Why does an Audi idle roughly?
3 Answers
Audi idling roughly can be caused by: 1. A dirty throttle body leading to reduced precision in the throttle valve plate opening, which can be resolved by cleaning the throttle body with a specialized cleaner; 2. Damaged or aged spark plugs causing one or more cylinders to misfire; 3. Aged or cracked rubber components in the engine mounts leading to severe vehicle shaking at idle. Audi is a German luxury car brand headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, with main models including the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8, TT, R8, and the S and RS performance series.
I recently encountered an issue with my Audi idling roughly, driving felt like sitting on a massage chair. Mainly need to check a few areas: First is a dirty throttle body, sludge blocking the intake will make it hard to breathe; Second is aging spark plugs or ignition coils, misfires make the engine dance; Third, and especially common, is worn engine mounts, those rubber blocks crack and can't suppress vibrations. If it shakes badly when cold, it's likely a carbon buildup issue—Audi engines are prone to carbon buildup, especially if frequently crawling at low speeds in the city. Last year, my car shook so much the ashtray was bouncing, but after replacing the engine mounts, it became rock steady. Recommend checking for trouble codes first; if no warning light, it's likely a mechanical issue, and going straight to the dealership for inspection is the easiest solution.
My old A6 used to idle so rough that I couldn't even keep my phone steady on it. I went through some troubleshooting steps myself. First, check if the engine shakes rhythmically - if it's a consistent 'putt-putt' pattern, there's an 80% chance it's an ignition issue in one cylinder. You can locate the faulty one by pulling ignition coils to see which cylinder isn't firing. If it's irregular vibration, focus on checking for vacuum leaks or insufficient fuel pump pressure. Don't overlook the engine mounts either - in Volkswagen group vehicles, the rubber typically cracks after 5-6 years. I cleaned the throttle body before but it didn't help, then tried an aftermarket engine mount which made it worse. Only after biting the bullet and installing a genuine OEM part did the shaking stop. Now during every maintenance, I always ask the mechanic to check the suspension bushings while they're at it.
