[A6 C6] Turbocharger Controller Issue (P3348 - J724)

[tompken]

Hi Again,

 

During the last Eurotrip my Check Engine light came up near the FR/ES border. I went to Audi garage in San Pedro del Alcantara and they said it was probably due to filters and dust. Since the error disappeared few days later, I assumed they were right.

 

But recently it came back - this time for good. I went to Audi in Algeciras to run a diagnostic check, and it came back with error P334800 (P3348) - which means there is an electronic issue with the J724 turbo controller. The error is described here:

 

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/19804/P3348/013128

 

I also noticed some of you had this issue as well. Unfortunately, they are from Barcelona, which is >1000 kms from me.

 

Anyway, as the wiki suggests, I wanted to confirm first if the fuse is OK. However, I gave up at trying to removing my wiper arms. Since they've NEVER been removed before, it's absolutely impossible to separate them from the car. Without removing those arms it's next to impossible to get to a fuse box.

 

So I decided to ask someone else to push the gas pedal and I was watching the controller's arm (between controller and the turbine). It is definitely alive - it's moving as the RPMs change. The only issue is it's not a smooth movement - from around 1k to 2k RPM it's ok, then it's kinda "stuck", and when I get to 2.5k RPM it jumps up a little bit. It seems like something is blocking the arm somewhere in the middle. But nevertheless, it's alive, so the fuse must be OK.

 

My question to you: do you know any garages between Malaga and Seville that would know how to handle this situation? Audi Algeciras wants to replace the whole turbo, which is almost 2k EUR - and I am sure that my unit is OK, as I've always been VERY careful about handling it.