wont start, I think ignition, not fuel.

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well here is the part number on the part that went bad on my car " part number 996.620.113.00" I do not know if that is your car problem but at least it something to look at.

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OMG! It looks like it was designed by the guys who designed the B1 bomber! Good luck. It appears that you are approaching your troubleshooting very systematically.

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Agree - flooded usuallly means no spark but I have concluded that "must be flooded" was a bad diagnosis on my part, based mainly on my nose telling me that if I smelled gas in the exhaust it must be flooded. Later tests, specifically the spraying of carb cleaner in the intake and the engine briefly running on the carb cleaner convinced me it is a fuel starvation issue. Subsequent test results (ie can't drain fuel tank past top of fuel pump/surge tank followed by bubbling in the vicinity of passenger side venturi/pickup) continue to bolster the diagnosis of a fuel delivery problem. I hope to tear into the fuel tank plumbing later today. I'll let you know how it plays out.

RAC - 996.620.113.00 is indeed the part I suspect has failed, it is the "Venturi Tube". Costs $331.50 for a plastic tube!! I could simply add a second in tank pump to provide fuel pickup from the fuel tank's "corner pockets" - for less than $100. All those venturi tubes do is move fuel from the lower recesses of the tank into the surge tank, where the high pressure pump then pulls fuel from for delivery to the injector rails. The 4 wheel drive cars have a funky shaped tank compared to 2 wheel drive models and need these venturi tubes to get at all the fuel whereas the two wheel drive models do not need or have them. IMHO the Porsche engineers got a little too clever when simpler solutions were available.

A little digging and I found many Porsche shop manuals, including the 996 manual, online here ... http://www.cannell.co.uk/Manuals.htm Although the 996 manual does not cover the 4wd models.

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Remeber you are looking at the tank while it's static and level. Under shifting conditions while driving, the fuel may leave an air gap at the pump location. My guess is that once you dissasemble the tank, you will find a loose or cracked line that should be quite obvious.

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Well not any rubber or plastic will work. Remember you are dealing with gasoline and it is not kind to to rubber or plastic if it is not designed for that environment.

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No, you couldn't add a 2nd in tank fuel pump cause the in tank pump would suck air and burn out (not up) in no time. The design looks too clever but it is just clever enough to deal with a gas tank that has an odd shape/configuration to accomodate the front differential. Don't try to improve the tank pump, just fix it with proper parts then button tank up with no leaks. Sincerely, Macster.

OK - got into the tank this morning, not very hard. First I drained the tank completely using an external fuel pump with a siphon hose. I removed the passenger side Venturi Tube and as I suspected the end cap was missing. I found it lying loose in the lowest part of the passenger side of the fuel tank. Best I can tell it could never have been snapped in properly. I snapped it in place and it very positively clicked into place. I reassembled everything except for the outlet of the fuel filter. I connected a host to the fuel filter outlet and tested fuel flow and found it to be flowing at a much higher velocity than in prior testing. I then connected the fuel filter outlet and fired up the engine. Or rather I tried to. Still would not start. I went back into the tank suspecting the little cover on the end of the venturi had popped off again but instead found the fuel line connnector had popped off, presumably due to the fuel pressure. It appears the little retaining clip that is part of the connector has lost its oomph. Went to Autozone, Napa, then finally Hilton Head Porsche and no one had the part. HHP told me I would have to buy new fuel lines but I am no where near ready to accept that diagnosis/solution. Does anyone have a source for these little widgets? I found them for domestic cars at the local autozone but could not find them for anything remotely Porsche, ie Audi, Volkswagen.

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How much for the new fuel lines? Might be cheaper in the long run than spending considerable time and effort trying to source just the clips. Even if you do source just the clips you will have the worry of if the clips are actually going to work long term (like "forever"). That said I suspect there is a lot of commonality at the fuel line/fuel clip level. Can't imagine Porsche paying some manufacturer for custom clips. Take the clip to a VW parts counter and see if parts counter guy can help you source a suitable (maybe exact) clip from his VW parts bin. If unsuccessful, visit an Audi dealer. Or BMW or Mercedes. But I suspect you'll have good luck at either a VW or Audi parts counter. Oh, you might try one of the companies that sell Porsches parts over the 'net. Pelican? Suncoast? etc. Sincerely, Macster.

2 shadetree methods: 1. Use 0.032" or 0.040" safety wire around the slots where the clip fastens. 2. Put original clip back on and put a small hose clamp around it so it cannot release. Of course later get the right clip!

Yes try the Audi guys.

