I agree on looking at the engine itself. For one thing, the V6 coils are very different than tge 1.8T - they're not independently swappable. On all of them that I've worked on the coils (3 of them, driving two cylinders apiece) were potted and bonded so it was essentially a coil pack assembly. But more to the point, I don't see coil packs failing in such a way that the passenger bank misfires and the driver bank doesn't - it's too coincidental.

Head gasket is possible - there are many ways it can fail, and not all will mix fluids - you can have tears that vent a cylinder to the atmosphere, or to another cylinder, one fluid to a cylinder, or between fluid pathways. A compression check can shed some light on those possibilities. Any overheating or bubbling in the coolant? Blow-by in the oil? Those are telltales for HG failure.

I'd put new plugs in again - single electrode NGKs so you can properly gap them at .032 (that's the tight end of the 12v gap range but try it), and see if it continues. Is it occurring at idle or only under load while driving? if it's while driving only, do that compression check with fresh plugs and cleared codes and see what you find. If it's at idle, get some earplugs, drop the exhaust. And cats, clear the codes, and fire it up. See if the misfires happen again - I'm wondering whether some convergence of factors (bad plugs over time, etc) has clogged that cat and the blockage is causing you to misfire.

 

I agree on looking at the engine itself. For one thing, the V6 coils are very different than tge 1.8T - they're not independently swappable. On all of them that I've worked on the coils (3 of them, driving two cylinders apiece) were potted and bonded so it was essentially a coil pack assembly. But more to the point, I don't see coil packs failing in such a way that the passenger bank misfires and the driver bank doesn't - it's too coincidental.

Head gasket is possible - there are many ways it can fail, and not all will mix fluids - you can have tears that vent a cylinder to the atmosphere, or to another cylinder, one fluid to a cylinder, or between fluid pathways. A compression check can shed some light on those possibilities. Any overheating or bubbling in the coolant? Blow-by in the oil? Those are telltales for HG failure.

I'd put new plugs in again - single electrode NGKs so you can properly gap them at .032 (that's the tight end of the 12v gap range but try it), and see if it continues. Is it occurring at idle or only under load while driving? if it's while driving only, do that compression check with fresh plugs and cleared codes and see what you find. If it's at idle, get some earplugs, drop the exhaust. And cats, clear the codes, and fire it up. See if the misfires happen again - I'm wondering whether some convergence of factors (bad plugs over time, etc) has clogged that cat and the blockage is causing you to misfire.

 

PS - I just texted Phil back at 4:30am his time lol

 

Two more ideas - one, your bank 1 primary O2 took a dump (seems unlikely with no code though). The second one, which is exactly what happened to a guy here with a 30v A6, is that the passenger side cam jumped a couple teeth. In his case, it jumped enough to mulch the valves, but a two-tooth jump would definitely give you those symptoms. Compression checking will show you some insight in that regard. I'd look hard at that.

 

One good turn deserves another.

Any way you slice it, it sounds like it's going to be expensive. It just might be time to upgrade to that A3 you've been wanting, Phil. Just don't forget the quattro this time... (sorry, I couldn't resist )

 

first off brad... i hate you lol... second... if i had the money trust me i would in a heart beat

Jeremy.. both 02 sensors bank 1 and 2 have been throwing codes for a while just dont have the 250 a piece to replace them.... also another thing i might let u know about is that when the car first starts it drives fine all through 1st gear but as soon as i shift into 2nd (whether its a 2k or 5k rpm) the tone changes the power drops and it starts acting sluggish.... ima go outside and at east look at the plugs real fast

 

ok well i just went and checked the plugs.... this was the worst of the 3 i checked...



and when i looked at the coilpacks i couldnt figure out how to switch them around... there are three the bottom one controls 1 and 6 cyl, the middle 2 and 4 and the top 3 and 5... so how could i switch them with only affecting the passenger bank?? anyways i gotta run some errands... so any more input would be awesome.. thanks again

 

I know, buddy, I know...

I forgot the ignition system on the 2.8 is completely different than the 1.8T. On the 1.8T, we have 4 coil packs, one on each cylinder, each responsible for generating the power for the spark plug. On the 2.8, you have 3, each responsible for 2 cylinders, which are on different banks. Since you lost the entire bank, I would guess that it would rule out an electrical problem. Something would have to happen to cause all three cylinders on only one side to go out all at the same time, and I'm thinking it's mechanical, like Jeremy was saying. Maybe you jumped a tooth or two, or it's possible that your cat became so plugged on that side that the exhaust cannot leave the cylinders.

I have no clue what the fuel system is like on the 2.8, but I would assume you would have 2 fuel rails and two FPRs, one for each bank. If that's the case, maybe your FPR went bad, and you're simply not getting enough fuel in the cylinders to get good combustion (i.e. the entire bank is running way too lean). I could be way off, though. Like I said, I really don't know squat about the 2.8s.

Again, good luck...

 

BTW, if you decide to say F--- it, and part out the car, I want your trunk and kamei grill... just saying

 

LoL thanks for the vote of confidence LoL... Jumping a tooth would make sense... If I broke something that is, cuz there is a rattle noise too, coming from underneath the car though like oilpan or cat idk... But if that's the case then wouldn't it be running luggish all the time not just after I shift outta 1st? Would o2 sensor cause this since there are 4 of them? Maybe both bank 1 senors went out? Idk I'm at a loss though.. Thanks for the input btw