OK - the end cap on the Venturi Hose popped off again so my guess that it was never well seated to start with was wrong. I secured it ( as well as the driver side Venturi end cap for good measure) with a zip tie and now the hose feeding it is popping off at the quick disconnect! Its like the gopher game!! what a PIA! Two different disconnects in the tank are popping off due to "weak" clips. I have to believe they either chose a plastic that was not well suited to gasoline OR ethanol is at work. Either way, the clips are failing. Needless to say I am getting very annoyed at my quick disconnects quickly disconnecting on their own! And annoyed that no one sells them! I haver no reason to believe that even if the OOOO cars use the same disconnects that they will sell the clips standalone. There is a manufacturer's mark "RAY" on them but google yields nothing relevant. Tippy, I like your thinking!

FYI, I died a few miles from home on a test drive because teh passenger ventyuri high pressure hose popped off at teh quickdisconnect. Quick solution was to swap the clips from outside the tank (ie never exposed to fuel) with the ones failing inside the tank (ie the ones soaking in fuel their whole life). Got me home but I sure would like to fine some new replacements.

Why not replace the whole deal, including the pump?

Look closely at the intake plenum assembly on top of your motor, your problem sounds like a vacuum leak. Look at the rubber boots that join the aluminum housing containing the intake butterfly valve. If the rubber boots are torn, that is your leak.

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Safety wire might be a solution. I thought about suggesting it before but I prefer whenever possible to use the exact same parts to repair something. Especially if this something buried down in the bowels of the gas tank. Besides I do not have the assembly in front of me and the hose and its mating fitting may *not* be safety wire compatible. I'm not talking about material incompatability (though that's a consideration) but mechanically the wire may not hold be able to hold the hose secure and leaks might happen with variable and therefore hard to diagnose symptoms from the engine. The hose may move around and after awhile a fracture of the fitting may occur. Or maybe not. But one way to avoid the unknowns is to use the same style clip to replace the one that's not working for you. Safety wire wants to be a type that won't rust, too. As someone else asked -- and it is a very good question -- what's the cost of a new assembly? Doesn't take many visits to the insides of the gas tank in my book to warrant just replacing the whole assembly with something new (and possibly improved) and fixing the thing once and for all. Sincerely, Macster.

Glad it turned out to be so minor! Sucks about the clips and the venturi price, but in the grand scheme of porsche repair bills I think you're still doing all right. Question, is the pressure / flow rate significantly above spec when you snap the loose part in place? While I don't have a schematic or spec on the venturi tube itself, the way they operate is by difference in internal diameter from one end to the other right? Ignore me if I'm crazy but could deposits/ debris or deterioration or other damage have altered this enough to increase pressure while operating? Would this increased pressure cause the cascading failures you're seeing in other places in the system? Just food for thought. Hans

good thread! try ebay! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PORSC...=p4506.c0.m245 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsc...=p4506.c0.m245

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HTNY - I had the same thought as you - that if the venturi jet were clogged the pressure increase could cause the venturi assembly's end cap to blow off - in fact it might have been designed to do that. The jet diameter is maybe 0.025" which, best I can tell, is driven directly off the fuel pump with no pressure regulation. I just can't see that the jet being clogged or not would change the pressure that end cap is exposed to enought to make a difference. But I am tempted to test the theory. Note that I have not seen any filter in the system which protects that 0.025" jet from debri. There is a small grate/filter where the supply from the pump terminates at the venturi assembly but the grate size sure looks to be much larger than the jet diameter.

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That would be too easy! Where's the challenge in that? Besides, the only problem is a few 10 cent plastic clips.

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Both those pumps are used so almost certainly the quick disconnect clips are in the same shape as mine. So far my best solution is to buy new fuel filters as they cost $30/each and come with one clip. But I intend to contact Porsche factory (Porsche USA has no tech support, or so I am told when I called customer service. Actually, they referred me to the local dealer, not exactly what I would call factory tech support) to get a line on the connector manufacturer. Ja, Ich spreche eine bitte deutsch! I am baffled as to why I seem to be the only one with this issue with the quick disconnect clips. It seems like there would be more buzz about them in the forums and/or they would be sold by pelican parts or others if they failed as often as mine seem to be failing. And its not that I have excess pressure in the system. I slide the connector on, I feel a solid click, but then if I pull with only minimal force they pop right off. Its a head scratcher.

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Porsche clips are usually a b!tch... to take off and are solid (especially the non moving type, Eg: clips for the tranny end links). Maybe your pump assembly has been dismantled before

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I agree that it sounds like you found the problem, but whenever something which "should" act one way but acts another, I always take a step back and make sure I diagnosed the issue properly. It's easy to loose perspective once you find what you think is the problem, and become biased toward it, not seeing other possible causes. Is it really worn clips, or did something else get tweeked during the troubleshooting that is causing this? This isn't a slam. I'm just an engineer, and have been down the aforementioned road way too many times. BTW, I'm bookmarking this thread so I've got the answer should this ever happen to me. Thanks for reporting all the research and updates!

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I am a electrical engineer and spun my wheels more than once due to tunnel vision. In this instance, I swapped a fuel disconect clip from a vapor return fitting on top of the tank (ie never exposed to fuel and under no pressure) with the one that was popping off inside the tank (ie always exposed to fuel and under pressure) and the problem was solved. I think that definitively points to the clips as the failed component. I have a call in to Porsche Stuttgart to locate replacement clips. They are working on it - stay tuned.

Here are some pictures of the project. Anyone know how I can add captions/text with each picture?

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Nice! This thread should be copied and pasted over on RennTech too, super good info/picts. My bad, I did read that you swapped the clips in the thread, but didn't realize that it worked. Order up 100 clips and you can be our Go-To Guy for these things. Mark them up double or triple if you want. BTW, I'm an electrical engineer too.

Ha...that looks awefully familiar. When I had the issue with my car not taking gas I had to pull all of that apart to perform the TSB from Porsche which consisted of adding zip-ties to secure the brown hoses to the tank gauge in order to keep them away from the flapper valve in the tank. Good times. Glad to see you're getting this sorted by yourself. Andy

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You're kidding me?! Zip ties?! Haaa!! Well it looks like maybe Porsche knew their factory clips could fatigue and ultimately let loose.

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That fix was a different issue. Nothing wrong with my clips on my car just the design of the hoses leads to them falling and getting in the way of the flapper valve. But yeah, the fix was to tie the hoses to the flapper valve...that's an official TSB.

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Hey!! That might be MY problem! I've notice that I can't always get a full tank of fuel. The fuel filler gun thing keeps clicking off over and over, but when I get in the car, the gauge reads slightly under full. I was going to start a thread seeing if anyone had this issue. Do you think this could be it? The hoses getting in the way? I thought that maybe the hoses snaking all over like that might also get in the way of the float sensor for level indication. Not trying to hi-jack this thread...

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After being in there I'd say its actually a VERY good possibility that the hoses are obstructing the foat and not allowing it to go all the way to the top position to read a full tank of gas. Could make for a good saturday afternoon project for you. I can't remember if your car is a C2 or not. If it is you have to remove the battery and battery tray to expose the top of the tank so it's a bit more involved than just removing that cover like the car pictured in this thread...but really only a fex extra minutes to get at everything. Andy

Interesting TSB, thanks for posting it. It does make a note of the issue I had, ie the end caps on the "jet pumps" aka "venturis" coming loose. Note that in my case the zip ties were used to secure the end caps on the jet pumps. I always keep a stash of zip ties on my boat for repairs; I just added a handful of them to the tool kit in my car. I suggest other 4WD owners do the same as it seems like only a matter of time before the end caps will fail. The repair can be done in minutes on the roadside with no tools if you can get the big union nut loose. I had to tap it loose with a wooden mallet, and it helps to wet the threads with some gas. I did not pay attention to hoses interfering with level float or flapper valve (are we fixing porsches or toilets ); when I get new quick disconnect clips I will address that issue concurrently.

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When I locate a source for the clips I'll pass it on to pelican parts and encourage them to stock them - its not a business I want to get into

CHOOGENBOOM, Thanks for the pics and diligent work-up. I think we will all use this resource at some point. AUDION19S, Thanks for posting the TSB. I think I may need to do that soon, as mine is becoming more finicky on fill-ups.

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Cool, thanks choogenboom, I think I'll do this soon, just as a preventative measure. Plus I like working on my cars. So are you saying that I can not only use the zip ties to pull the hoses together, but also to keep the cap on and prevent the problem that you encountered? Lol! I don't blame you. Hopefully Wayne will get 'em on his site.

Yes, zip ties can be used to positively secure the endcaps. Thread a small zip tie between the two hoses that terminate on the venturi assembly and then around the center of the endcap. The endcap also has a little appendage that sticks out a little with a slot in it - I threaded it through that slot as well. Look at the pictures I posted, you can see it there. Wish I took a picture of the final zip tied assembly but words will have to do.

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Thanks choogenboom, you're the man.

Well What do ya know! While driving down the highway today... Studder studder...loss of power...coast to a stop. Car will restart...but won't stay running for more than 3 seconds. I'm thinking the same issues has hit my car.

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Keep us posted Lysoleverywhere!

after a close up inspection it looks as if the Venturi tube was the culprit. A piece was broken off.

Has lysol posted any pics yet??

oddly enough someone stole the bad venturi tube while I was in the house. I'm currently trying to figure out a way to not have to use the blasted venturi tubes. I replaced the fuel pump and only one venturi tube. The car will start fine now, but it seems to only have about 2/3 the power that it normally has. May have to replace the other venturi tube.

Venturi system has struck again. Thanks for this thread. I lent my '99 C4 to my son to see his mom `125 miles away. (He is 33) about 100 miles out the car just dies on the freeway 25 miles from destination. Had it towed to mom's house and has worked on this with very limited tools for a couple of days now here is what he found and his fix. Car is running now,yeah! Does anyone know where to get the venturi tube assemblies cheap? Thanks for all your info here